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Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm
A lyrical, sensuous and thoroughly engrossing memoir of one critical year in the life of an organic peach farmer, Epitaph for a Peach is "a delightful narrative . . . with poetic flair and a sense of humor" (Library Journal). Line drawings.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 1996
104 people are currently reading
1,622 people want to read
About the author
David Mas Masumoto
17Ìýbooks50ÌýfollowersDavid "Mas" Masumoto is an organic peach and grape farmer and author of Epitaph for a Peach (1995), which offers a glimpse of life on a family farm in Central California, Letters to the Valley, A Harvest of Memories (2004), Four Seasons in Five Senses, Things Worth Savoring (2003), and Harvest Son, Planting Roots in American Soil (1998). His organic farming techniques have been employed by farmers across the nation.
Masumoto earned his B.A. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in community development 1982 from the University of California, Davis. He is the winner of the UC Davis “Award of Distinction� from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2003. He was a founding member of California Association of Family Farmers. He has served on the California Tree Fruit Agreement research board and has been a member of the Raisin Advisory Committee research board.
Masumoto and his wife have two children. They reside in an 90 year old farmhouse surrounded by their vineyards and orchards just outside of Del Rey, California which is 20 miles south of Fresno.
(from Wikipedia)
Masumoto earned his B.A. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in community development 1982 from the University of California, Davis. He is the winner of the UC Davis “Award of Distinction� from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2003. He was a founding member of California Association of Family Farmers. He has served on the California Tree Fruit Agreement research board and has been a member of the Raisin Advisory Committee research board.
Masumoto and his wife have two children. They reside in an 90 year old farmhouse surrounded by their vineyards and orchards just outside of Del Rey, California which is 20 miles south of Fresno.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
August 19, 2017
A lovely, meditative little book about the challenges and joys of farming. Masumoto is a third-generation Japanese-American peach and grape farmer in California. The direct impetus for writing this book was the threat of losing his Sun Crest peaches; although the fruit was absolutely delicious, it did not meet the public’s aesthetic standards. Before bulldozing the orchard, he decided to give it one more try � and this time to eschew modern farming methods in favor of a natural approach (cover crops, no pesticides, strategic pruning, etc.).
He takes readers on a quiet journey through a year in the farming life, including the grueling off-season work of preparing the fields and the near-despair of losing a raisin crop to heavy September rainfall. Referring to his father’s experience and to his neighboring farmers� decisions, he gives a broad picture of the range in practices and how the work has changed over the years. I would highly recommend this to readers of Wendell Berry. I read it very slowly, one chapter or even just one subsection at a time; I think it’s best this way, so you can internalize the rhythms of the year and so that the subject matter never feels repetitive. (My free copy came from the Book Thing of Baltimore.)
Favorite lines:
“Babies and planting seeds: they demand that you believe in the magic and mystery of life.�
“Farmers fool themselves when they talk about taking land from the wild. Some believe they can outwit nature and grow a lush vineyard in poor soils and on land where vines don’t belong. But I sense that farming is only a temporary claim on a piece of earth, not a right; farmers borrow the land from nature to squeeze out a living.�
“A type of humility marks a real farmer. Those of us who battle nature all year must ultimately accept the hand we’re dealt. We’re cautious even at harvest, privately smiling when we discover that the cards we hold may be OK, inwardly grateful that there hasn’t been a disaster.�
He takes readers on a quiet journey through a year in the farming life, including the grueling off-season work of preparing the fields and the near-despair of losing a raisin crop to heavy September rainfall. Referring to his father’s experience and to his neighboring farmers� decisions, he gives a broad picture of the range in practices and how the work has changed over the years. I would highly recommend this to readers of Wendell Berry. I read it very slowly, one chapter or even just one subsection at a time; I think it’s best this way, so you can internalize the rhythms of the year and so that the subject matter never feels repetitive. (My free copy came from the Book Thing of Baltimore.)
