Angora A Handbook For Spinners by Erica Lynne

If you have an itch to have your own adorable fiber animal & you love fiber crafts, you need to read this book. This is the book I wish I had when I first started on my journey. The author is very knowledgeable in not only the care of angora rabbits, but has studied the differences in each breeds wool. She explains how each breed of angora rabbits wool performs for spinning & for how the fiber will knit. FYI: Knitting is more suited to a non elastic fiber such as angora.

This book starts with the history of angora, the development of angora as an industry, angora rabbits & their fiber, biological facts about angoras, types & grades of angora, & buying angora fiber. Phew! All that in just the first chapter!

The middle of the book focuses on how to work with angora fiber (also wrongly/commonly called wool). The author explains fiber preparation, spinning, blending, & colors. She also discusses how to create your own pure as in one hundred percent angora knitwear. Your eyes didn't deceive you. I did indeed say, 100% angora knitwear. "That's not possible" you might think. Think again. It is possible with the right angora fibers. The author explains how to make the most beautiful knitwear & even discusses the health benefits of wearing pure angora. But wait! There's more! You can weave, yes weave with angora!

The end of the book discusses producing your own angora fiber. How to find the perfect angora rabbit, travel with him or her, & how to care for him or her. She also discusses common rabbit diseases along with how to treat them. She even offers several ideas on how to properly groom & handle your angora rabbit during the long grooming process.

For such a slender, out of print book, the information within is timeless. The author is clear & professional in sharing her knowledge. The only thing I found disappointing is that the photos are in black & white. When she shows photos in regard to understanding colors, black & white photos are inadequate. The reader cannot learn nor fully appreciate the variances in colors & coat structures in the different breeds of angoras. It is also impossible to see the unique color contrasts in finished angora knitwear.

While this book is geared towards owning a angora rabbit as a pet and using it's fiber, if you are not interested in having a pet angora, it is still valuable. It can help you better understand (or if just getting started, learn) how this beautiful animals fiber behaves in comparison to other protein based fibers. It will also help you be a more savvy shopper. If you wish to use angora for spinning & other fiber crafts, this book should be on your shelf.

Chronic The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Pandemic and How to Get Healthy Again by Steven Phillips, MD and Dana Parish

"A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, & a new generation grows up that is familiar with it." - German physicist Max Planck In other words, change does not occur because scientists with incorrect opinions change their minds in response to sound evidence, but rather because younger generations of scientists are more open to new ideas."

After nearly 20 years of suffering with health problems that no Doctor could ever hope to understand or address aside from IBS & incurable autoimmune disease, I like many others in my shoes, gave up on the doctors drug pushing in pursuit of alternative treatments.

"Big Pharma doesn't sell cures, it sells bandages - very expensive bandages that require lifelong refills. No pharmaceutical company is interested in finding the cause of autoimmune disease &  eradicating it. That wouldn't be profitable."

I decided to try to get better on my own by reading books and seeing what might "stick". My plan worked. I now feel better than I did when I was in my twenties, but to say I'm completely better would be a lie. The first step to improving my health was changing my lifestyle. Things like getting more exercise & fresh air, less TV, quitting booze, eating healthier, etc. The thing is, the older I get, the less recovered (aka in remission) I am feeling. The authors explain this phenomenon as our bodies burden growing the longer we live. Therefore our bodies are subjected to more & more invaders, giving our bodies more to have to fight which increases inflammation. This in turn creates more health problems. But can they be cured? That's what this book explores.

My current management plan has been a shelf full of supplements, quitting my job to start my own small Eco-farm (now my full time job) where I know exactly where my food comes from. The exercise from such an endeavor is nothing to sneeze at. I also follow a combination of a low FODMAPs/AIP diet. All of this in attempts to keep my symptoms in remission. Does it work? Most of the time yes.

