by Marlene Anne Bumgarner

“We all worked together. Ate together. Sang together. Learned together. We had a good life. After living close to the natural cycles of the earth year after year, good and not good, we grew stronger and more resilient, learned to manage our occasional conflicts with tolerance and love.”

When Marlene Bumgarner and her husband moved to a rural plot of land in 1973, she thought of herself as simply a young mother seeking an affordable and safe place in which to raise her child.

By the time she left the land nearly a decade later, she had written two books and a weekly newspaper column, served as contributing editor to a national magazine, a college instructor, and a sought-after public speaker. Her natural food store, The Morgan Hill Trading Post, was the first one in her community.
Follow Marlene and her friends as they live on the land, coping with the challenges of rural life as Silicon Valley evolves into the high-tech center it is today, and the world in which they live transforms itself culturally, economically, and politically.

Available Now!

Reader Reviews

“Marlene Bumgarner shares a powerful memoir of young lives bridging the quiet abundance of the Valley of Heart’s Delight and the world-changing potential of the nascent Silicon Valley at a unique moment when the two coexisted. This is an intimate story of a teacher, writer, entrepreneur, wife, and loving mother finding her footing on a special piece of land and the resilience to navigate the seismic shifts of the time and her life. Her reflections on homesteading, education, family, community, and the visionaries who saw the future in computing will make this a rewarding journey for a wide array of readers.”
~ Don Burgett, Co-Executive Director of Life Lab

“Marlene Bumgarner’s path back to the land is set beside the path of technology at a time when silicon was just beginning its path to defining a region. It is an engaging story of dreams, challenges, and that uncomfortable place where ideals meet reality. She uses the characters and events in her life to paint a vivid picture of a mother seeking a peaceful country life, and finding much more than she ever imagined … including her own extraordinary resilience.”
~ Cristina McCutcheon, Farmer/Garden Educator

“This book is Little House on the Prairie for grown-ups, offering an adult perspective on the ever-complicated pursuit of the simple life. Bumgarner recounts the good times, like the satisfaction of building a sustainable farm and garden, as well as the hard times, like the uphill battles to meet code and the inevitable losses on a homestead. She exchanges the idealism of youth for the wisdom of experience earned through seasons of self-reliance spent on the land.”
~ Tara Besore, Hammer & a Headband

“With humor, insight, and love, Marlene Bumgarner captures the essence of the 70s “back to the land” movement. She dreams of paradise when she, her husband, and their toddler join with another couple to purchase 10 acres in the rolling hills of coastal California. Despite heartbreak, disappointments, and a life-changing accident, uplifting joy and a deep connection to the land anchor her life. An enthralling memoir.
~ Nancy Wood, author of the Shelby McDougall mystery series

Available September 30, 2026

Organic Cooking for (not-so-organic) Families is more than just a cookbook. Open its Table of Contents and you will see topics such as how to understand the role played in a healthy diet by fats, fiber, and sugar, along with explanations of terms such as healthy, organic, natural and GMO-free, and how to use packaging labels to make healthier decisions for your family.

Recipes are organized according to the developmental stages of childhood, meal times, and holidays and celebrations. For those parents who like a little challenge, the section titled “Growing in Your Kitchen” addresses making bread, crackers, yogurt, cheese, soy milk, tofu, sausages, butter, and ice cream at home. This book is an excellent resource for families, and you don’t need to give up meat or dairy to use it.

With Organic Cooking for (not-so-organic) Families, Marlene responds to the pleas of parents everywhere to translate confusing natural food jargon into practical meal preparation methods and ideas. Organic Cooking for (not so organic) Families is rich in how-to’s and recipes that take the mystery out of healthy eating without relying on expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.

Easy-to-make, delicious, and satisfying, whole grains are low in fat and cholesterol but high in fiber–and full of those “magic” antioxidants. They are also the foundations of a healthy diet. The New Book of Whole Grains covers more than a dozen grains and seeds in an easy-to-use grain-by-grain format. The author provides nutritional information, tips on buying and storing for maximum freshness, a brief historical profile for each and even how to grow each plant in your garden should you choose to do so. Search through more than 200 recipes to turn these nutritional powerhouses into delicious appetizers, entrees, soups, muffins, cookies, cakes, breads, and side dishes, many of which are vegetarian. Any home cook eager to provide his or her family with healthy, delicious food, packed with flavor and nutrients, will delight in this clear and engaging guide.

Recipes Include: Amaranth Granola Cereal, Sour Cream Triticale Waffles, Quinone Tabouleh Salad, Sesame Rice, Brown Rice Risotto, Spinach Dumplings, Black-eyed Chicken, Barley and Shrimp Casserole, Oatmeal Macaroons, Peach Rye Crisp, Hasty Pudding, Sorghum Gingerbread, Pumpkin Nut Bread, and many more! Also available as an e-book.

Sample Recipe:

Millet & Amaranth Mushroom Risotto

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms (morel, portobello, or shitake)
1 Tablespoon light oil
1/4 cup amaranth
1/4 cup millet
1/2 cup long-grain brown rice
3 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salt to taste (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Saute onion and mushrooms in oil until onions are translucent and mushrooms tender. Add grains; stir until coated and light brown, about 2 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil, and simmer covered until liquid is mostly absorbed and the grains are tender. Stir in wine and pepper, and salt if desired. Remove from heat and let stand five to ten minutes without stirring, covered. Before serving, fluff with a fork and stir in parsley and cheese. Serves 4 to 6.