Through the lens of his experience as a multiracial Asian American—and a deskbound-worker longing to get his hands into some dirt—Alec Yoshio MacDonald makes the case for reclaiming one’s self through gardening.
The One-Seed Revolution explores the personal benefits of growing vegetables from seed. Weaving together reporting, how-to guidance on growing heirloom vegetables, and memoir, author Alec Yoshio MacDonald draws on years of experience as a journalist and a gardener to examine how people can forge a more intimate relationship with their food.
Inspired by his ancestral farming connections, MacDonald looks to natural farming pioneer Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One-Straw Revolution, and to the Kitazawa Seed Company, a century-old independent seller of Asian heirloom vegetable seeds, for guidance. In addition to exploring the company’s historical legacy, he digs deeply into the Kitazawa catalog to provide gardening advice on raising heirloom vegetables, along with culinary suggestions.
The book includes tips on growing 16 different Asian vegetables from seed, including:
- Daikon (Tokinashi)
- Turnips (Hinona Kabu)
- Carrots (Kyoto Red)
- Burdock (Takinogawa)
- Mustard (Wasabina)
- Cabbage (Aichi)
MacDonald argues that the garden is not only a place for people to find themselves, but also for them to respond to seemingly overwhelming problems, including the climate crisis and our broken food system. By focusing on what we can control and not underestimating the importance of smaller, quieter action — such as growing vegetables from seed — we can achieve healing, especially when we see ourselves as participating in a larger community.
- ISBN10 1734901144
- ISBN13 9781734901146
- Publish Date 15 February 2022
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 21 June 2022
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Stone Pier Press
- Format Paperback
- Pages 168
- Language English