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Rooted

Stories of Life, Land and a Farming Revolution

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Brought to you by Penguin.

A fascinating personal account of a revolution in British farming


Sarah Langford had left her country roots behind to live and work in the city as a barrister. But when she found herself moving to the countryside, back to an agricultural life she had left behind, she saw farmers dealing with very different problems to those faced by her grandfather, who had fed a starving nation after war. Beleaguered with the challenges of climate change, Brexit and falling incomes, they faced accusations of ecological mismanagement from a hostile media and public. But, as Sarah looked to them to teach her about the land, she also found a new generation of farmers on a path of regenerative change.

In Rooted, Sarah weaves her own story around these farmers - from dairy to arable, traditional to experimental - who taught her what being a farmer means. Intimate and moving, these stories shine a light on the human side of modern farming, and show us how land connects us all, not only in terms of global sustainability but in our relationships with our physical and mental health, our communities, our planet and ourselves.

An authentic, beautifully written portrait of 21st Century farming, this deeply personal account puts a powerful case: that the task of restoring our earth and ensuring a sustainable future both for our food and ourselves, lies in the hands of those who live closest to the land.

© Sarah Langford 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Agricultural & Food Sciences Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Sustainable Agriculture Sustainability Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking

Critic reviews

Enthralling ... An unignorable call to understand the challenges facing not only farming but the Earth itself.
Absorbing, compassionate [and] galvanising.
Langford writes so movingly of the countryside and its effect on her heart and her family.
More than a memoir; Langford manages to contain and convey the whole scale of the coming agricultural revolution.
A refreshing perspective on a overwhelmingly masculine world
Sarah Langford's book on farming is really a book about healing. All of life and death is here: family, politics, nature, climate, history, humanity. Rooted is a beautifully written, powerful reminder of where we've gone wrong, what is at stake, and how we can change. I loved it.
Rooted offers us an honest look at the farming life today. It is not an easy way to make a living, but through Langford's personal story - and those of who she meets - we appreciate how it offers a connection with the land, and a firmer sense of our place in the world. Raw, earthy and inspiring.
Moving, startling, uplifting, galvanising and unsettling, this plainly beautiful book is one of those rare few that changes how you see the world around you: the shape of fields seen from a train, the vegetables in a supermarket chiller cabinet, the earth beneath your feet and falling through your fingers.
A beautifully written, incredibly timely book addressing not just where our food comes from and why this matters so much, but also fundamental questions relating to our relationship with the land, and the definition of home.
Heartbreaking and hopeful, this story of a farming revival has never been more important. It opened my eyes and touched my soul
All stars
Most relevant
Sarah's summing up of our agricultural problems is excellent. I am about the same age as Uncle Charlie and lived through the farming world as he saw it. I am now an advocate for change and Sarah describes the change that is required so well. There will be allot of farmers who don't get it but the map of the direction that is required is well laid out in this book.
Sarah's descriptions brought back so many memories of the things I got wrong.
Thank you Sarah

I was there

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Really loved this, considered, thought provoking & reflective journey into agriculture. Must get a hard copy to reread

Worth it

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Sarah is a really excellent writer and narrator; beautifully written, in my opinion..

This book offers a very sober look at what is happening to the beleaguered farming industry in this country, in no small way owing to incompetent, shirt-sighted and 'free market obsessed' government.

Really Excellent

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So pleased to have listened to this whilst touring Europe with my husband in our camper van. On the cusp of not knowing which way to point our lives, ie should we move abroad?, this book may have influenced us to know use our one acre home plot to change things where we are and even look to buying a field nearby. Thank you for this Sarah - may your work continue to inspire and inform and “make a difference”

Research and a life to inspire

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It was chapter 4 before I started paying proper attention as it had an air of nice stories being told of townies moving to the country & making a positive impact; then it carried along with the tale. However from Chapter 8 onward it took off with some great lines of thought, reasoned argument, & inspiring vision. I know I am a detail nerd so my view is biased - well worth following the whole way through...

slow start, but a high for the finish

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