Pioneers of the Soil: California Farmers Cultivating a Healthier Future

California farmers produce almost half of the nation's fresh fruits and vegetables. What farmers do in California affects all US consumers. The organic produce industry is the fastest growing sector of the agricultural economy, with a sustained annual growth of twenty percent for the last decade. Organic foods are easily obtainable in every major US city -- even major supermarket chains are beginning to carry them.Pioneers of the Soil promotes sustainable agriculture, which is not just about safe foods and a clean environment, but about preserving farming communities and protecting people who work in agriculture.Pesticides used in agriculture are known to be poisonous; cause breast, prostate and testicular cancer, and reproductive harm; and damage hormone and immune systems. Economical and environmentally safe alternatives to pesticides exist and are being used by an increasing number of farmers around the globe. Serious institutional and market barriers hamper the conversion of these alternatives for the US farming system.Susan Benson is the author of 'Pioneers of the Soil: California Farmers Cultivating a Healthier Future' with ISBN 9780935028775 and ISBN 0935028773.