No Small Potatoes

 

www.elizabeth-johnston.com

 Sound Proof Press
156 pages, index, plus
12 pages of full colour photos
Released 25 Sep. 2008

No Small Potatoes is an eclectic look at the effects of factory farming and genetic modification on us and our food. It combines research, interviews, and personal narrative.

After being awarded a Canada Council grant to write a book about the potato, I traveled to Prince Edward Island, Peru and Hungary for research and to interview people. Some of the places I visited were an organic farm, a native-run potato park, the International Potato Centre, and museums. Interviews with farmers, scientists and regular folk, including some from Ireland, are in my book, too, along with a section of colour pictures from my travels.

PRAISE for No Small Potatoes
Elizabeth Johnston’s fascination with the potato brings her on an absorbing journey through many of the pivotal issues affecting how we live today. The stark reality of GMO domination, leading to the destruction of agricultural communities, the limiting of food choice and the loss of traditional knowledge and farming practices is central to the book. She skillfully demonstrates how science has lost its integrity in response to the lure of big business but points out that there is hope for small scale farmers working to preserve genetic diversity and food security. Elizabeth’s account of how native Peruvians are reclaiming their dignity and spiritual connection to the land and her call for a grassroots movement for food independence make this a captivating read.
– Cait Curran
(editor of Organic Matters, the magazine of the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association)

To read more about No Small Potatoes, click here.