David Mas Masumoto

Adult nonfiction. The book begins with the author's vision of a world without his Sun Crest peaches--a variety that packs tons of juice and flavor but that is unable to compete in today's marketplace, which demands longer shelf-lives and more color. After his essay is published in newspapers across the nation, letters from all over start pouring in, begging him not to destroy his orchard of Sun Crests, and so the author spends another year attempting to create a niche for his specialty peaches. This book provides lots of interesting insight into the life of a farmer; I even learned a bit about pruning peach trees (which is something I need to do in my own yard).… (meer)

Masumoto examines his family's history farming near Fresno. His immigrant grandparents rented land and were interred during World War 2. His father purchased land as an adult, and Masumoto still farms that land, and still has most of the vines and peach trees his father planted. He discusses the strong Japanese community he grew up in, and how it has slowly shrunk as the immigrants have died and so many of the third generation have moved to cities, including his brother and sister.

As a young man he went to college and then to Japan, where he took an intensive language course and then lived with his great uncle for some time, helping him with his farm of rice and buckwheat. Upon returning home he decided he wanted to farm, and that he was interested in organic methods. When he wrote this book, he was raising his own two kids on his farm, with his father still there to help.

This book is over 20 years old now, and I wonder what his own kids are now doing. Is either interested in continuing the tradition?… (meer)