Favorite lines:
“Babies and planting seeds: they demand that you believe in the magic and mystery of life.�
“Farmers fool themselves when they talk about taking land from the wild. Some believe they can outwit nature and grow a lush vineyard in poor soils and on land where vines don’t belong. But I sense that farming is only a temporary claim on a piece of earth, not a right; farmers borrow the land from nature to squeeze out a living.�
“A type of humility marks a real farmer. Those of us who battle nature all year must ultimately accept the hand we’re dealt. We’re cautious even at harvest, privately smiling when we discover that the cards we hold may be OK, inwardly grateful that there hasn’t been a disaster.�
February 15, 2014
When I was a bookseller, I sold so many copies of this book and I never thought to read it until someone told me a few weeks back that since I grew-up in San Jose's last orchards in the 70's, that I might appreciate this book. After reading it, I appreciated it in a different way, not because it reminded me of my youth, but more because it reminded me of the balance of life that people try to attain in nature. Reading how Masumoto looks at his orchard and the market he competes in to sell his peaches, one finds that much of our lives are not in our control,but this is not say that we can't find peace in that world. My favorite parts of this book were when Masumoto is simply walking around, looking at nature, thinking of the market and trying to find a balance between the two. I really enjoyed his observations on being raised in a family that farmed and raising a family that farms. There were just so many points that kept him grounded and "walking around." Epitaph for a Peach is definitely going down as one of my favorite books. It reminded me of the type of people John Mcphee would write about in his journal's that depict human attempts at controlling nature, except this is a first person account, which made it much more soulful. Also, Masumoto must have had a great editor, because most of this seems to be culled from diary entries, but the way it's organized and developed strongly hint at a very good editor at work who is telling him where to expand and how to lead between segments. Very good organization.
December 26, 2022
My sustainable ag professor recommended this book to me last year and I’m so glad that I finally got around to reading it!!! It reminded me of Braiding Sweetgrass in the best ways. I love the care with which Masumoto talks about the farm and the peaches/grapes but also everything else on and around it (neighbors, family, bugs friendly and not, cover crops, the weather!!!!).
(“I dance with nature and we seem to constantly be switching leads. Huge rewards may not await me, but perhaps it’s the music and motion that’s important. I’ve survived at farming for a decade and now know diversity results in this: at the end of each song, I still have hope.� pg 132)
(“I dance with nature and we seem to constantly be switching leads. Huge rewards may not await me, but perhaps it’s the music and motion that’s important. I’ve survived at farming for a decade and now know diversity results in this: at the end of each song, I still have hope.� pg 132)
August 29, 2022
This was the perfect place perfect time book for me. I loved it so much.
August 14, 2023
A memoir that spans one year in the life of a fruit farmer on the West coast. The passion and dedication to his craft - farming - and likewise the earth, really comes through in the author’s writing. The book was published in the mid 90s, so the events taking place in the book occurred shortly before. Reading how the author/farmer was gradually transitioning the cultivation of his crops from then current agricultural methods, relying heavily on pesticides and chemicals, to gentler, more natural growing methods, now recognized as being “organically� grown, and learning that despite being located in the farming region of California, that the local community was just then only considering establishing a farmer’s market, the book at times was a walk down memory lane for me as I can remember that period of time when there were no farmer’s markets around and likewise, trying to find anything grown organically was nearly impossible.
The title of the book reflects upon a constant musing of the author throughout the book: should he tear out his beloved Sun Crest peach trees that comprise the predominance of his crop (he also grows grapes for raisins, as a back-up, secondary crop) and replace the trees with another type of peach tree, inferior in some ways to the Sun Crest yet being more in demand with consumers, or should he persist for one more year growing his beloved peaches while vainly trying to convince more purchasers of the desirability of that specific brand of peach? Throughout that one year as I vicariously walked in the same footsteps of the author and toiled alongside him each season as he made his rounds through his orchards, seeing his slowly ripening future harvest I too found myself rooting for the Sun Crests and hoping that prospective consumers realized the error of their ways and eagerly and voraciously seek out and buy up the harvested Sun Crests, thereby allaying the author’s fear of the eventual disappearance of that heirloom variety. (After reading the book I was curious to see if the author still had his farm after all these years, so I did some checking on the internet. I was very pleased [and relieved] to see that he still farmed and continues to grow the Sun Crests. Hooray!) I very much enjoyed reading this book. The author certainly sold me on the idea of his Sun Crest peaches; whenever I shop for produce I look for some of them. Unfortunately, I have not come across any yet. But, like the author, I will be persistent in my efforts and will continue to look for them. . .
