BethHoffman was living the good life: she had a career as a journalist andprofessor, and a comfortable home in San Francisco. Yet in her late 40s, sheand her husband decided to leave the big city and move to his family farm inIowa—all for the dream of becoming a farmer, to put into practice everythingshe had learned over decades of reporting on food and agriculture. There wasjust one problem: money.

The economics of agriculture are shocking: half of America’s two million farmsmade less than $300 in 2019. Between rising land costs, ever-more expensiveequipment, and the growing uncertainty of the climate, farming today is a riskybusiness. For many, simply staying afloat is a constant struggle. Even forthose with a decent nest egg and access to land, like Beth and John had, makingends meet at times seems impossible. Bet the Farm is a first-hand account ofthe perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just andsustainable ways of producing food.

Hoffmancan present about her book, visit with book clubs, or speak to groups aboutrelevant topics like farmland transition, the state of Iowa agriculture and howfarms can be more economically viable.