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“
Once a forest is lost to agriculture, it is usually gone
forever—along with many of the plants and animals that
once lived there.
”
—The WWF, which seeks to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment
World Wildlife Fund, “Overview,” 2017.
When avid readers hear the name Jack London, they undoubtedly
recall the acclaimed author of more than fifty books, including the
famous classic
Call of the Wild
. Many people are not aware that
London was also one of the first true organic farmers and is con-
sidered a pioneer of sustainable farming. In 1905 he bought 130
acres (52.6 ha) of land in Northern California’s Sonoma County.
He initially viewed the property, which he named Beauty Ranch,
as a secluded haven where he could write his books and possibly
do a little farming on the side.
It soon became obvious to London that most of the neigh-
boring ranchers were desperately poor and felt hopeless. Based
on the condition of their own land, they assured London that his
farm was useless for growing anything. He refused to believe
that, but after clearing a portion of his land to plant hay, he un-
derstood what they meant. For more than forty years the pre-
vious landowners, whom London called “our wasteful pioneer
farmers,”
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had nearly ruined the land with old-fashioned farming
methods that stripped the soil of nutrients. He was troubled by
how carelessly the land had been farmed and was determined
CHAPTERTWO
Feeding the World,
Conserving the Wild