The title of the book reflects upon a constant musing of the author throughout the book: should he tear out his beloved Sun Crest peach trees that comprise the predominance of his crop (he also grows grapes for raisins, as a back-up, secondary crop) and replace the trees with another type of peach tree, inferior in some ways to the Sun Crest yet being more in demand with consumers, or should he persist for one more year growing his beloved peaches while vainly trying to convince more purchasers of the desirability of that specific brand of peach? Throughout that one year as I vicariously walked in the same footsteps of the author and toiled alongside him each season as he made his rounds through his orchards, seeing his slowly ripening future harvest I too found myself rooting for the Sun Crests and hoping that prospective consumers realized the error of their ways and eagerly and voraciously seek out and buy up the harvested Sun Crests, thereby allaying the author’s fear of the eventual disappearance of that heirloom variety. (After reading the book I was curious to see if the author still had his farm after all these years, so I did some checking on the internet. I was very pleased [and relieved] to see that he still farmed and continues to grow the Sun Crests. Hooray!) I very much enjoyed reading this book. The author certainly sold me on the idea of his Sun Crest peaches; whenever I shop for produce I look for some of them. Unfortunately, I have not come across any yet. But, like the author, I will be persistent in my efforts and will continue to look for them. . .
June 1, 2024
Such a lovely read (akin to Braiding Sweetgrass). Masumoto’s writing is not only informative but so, so poetic—framing his love for his peaches (and more broadly, farming) as an emblem of family/community, cultural and historical preservation, and nurture within an almost spiritual surrender to nature. A reminder that food is and can be an emotional experience beyond the current commodification of modern farming
August 18, 2018
Reading this book has been a long time in the making. Many years ago, I sat next to a friend of the author on a place to L.A. It was a memorable plane ride since the skateboarder Tony Hawk was also on the plane and he was being very generous to all the passengers, signing all sorts of things. My seat mate was also delightful - I wish I had remembered where I kept his card - he worked for the James Irvine foundation and made me (a young grad student at the time) feel like we could save the world with art. So, for years, I had this book in the back of my mind waiting for the right time to read it.
This summer I finally got to this book. I savored it for the book is truly the poetry of peaches. I’m adding it to the list of one of my favorite books of all time. It’s a lyrical, thoughtful, historical, and realistic look at farming in California. I cannot recommend it enough if you love nature books.
My students are going to be reading this book as soon as I figure out a good way to incorporate it into my syllabus!
This summer I finally got to this book. I savored it for the book is truly the poetry of peaches. I’m adding it to the list of one of my favorite books of all time. It’s a lyrical, thoughtful, historical, and realistic look at farming in California. I cannot recommend it enough if you love nature books.
My students are going to be reading this book as soon as I figure out a good way to incorporate it into my syllabus!
October 15, 2013
Epitaph for a Peach is a memoir about David "Mas" Masumoto wanting to rescue a variety of peaches, his Sun Golds, that have a superior flavor and is in his estimation are the epitome of a peach. Unfortunately Sun Golds are out of fashion...they are not "red" enough and they don't store well for fruit brokers. So he has to find a home for 80 tons of his beloved peaches.
The book is also the story of a third-generation Japanese-American man who could not wait to escape the farm but ended up drawn back by his connection to the land, his family and his love of farming. He shares his love of farming and his battle to feed a family and to make a living that depends upon the vagaries of nature.
Mas's prose is beautiful and poetic. He is a farmer/philosopher/poet and we are lucky that he shares his insights on the land, farming, family and life.
