As many who dip into some social media realms may have noticed, there’s plenty of absolutes, extremes and anger out there.  Peace.  Breathe.  Reset.  Kindness, compromise, balance.  Bring ’em on. 

I am tired of absolutes and extremes and the angriness of this age.  We need more kindness, compromise and balance. 

Rebanks’ English Pastoral is a slim and quietly impassioned account of his family’s involvement in the transformation of farming from its age-old practice to a full on globalised industry with a number of doubtful outcomes, followed by an endeavour to move forward (not backward) to a more sustainable approach to farming.  It’s a succinct overview of the complexities of making that transition.  See our tribute to Rebanks’ earlier book, which touches on similar issues, A Shepherd’s Life. 

Source: James Rebanks, English Pastoral: An inheritance (London: Penguin, 2021), p. 269

Photo credit: Mona Eendra at unsplash