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The small ears of corn once grown by Native Americans have now become row upon row of cornflakes on supermarket shelves. The immense seas of grass and herds of animals that supported indigenous people have turned into industrial agricultural operations with regular rows of soybeans, corn, and wheat that feed the world. But how did this happen and why? In
A Rich and Fertile Land, Bruce Kraig investigates the history of food in America, uncovering where it comes from and how it has changed over time.
From the first Native Americans to modern industrial farmers, Kraig takes us on a journey to reveal how people have shaped the North American continent and its climate based on the foods they craved and the crops and animals that they raised. He analyzes the ideas that Americans have about themselves and the world around them, and how these ideas have been shaped by interactions with their environments. He details the impact of technical innovation and industrialization, which have in turn created modern American food systems.
Drawing upon recent evidence from the fields of science, archaeology, and technology,
A Rich and Fertile Land is a unique and valuable history of the geography, climate, and food of the United States.
About the author
Bruce Kraig is Professor Emeritus in History and Humanities at Roosevelt University, Chicago, and the founding President of the Culinary Historians of Chicago. An internationally recognized food historian, he has been host and writer for a series of award-winning food documentaries for PBS, and has also appeared on ABC National News, Good Morning America and BBC News. He has written several cookery books and his articles have appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
. He is the author or editor of numerous books on food history, including Hot Dog: A Global History (Reaktion, 2009).
Summary
A Rich and Fertile Land investigates the history of food in America, describing where it comes from and how it has changed over time. Bruce Kraig also shows how food has shaped the North American continent and climate through crops, harvesting, and animals.