The book is also the story of a third-generation Japanese-American man who could not wait to escape the farm but ended up drawn back by his connection to the land, his family and his love of farming. He shares his love of farming and his battle to feed a family and to make a living that depends upon the vagaries of nature.
Mas's prose is beautiful and poetic. He is a farmer/philosopher/poet and we are lucky that he shares his insights on the land, farming, family and life.
January 29, 2022
I've read a lot of books about farmers, but very few books BY farmers -- likely because a lot of them don't have time or inclination to write. This beautiful, sad, sweet, lyrical book is an exception. Masumoto chronicles a year in his life as a third-generation Japanese American farmer testing organic practices in California. His prose is precise and poetic as he describes saving his heirloom peaches. I learned a lot reading this book, ranging from how raisins are made to why a farmer may feel obligated to plow under an entire peach orchard. Closing the book, I feel like I understand the mind of a farmer a bit better and respect the profession even more.
September 22, 2016
a little too navel-gaze-y for me (gee, such a hassle to have enough inherited/spousal money to run an emo peach farm and hire mexican migrants to the work that's too worklike to make you feel like thoreau) but also intelligent, deeply felt, occasionally beautiful. some of my stinginess probably derives from the fact that i would like to test-drive the author's privilege. definitely lyrical and thoughtful on the topic of economically irrational peach agriculture.
July 6, 2012
A true hero from my hometown. Beautifully done, Mr. Masumoto.
October 29, 2017
I heard Mas speak at the Moses conference this winter. He was a wonderful heartfelt speaker, telling of his farm back in California. I went immediately to the bookstore and got this little gem.
Of course, I am a lifelong farmer, and thus tend in this direction already - romance with land and plants and food. Mas writes beautifully. It's almost plain poetry sometimes. I read a number of passages out loud to my lover in bed at night. Just Gorgeous.
Of course, I am a lifelong farmer, and thus tend in this direction already - romance with land and plants and food. Mas writes beautifully. It's almost plain poetry sometimes. I read a number of passages out loud to my lover in bed at night. Just Gorgeous.
May 21, 2022
Sure, this was about a farmer tracking the four seasons through the lens of the blood, sweat, and tears on his peach (and grape) farm, but really it was a philosophical gem. Masumoto, a Japanese-American farmer in California, writes about his land in such loving terms that it's hard not to feel like you're there with him, trimming trees, letting his farm run somewhat wild (in a controlled chaos, organic manner), and always trying to do right by the traditions passed down to him by his father and grandfather who farmed the same land. Slow at times, this was beautifully poetic and a perfect late-spring read.
April 20, 2024
Epitaph for a Peach is such a beautifully written book. Many friends and family have commented on how I’ve carried this around with me for the past month and I’d have to admit it is a slow read (or at least it was for me). I found myself lost in vivid descriptions of Masumoto’s fields throughout the seasons, living through the highs and lows of farming “in a new way�. I’d recommend to anyone searching for a gentle yet emotional read of family, community, and working with (rather than against) nature.
March 31, 2017
A lovely read about farming, food and family. This beautifully written book made me fall in love with the Masumoto family and reassured me that all the trials I face with growing food are just part of the normal way of it, especially when you grow organic. Thank you Mas Masumoto for sharing your stories.
July 23, 2024
Beautiful writing with details about the challenges of farming. It’s a book everyone should read so we truly appreciate all the love and labor that goes into that peach (or other produce) you pick up effortlessly at the store.
While some of the chapters rambled on a bit long about farming practices for me, it is well written and poetic.
While some of the chapters rambled on a bit long about farming practices for me, it is well written and poetic.
April 20, 2017
A sweet, poetic kind of read, tracking a third-generation Japanese farmer's year on his family peach and raisin farm in the Central Valley. For all that there was a lot of repetitive descriptions of the fields and trees and bugs on the farm, I enjoyed reading it.