Chronic opens the door to a new possibility at to the why of autoimmune disease. While the books main focus is on Lyme's (it calls all other autoimmune diseases Lyme +) it is not exclusively about Lyme's & it really is eye opening. However, there are a few problems with this book Most damning is that it is not written in an engaging way. It is too technical. Even the layout is not user friendly. The chapters on how to get better are not as helpful as one would hope.

My main take away from this book is to go to the Doctor (good luck with that as the meat of the book features numerous patients who sometimes had to visit upwards of 25 doctors before they were properly treated!), go on antibiotics & do "pulsing". Pulsing is going on a particular antibiotic for a certain length of time, then off the antibiotic for typically the same length of time, then back on the antibiotic for a certain length of them, then off the antibiotic... taking antibiotics off & on in "pulses".

The authors also touch on other possible methods for treating autoimmune disease aka Lyme + such as lifestyle changes, alternative therapies, dietary changes and supplementation. The dietary changes were often conflicting. In one section a Paleo diet is recommended. Later a Mediterranean diet is touted as best, then even later a Vegan diet is strongly encouraged. My conclusion is not that any of these types of diets are necessarily better than the other, that instead they are all reasonable options to try thanks to what they don't promote - processed "foods". Instead they tend to focus on things like Low carb, whole foods, unprocessed, home cooked, grass fed and finished, fruits & vegetables in their natural recognizable form, etc. By now everyone should know that fast food, meals in a box you "cook" at home, eating too many sweets, too much caffeine, processed meats... processed anything really is not good for you. How can you ever expect your body to heal if you don't nourish it with whole foods?

While this book was initially difficult to get into, by page 44 or so, it started to pay off. There is a lot to think about in the theory that bug bites in general (not just bites from ticks) are causing sickness in our bodies because our bodies are constantly trying to fight off invaders that are fast & sneaky. This in turn causes a wide range of health problems with no understood cause (autoimmune disease) when in the authors opinion there is a cause, it is the body fighting the invader. If the invader is mainly in the brain, the bodies defense could cause Parkinson’s for example.

One of Dr. Phillips patients who fully recovered after Dr. Phillips treated him, reported back to his previous doctor of his amazing results. His previous doctor (who didn't help him get better in the first place) responded to these results by saying "Sounds like voodoo medicine."

"And so it is in medicine that arrogance frequently goes hand in hand with ignorance. It's a wonder medical science makes any progress at all."

The Organic Artist for Kids: A DIY Guide to Making Your Own Eco-Friendly Art Supplies from Nature by Nick Neddo

Quote from the books introduction: "This book is a guide for adults to introduce children to the process of making art with nature's materials."

This is a wonderful book that gets kids back into nature and off of their electronic devices. Back to playing and creating verses sitting with a bent neck "experiencing" the world through a sterile screen. The author introduces so many wonderful ways to utilize what the earth provides to create unique works of art. Not only does he show how to make paints, charcoals, and inks, but he also features many photos of his amazing artwork using the media he teaches kids how to make.

Because you will want something to draw or paint with, he also shows how to make your own pens, paintbrushes, palette knifes, charcoal holders, crayons, etc. And how to make stencil art with cutouts, hands, and found objects. In one of these tutorials, a picture of knotweed was shown. Knotweed sticks were being used to make stone crayons. Thanks to this picture, I learned something I didn't know. I have Knotweed growing around my outhouse on my rural Eco farm. I never knew what it was, but thought it might be some type of bamboo. Now that I know I have an invasive species on my farm, I am working on eradicating it sans toxic chemicals.

The section on prints starts with the super simple many of us already know: using veggies as a stamp, to using berries, and even what he calls, "pounding plant prints" using a hammer. He also provides instructions on how to do rubbings, Eco prints (my favorite), and nature prints.

Some of the techniques are incredibly simple and easy to do, while others involve more work and multiple steps. Everything the author teaches encourages kids to explore and create. There is a decent section towards the end of the book on making paper mache. The end is land art, which is rather beautiful and calming.

