RECKONING THE EARTH: Some Lessons From the...

RECKONING THE EARTH: Some Lessons From the Land by Sandra Murphy, illustrated John MacDonald (Northland Publishing: $12.95; 119 pp., paperback original). Long Branch Farm is a working agricultural installation designed as a showplace for children from nearby Cincinnati. Volunteer Sandra Murphy recalls how kids and their parents react to her talks about crop rotation, composting and farm animals, as well as the hands-on experiences of digging potatoes and making felt from raw wool. Her unpretentious essays leave the impression that she would make an engaging guide, providing the tour didn’t involve too much time shoveling horse manure into the compost bins.