Summary: Reading this book gave me chills.

I grew up on a farm in Kansas, but we didn’t grow food (we boarded horses) for five formative years of my childhood. The choice that author Lindsay Metcalf made to have photographs instead of illustrations makes this book all the more powerful. For #sweetsandsocialjustice this week I made one of my favorite foods: granola! Granola, like the majority of foods, can’t be made without farmers.

In the late 1970’s, crop prices were plummeting, farm equipment and supplies were rising, and bankrupt farmers could be found nearly everywhere. In the spirit of activism and community organizing, farmers across the nation joined chapters of the AAM (American Agriculture Movement) and began to protest.

Farmers Unite! is a testament to how change and action take years. It’s not glamorous, it involves sitting and waiting, digging out blizzards, and children napping on the ground during senate hearings. Thousands of tractors journeyed to DC for a protest, but that didn’t change things. Several years later, the first Farm Aid concert was held to raise money, but that didn’t change things either.

A lot of books about social movements focus on the Civil Rights Movement/Modern Black Freedom Struggle as a time in history when there was immense ongoing activism. This is of course true, but many more social movements aren’t talked about (and especially not in children’s books). I learned so much reading this book! I believe it’s really important that we teach young people about all of the protesting that has taken place throughout history, for all of the different causes. Economic justice is still an issue that we grapple with today, and full equity has not been reached. I absolutely loved reading this book, and the photos included provide beautiful historical context to the AAM momentum.

This book was kindly sent by Boyds Mills & Kane, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to review it. All opinions are my own!

Recipe: Granola

Ingredients:

3c rolled oats

1/2c neutral oil (I use canola/vegetable)

1/2c maple syrup OR honey (whichever you have/prefer)

1c nuts (I used untoasted, since they’ll be in the oven)

1c dried fruit (whatever you like, infinitely customizable!)

Cinnamon to taste (I like to use a lot of cinnamon when I have dried apples, but typically use at least 1t)

pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT the dried fruit, and spread evenly onto a sheet tray. Cook for about 20 minutes, until you start to smell the nuts toasting. I jostle the mixture once during cooking, because I like very chunky granola. After taking out of the oven, shake the dried fruit over and leave the tray alone until completely cooled. The granola will still be sticky when taken out of the oven, and it will dry into clusters as it cools. You can leave it out on a counter, or in the oven to cool. When I make a double batch, I spread it over two sheets. It also takes a bit longer to bake, but we’re a big granola household so I think it’s worth it!

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