I grew up playing outside. I had the life the author teaches kids in the book. Granted, I didn't do all of these things, but I did creative things in nature every day. It saddens me to see how much things have changed for so many of today's children. We need more folks like Nick Neddo and his books to get kids back into nature. There is nothing better than being outdoors in the fresh air.

Kid Food: The Challenge Of Feeding Children In A Highly Processed World by Bettina Elias Siegel

This book has opened my eyes to just how big the problems are with our school lunch program. I also gained additional knowledge about how the food industry (everything in me cringes at these two words being strung together) manipulates children at the youngest age possible (they are even trying to hook newborns). Initially, I had my own thoughts on how to try to improve our school lunch program. However, the more I read, the more I realized that there really isn't a easy solution. This left me to conclude that the obvious answer (albeit not likely to be received well by many)  is to abolish the school lunch program, the same as we desperately need to abolish the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

Before you freak out, hear me out.

First, regarding the EPA, they haven't protected the environment. It's just another drain on us tax payers. Go ahead & look into it. I'm not going to get into it here. If you do your research, you'll sadly see that I'm right. I am all for the protection our environment, but the EPA isn't the answer.

Second, is my idea to abolish the school lunch system (hear me out). There are too many problems right now with the school lunch system. This tiny book is crammed with facts. Note to those of you with bad eyes, the text is small. When I say this is crammed, I mean it. The school system was created so that no children came to school hungry. They were supposed to get nutritious meals. The lunch program is not funded by our taxes like the school system is. It is separate. At one point, funding was provided to update the kitchens. If my memory is correct, this funding stopped in either the mid 1970's or the early 1980's. The funding has not been reinstated. After the cost of employees, janitors, garbage pick up, etc. there is very little left for the actual food. Here comes the food industry to the rescue. They provide super cheap highly processed "food" enriched with vitamins & minerals to meet government requirements. The schools do not have to deal with as many health inspections, because the food is frozen. They just have to heat it up. It takes space, time, & money to prepare & cook fresh wholesome foods, not to mention, the health inspections are much more difficult to pass. Plus, the food is addictive, so the kids want to eat it. Therefore participation is up. It's a win for the school lunch program & a disaster for the children.

Schools also need a certain amount of children to participate in the school lunch program so that the schools can keep it running. The author seems to think that the solution might be found in forcing all students to eat a school provided lunch. Meaning, children are not allowed to brown bag it, in other words, bring their own lunch. The author mentions countries that already enforce this & she seems to think it's great. On this, I simply cannot agree.

She also feels that adding more taxes to junk foods will help solve the problem. Really? Come on now. How many more taxes do we really want to enforce? Are we not already taxed enough? Taxes & force are not the answer. This is supposed to be "The Land of the Free..." yet, folks are constantly voting to have their rights taken from them. Sorry, but I cannot agree with this.

What I can agree with is a law that doesn't allow children to be marketed to by food industries or any other industry for that matter. Pick an age, I'd say 18 or 21 for what I should hope are obvious reasons.

I believe in freedom of choice, even if folks aren't making what I feel are unhealthy choices. I don't want others to force their beliefs on me, so why on earth would I do it to others? What I believe in is education. An educated people is a powerful people. Educated people will not be duped by the food industry's marketing ploys to get you to buy their toxic pseudo food. We need to be held responsible for our own actions. However, if we are not being properly educated, we are at a huge disadvantage. Education is key.

Overall, while I don't agree with the authors ideas that she feels are solutions to the problem, I still enjoyed reading this book. It is jam packed with useful facts about the food giants & our schools lunch system. I absolutely recommend you pick this up & read it. You are likely to learn a lot. What you do with that information is up to you.

The Old Farmer's Almanac Vegetable Gardener's Handbook

As a full time organic farmer, I have learned a lot over the years. Because I am madly in love with my job, I continue to learn & read anything I can get my hands on regarding natural farming. While I did already know much of the information in this book, I also learned a great deal too. My favorite thing to say is that no matter how much I learn, I know nothing.

