“My Empire of Dirt: How One Man Turnes His Big City Backyard Into A Farm”

My Empire of Dirt by Manny Howard (how one man turned his big city backyard into a farm) is the story of a man on a mission. A mission that many might find insane, and perhaps he believes this to be the case himself. Manny you see, turned his 800 sq foot back yard in Brooklyn into a working farm. Well, maybe “working” is a stretch by some standards but he certainly has learned a lot.

I happened to catch him talking to Faith Middleton on the “Food Schmooze” on NPR yesterday as I was out and about and was hooked. This guy is not only a little bit crazy, but also really really funny! It also happens that I was listening to the radio after spending the day buying plants, gardening materials, and planning for some agriculture attempts here at the homestead. So this couldn’t have been the more perfect of times to listen to this guys story.

Of course Manny went whole hog though and even began working with animals for food…. The most I will be doing is looking at the local turkeys as they pass through my yard… Envisioning them as roast turkey legs like a Wile-Y-Coyote cartoon may be the extent of my “hard core” farming. I think I will just stick to the herb and vegetable gardens outdoors and my orchids inside.

Take a listen to the Schmooze and maybe pick up his book… I think I will be.

CoB