Good Soil
The Education of an Accidental Farmhand
by Jeff Chu
Convergent, 2025. 317 pages.
Review written March 24, 2026, from my own copy, purchased via Amazon.com
Good Soil is a memoir about Jeff Chu’s time as a student and worker at the Farminary – a farm owned by Princeton Theological Seminary that hosted classes.
The book is meditative about spiritual things and about issues he was dealing with in his life. His parents didn’t accept his husband, but he tried to maintain a relationship with them. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life and was looking for direction, and toward the end of his time there, his good friend Rachel Held Evans passed away, and then the friendly Farminary dog did, too.
I read this slowly, absorbing the lessons as a daily devotional reading. It helped me look at the natural world with fresh eyes. I newly appreciate how compost reminds us that even in death, there is life and nourishment.
I think most of all, I appreciate this story. It’s a story of how when Jeff Chu was at a loss, God showed up and helped him find what he needed and new friends to be with him along the path. I appreciate how working with his hands in the dirt enhanced the work and study he was doing with his mind.
byjeffchu.com
convergentbooks.com
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Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.
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