This small & slender book is beautifully laid out with full color photos & packed with information regarding the growing requirements of vegetables. From soil health, to compost, fertilizers, weather, plant variations, & more, this book is bursting with useful information & tips. At the end of each section there are charts you can fill out to help you keep track. For example: 'My Seed-Starting Record' This has a column for the date planted, the seed/variety, the medium, & the days to transplant. There are disease & pest records, fertilizer records, rotation records, & much more. If you don't want to write in the book, I suggest photo copying these pages & putting them into a dedicated farm journal/binder.

If you are new to gardening, know that you will make mistakes. If you are smart you will learn from them. The more in tune you are with your micro climate & your land, the more progress you will make each growing season.  After a few years you will be amazed at how far you have come & how much knowledge you have gained, not to mention a pantry full of your bounty come the dreary winter months.

Be aware that this is strictly a vegetable & herb book. If you would like growing advice for fruits, flowers, berries, or cotton, you will want to buy separate books.

I highly recommend Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. It's not as pretty as this book, but it's great if you want to look something up.

Do I recommend this book by The Old Farmer's Almanac? Yes, yes, & yes. I love it.

Raising Happy Rabbits: Housing, Feeding, And Care Instructions For Your Rabbit's First Year by Brittany May and Penny Ausley

This book caught my eye one day while I was happily shopping at my local Tractor Supply. Of course it was the adorable pointed white fluffy bunny munching away on a carrot top that made me pick it up & start to flip through it. I noticed a lot of fluffy bunny photos & care tips that seemed pretty good, so I decided to get it. Once I sat down & read this from cover to cover, my happy thoughts trickled away.

I suppose my first warning should have been that these bunny experts have only raised 4 rabbits in 6 years time between the two of them. Sure, you gain experience, but come on now! Experts? I think not. This is not to say that experience isn't gained, of course it is. In the beginning you knew nothing, after a year, you know so much! You want to tell everyone. I get this. It's exciting & even after a year or two, still somewhat new because, guess what? If you are doing it right, you will keep learning. I suppose after nearly two decades of caring for very high maintenance angora rabbits, I do not view the care of these animals as black or white which is the view of the young authors of this book. The gray area this book ignores is so vast one could loose themselves in it.

The rabbit on the cover is a pointed white Lionhead. The authors claim the rabbit is a dwarf Lionhead. It's just a Lionhead, nothing more. Perhaps they should join the American Rabbit Breeders Association for a proper education on the various breeds of rabbits & their care.

The authors claim that breeders don't care about their animals. Sure, some are in it just for the money, but they never last. Nobody gets rich breeding rabbits. Those who stick with it year after year do it for the love of the rabbit breed/s they are raising. There are plenty of good rabbit breeders.

The authors recommend adopting a rescue over a breeder even though a rescue can have all sorts of unknown problems due to abuse. If you are a first time rabbit owner, a high needs bunny who needs therapy to heal mentally might not be the best choice for you. I happen to rescue bottle baby kittens. I'm all about rescue. In some situations, it's great, in others, it might not be the best choice. It's that gray area I mentioned. I do rescue angora rabbits. It's work. A whole lot of work. I would never suggest a newbie get a rescue angora.

The authors promote House Rabbit Society. To me, they are akin to PETA. They seem great initially, but are so ridged in their rules that should you do one little thing they don't agree with, they will attack you. House Rabbit Society has the best of intentions (unlike PETA). I will not go so far to say that I am against them, because I'm not. My problem is their extreme black or white views. There is zero room for gray & that unbending attitude doesn't reflect the reality of caring for rabbits. I love House Rabbit Society for their love of bunnies, but that's it.