October 27, 2020
this was a gift and recommend from a friend who has seen my personal family work life- many pieces of this story resonated with my life and was a great book to hand to my mom who has a long history of being a fruit picker and farmworker.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
February 13, 2025dnf for now on pg 83. just not in the mood for it currently but who knows in the future!
February 10, 2021
Thoughts from a Japanese American Central Valley peach and grape farmer.
April 28, 2021
I read this book as a member of one of the Herb Society of America’s book clubs. I doubt I would’ve found it on my own although my husband and I do grow peaches and I am interested in reading about them. Unlike the author, we are not commercial growers.
I discovered that the paperback edition via Thriftbooks was autographed by the author. A nice surprise. As was David Mas Masumoto’s honest, candid style of writing. Published in 1995, the book records a third generation Japanese farmer’s efforts to save an orchard of Sun Crest peaches which “taste like a peach is supposed to.� The book is arranged by the seasons of the year and chronicles the daily labor involved in growing peaches, raisins and grapes on a family farm in California. His style is poetic, lyrical. The book is not long (234 pages) and is probably best read slowly, or in short sessions to appreciate the reverence he has for his farm and family. I plan to read some of Masumoto’s other books.
I discovered that the paperback edition via Thriftbooks was autographed by the author. A nice surprise. As was David Mas Masumoto’s honest, candid style of writing. Published in 1995, the book records a third generation Japanese farmer’s efforts to save an orchard of Sun Crest peaches which “taste like a peach is supposed to.� The book is arranged by the seasons of the year and chronicles the daily labor involved in growing peaches, raisins and grapes on a family farm in California. His style is poetic, lyrical. The book is not long (234 pages) and is probably best read slowly, or in short sessions to appreciate the reverence he has for his farm and family. I plan to read some of Masumoto’s other books.
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May 11, 2020I enjoyed this book because it helped me relax. This book isn't your typical build up and climax book, Epitaph for a peach is a simple book where David Masumoto talks about is season to season work on his peach farm. The author talks about everything imaginable about hid farm, from insects to pesticides, to family inheritance to politics in the farming world.I liked how he would write about his steps to do different tasks such as weeding, killing insects, talking to his neighbors and workers,and most of all his harvesting steps. This book isn't a guide to how to run a farm, its more like a diary where the author can reveal his sense of humor through writing what he is thinking as he is taking care of his family farm. I would recommend this book to people who like to read to relax and don't need a book that is "page turning" or exciting, but rather one that is funny and very straight forward.
December 17, 2015
I have read David Mas Masumoto's occasional essays in the Sacramento Bee and have enjoyed his eloquent style and unique take on farming issues and the farm lifestyle. He wrote this book in 1995 and it remains a classic due to the superb writing by a farmer who isn't afraid to show his poetic side.
Masumoto raises peaches and grapes on his central valley California farm, just as his father and grandfather did. In this book, Masumoto is on a mission to save his Sun Crest peaches which have remarkable flavor but short shelf life and unremarkable color, making them hard to sell. He records the year, season by season, as he tries to use only natural insect control and cover crops instead of commercial fertilizers and pesticides. This may not sound like book material, but Masumoto has so much to say about the relationship of a farmer to his land, how he knows each tree and is attached to it even though it shows the mistakes he has sometimes made in its care. The Sun Crest peaches are a metaphor for a certain way of life that Masumoto values and hopes to preserve, where one lives in harmony with nature and can truly taste and enjoy its beauty and resilience. I learned a great deal about the intricate art of pruning of both peach trees and grape vines, the challenges of getting a crop to market and sometimes making a profit and often not.
I grew up on a beef and grain farm in Minnesota and it was fascinating to see many similarities in the life on the Masumoto farm: family members all pitching in to help with the work, the routine of the seasons, the need for optimism every spring, using baling wire to make quick repairs and even the junk pile that is a fixture on every farm. A thoughtful and beautiful read.
