Farewell Gene Logsdon

Gene Logsdon,
(born 1932, died May 31, 2016)

Gene Logsdon has had more to do with my gardening thinking than any other man after my grandfather and I am saddened to learn of his passing.

Gene wrote for Rodale Publishing back in the 1970's, and I devoured many of his books - and much of those books is still relevant and good reading to this day.  His book, "The Gardener's Guide to Better Soil" (Rodale Press, 1975) was for many years my only soils book.  His "Small Scale Grain Raising" (also Rodale Press, 1977) was the original and for many years, the only, book on the subject was recently republished by Chelsea Green Publishing remaining as viable and arelevantnt as it was in the 1970's.  

He was not only a great purveyor of data and ideas, he had a sense of humor that showed through in even some of the most serious of books.  I remember his rant on gas prices in one of those older volumes even today and still chuckle about it.  It was his humanity combined with his matter of fact farming approach that made his work so long lasting.  And I can guarantee there are assuredly many new gardeners that will continue to learn from Gene as his books continue to teach.

If you have the chance to pick up a Gene Logsdon book, snatch it up.  You will laugh a little and learn a lot.  His legacy will live on in many teachers like myself that have been influenced by him and in turn teach a little bit of Gene in every lecture they give.

Gene Logsdon was one of the most prolific of this generation of garden/farming/sustainability writers of this era. He will be deeply missed.

david