Davis author Spring Warren will present her new book, “The Quarter-Acre Farm: How I Kept the Patio, Lost the Lawn, and Fed My Family for a Year,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, at The Avid Reader. The bookstore is at 617 Second St. in downtown Davis.

When Warren told her husband and two teenage boys that she wanted to grow 75 percent of the food they consumed for one year — and that she wanted to do it in their yard — they told her she was crazy. Despite their disbelief, she did it anyway.

“The Quarter-Acre Farm” is her story of taking control of her family’s food choices, getting her hands dirty and creating a flourishing garden in her not-so-spacious suburban yard. With raised beds and rudimentary gardening skills, Warren tackles the task of nursing the life of her food from tiny seedling all the way to homemade quiche.

It’s a story of bugs, worms, rot, and failure — and of learning, replanting, harvesting, and eating. Warren recounts learning to compost to create thick, nutrient-rich soil; the joy of turning small and shriveled tomatoes into beauties; the satisfaction of harvesting and curing olives; and learning that the best dessert is fruit fresh from her own tree.

The road to a successful meal isn’t easy, but by the end of her yearlong experiment, Warren’s sons and husband have become her biggest fans — in fact, they’re even eager to help harvest (and eat) the beautiful bounty she brings in.

Full of helpful tips for would-be home farmers, as well as numerous recipes, “The Quarter-Acre Farm” is described as “a warm, witty tale about family, food and the incredible sense of gratification that accompanies self-sufficiency.”

Warren is a writer who enjoys making art, building furniture and cooking. Her novel “Turpentine” won a bronze medal in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Competition for Historic Fiction, was a New York Center for Independent Publishing recommended title, and was a Great New Writers selection. She continues to grow her quarter-acre farm and writes about it at http://thequarteracrefarm.com.

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