What Staff Are Reading: We Are What We Eat

Susan Cackler is the library supervisor at Banks Public Library, one of the 16 Washington County library locations that are members of WCCLS. She’s a small-scale farmer and voracious reader. Her Nubian dairy goats are like family pets, but they also provide milk for cheese adventures.

What are you reading?

We are What We Eat by Alice Waters.

Why did you choose this book?

The pandemic really brought to light how insecure the food chain in this country is, and Alice Waters is great at talking about local food. Also, I am hoping to host a community conversation about food and wanted to see if this would be a good resource to share with people before, during and after that conversation.

What do you think of it so far?

I’m enjoying the style and content. It’s easy to read and is a compelling support of many of the things I believe and try to practice around food. But it’s also giving me a new perspective on how fast food has become fast food culture and I’m excited to see what else it covers.

Where is your favorite place to read?

Under a cat.

How many books do you plan to read this summer?

I’ll probably read 20 to 25 books this summer. I try to read two a week – some of them are juvenile fiction. Since I am an all-ages librarian, I read from every section of the library.

What's your favorite thing to grow?

I am most excited about being able to pick a cucumber every day, hopefully by August.