Masumoto raises peaches and grapes on his central valley California farm, just as his father and grandfather did. In this book, Masumoto is on a mission to save his Sun Crest peaches which have remarkable flavor but short shelf life and unremarkable color, making them hard to sell. He records the year, season by season, as he tries to use only natural insect control and cover crops instead of commercial fertilizers and pesticides. This may not sound like book material, but Masumoto has so much to say about the relationship of a farmer to his land, how he knows each tree and is attached to it even though it shows the mistakes he has sometimes made in its care. The Sun Crest peaches are a metaphor for a certain way of life that Masumoto values and hopes to preserve, where one lives in harmony with nature and can truly taste and enjoy its beauty and resilience. I learned a great deal about the intricate art of pruning of both peach trees and grape vines, the challenges of getting a crop to market and sometimes making a profit and often not.
I grew up on a beef and grain farm in Minnesota and it was fascinating to see many similarities in the life on the Masumoto farm: family members all pitching in to help with the work, the routine of the seasons, the need for optimism every spring, using baling wire to make quick repairs and even the junk pile that is a fixture on every farm. A thoughtful and beautiful read.
April 11, 2009
Epitaph for a Peach by David Mas Masumoto comes in the middle of his writing career but is one of the fist books he wrote after taking over the family farm. Much of his apprehension and frustration is recorded in this memoir but structurally it has many similarities with Four Seasons in Five Senses (2003).
The book starts as he's pulling out the oldest of his peach trees and he's not sure of his future as an organic farmer. He laments over the development of new varieties of peaches that ripen earlier and sameness of mass produced produce. The negative tone to the book took me by surprise in comparison to the quiet and poetic opening of Four Seasons...
After that initial chapter the memoir falls into the same structure as Four Seasons... by following the seasons as he reminisces over his life on the farm and how his new way of doing things compares to how his father did things. He starts with spring and ends with winter.
The similar structure made for an easy read but it wasn't as enjoyable or savory as Four Senses... Clearly in Epitaph for a Peach Masumoto was still finding his place as an organic farmer and his voice as a writer of quiet memoirs. Had I read Epitaph first I would have enjoyed it more than I did reading it second.
The book starts as he's pulling out the oldest of his peach trees and he's not sure of his future as an organic farmer. He laments over the development of new varieties of peaches that ripen earlier and sameness of mass produced produce. The negative tone to the book took me by surprise in comparison to the quiet and poetic opening of Four Seasons...
After that initial chapter the memoir falls into the same structure as Four Seasons... by following the seasons as he reminisces over his life on the farm and how his new way of doing things compares to how his father did things. He starts with spring and ends with winter.
The similar structure made for an easy read but it wasn't as enjoyable or savory as Four Senses... Clearly in Epitaph for a Peach Masumoto was still finding his place as an organic farmer and his voice as a writer of quiet memoirs. Had I read Epitaph first I would have enjoyed it more than I did reading it second.
November 29, 2016
This book is a beautiful meditation on what is really important in one's life. On the surface it is about a peach farmer. But the author very subtly weaves his growing awareness how all beings must find and accept balance as they go from season to season, from joy to disappointment. It is a short book and I spent three months reading it. Sometimes only a few paragraphs at a time. Reading it each evening reminded me that all is as it should be.
June 17, 2017
I enjoyed this slow read of the life of a Japanese descent peach farmer in the Central Valley of California. We live in the Sacramento Valley, surrounded by many farms, peaches, walnuts, almonds, rice and every year watch the progression of winter pruning, spring cover crops, summer fruits and harvest and the changing fall colors. It was good to read his story of the day to day life of a peach farmer and the trails that face a small organic farmer.
October 19, 2007
One of the daughters purchased this for my husband and we both read it. Fantastic story -- real life -- and recently I found out that he has since found a way to market these and the trees are still there and going strong. PEaches that are "real" are difficult to come by -- fortunately our place in TX is near peach territory and are they ever good!
November 16, 2020
I found the insights into farming, and particularly the insights into growing peaches, quite interesting. It is a book you can put down for a few days and come back to when you want something reflective as well as informative.
July 11, 2014
A slow beautiful poetic read.
January 24, 2013
If you are interested in food and farming issues, Mas is a must read!!!
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