The Planter of Modern Life: How an Ohio Farm Boy Conquered Literary Paris, Fed the Lost Generation, and Sowed the Seeds of the Organic Food Movement

Louis Bromfield was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who gained fame in the 1920s. He used his success to finance a wild agrarian dream in his native Ohio, inspiring America's first generation of organic farmers and popularizing the principles of environmentalism. Bromfield returned to Ohio in 1938 to transform 600 eroded acres into a thriving cooperative farm, which became a mecca for agricultural pioneers and a country retreat for celebrities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 24 September 2021
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Louis Bromfield was a multifaceted individual who left an indelible mark on American culture during the 1920s. Born in Ohio, he served as an ambulance driver during World War I and later settled in Paris, where he became a prominent figure in the literary scene. Despite his literary success, Bromfield abandoned his writing career to pursue a wild agrarian dream in his native Ohio. At his utopian experimental farm, Malabar, he planted the seeds of ideas that would inspire America's first generation of organic farmers and popularize the principles of environmentalism years before Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

Bromfield's unique personality and unconventional lifestyle made him stand out in literary Paris. He built a magnificent garden outside the city, where he entertained aristocrats, movie stars, flower breeders, and writers of all stripes. Gertrude Stein, Edith Wharton, and Ernest Hemingway were among the many who were captivated by his hospitality and his knowledge of the soil. Millions of people enjoyed his novels, which were turned into Broadway plays and Hollywood blockbusters. However, Bromfield's greatest passion was the soil.

In 1938, Bromfield returned to Ohio to transform 600 badly eroded acres into a thriving cooperative farm. Malabar became a mecca for agricultural pioneers and a country retreat for celebrities like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who were married there in 1945. This sweeping biography unearths a lost icon of American culture, a fascinating, hilarious, and unclassifiable character who, between writing and plowing, also dabbled in global politics and high society.

Throughout his life, Bromfield fought for an agriculture that would enrich the soil and protect the planet. He believed that the health of the soil was the foundation of a healthy society and that industrial farming practices were detrimental to both the environment and human health. His ideas and his vision for a sustainable future continue to inspire and influence farmers and environmentalists today.

While Bromfield's name may have faded into obscurity over the years, his mission remains more critical than ever before. The world faces unprecedented challenges in terms of climate change, food security, and environmental degradation. We need to return to the principles of sustainable agriculture that Bromfield championed and find ways to create a more equitable and sustainable food system.

In conclusion, Louis Bromfield was a remarkable individual who left an indelible mark on American culture and the world. His wild agrarian dream in Ohio, his utopian experimental farm, Malabar, and his fight for sustainable agriculture continue to inspire and influence us today. As we face the challenges of the 21st century, we must remember the lessons of Bromfield and work towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all.

Weight: 277g
Dimension: 211 x 140 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780393868463