The authors recommend giving a stuffed animal to a single rabbit. This is something I don't think is a good idea because rabbits love to chew. The majority of stuffed animals are synthetic & filled with potentially toxic poly fill (aka petroleum byproducts). I'm not saying you can't get your rabbit a stuffed friend, but if you do, be sure to pay attention. If it gets chewed, you need to remove it right away. A better option is a 100% natural & non toxic toy made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, or even dare I say it, rabbit hair.

There is absolutely no mention of same sex fighting. So many newbies make the mistake of thinking they can put new bunnies together to be "friends" only do discover that their bunnies which were such sweethearts are now biting, kicking & scratching each other bloody. Sexually mature rabbits who have not been spayed or neutered should never be housed together. In some situations, does (females) can live together safely, but there is always the possibility of them fighting if they are not fixed. If you want to keep bunnies together, get them fixed.

The authors also state not to hold a rabbit on their back. I don't understand this one bit. If your rabbit is comfortable with you, resting him or her on his or her back in the V of your thighs while you are sitting is very comfortable. Many of my bunnies will doze off in this position. While they lay like this, I am free to groom their belly's & clip their nails.

A completely false claim is made that wire bottom housing is "murder" on their feet & they will get sore hocks if housed this way. This is not true. Sore hocks are caused by a dirty cage. If you care at all for your bunny, keep their home clean! You can also purchase resting pads & even fold up an old towel. Depending on your level of commitment, you can keep your rabbit completely off of wire provided you clean your rabbits area daily or more. For angora rabbits which is my specialty, you will need to provide a wire bottom litter box. Fluffy bunnies get very dirty wool. You do not want urine & pellets building up on your rabbits wool. Do not feel bad if you choose to house your rabbits on wire provided you give them a resting mat or something similar. Wire bottoms are the most sanitary option you have. If you choose to forgo wire bottoms, please do not harass those who choose them.

The authors really want you to keep your bunnies indoors. Not surprising as they are House Rabbit folks. The problem with this is how severely they downplay the damage an indoor bunny can cause. Does this mean I'm telling you not to keep them indoors? Of course not. You do what works best for you. In order to push their House Rabbit opinion, the authors wax on about how bad outdoor hutches are for bunnies. It would be great if the authors instead pointed out the pro's & con's of each. Outdoor hutches can be wonderful options for your bunny depending on the type of the hutch & the set up. Obviously a poorly designed hutch in a bad location is not a good idea. Same goes for a bunny living in a too small cage indoors. Indoors or out, a bunny can be ignored & neglected. It's the owner of the bunny who makes the difference.

In the authors efforts to push indoor bunnies, they completely fail to mention how bad rabbit urine smells. They also fail to mention how a rabbit tends to urinate. They like corners & will lift when they release. This means that the urine is likely to land outside of their litter pan or tray. This is why litter boxes sold for rabbits have such a high back & why cages have urine guards.

They do mention "mock mating". It is the authors opinion that you shouldn't mind it when your male bunny vigorously humps your foot because he is expressing his love for you. Personally, I don't want any male animal humping my foot or any other body part, but that's me. Then they state that the furiously humping bunny will "seize" without explaining what "seizing" is. When a male rabbit has reached satisfaction, to put it politely, they briefly lock up & then fall over. They get up & usually do a little shake or thump or whatever expressing their after copulation joy.

Should your rabbit need it's bum cleaned they promote very toxic Johnson's & Johnson's baby shampoo & baby powder as well as diaper rash ointment. In their rabbit first aid kit, they also show some toxic products. Please, never used these products on your rabbits.

There is a DIY picket fence project showing painted wood. Rabbits should never be given painted wood. Please opt for untreated raw wood only. The authors tell the reader to make toys but don't properly show the newbie how to make them.

The authors instruct the reader to never discipline their rabbit if he or she nips aka bites you because the rabbit is showing you affection & he or she wont understand why you are disciplining him or her. It is never acceptable for your rabbit to nip & bite you. While a nip might not do damage other than an unpleasant pinch, a bite can cause you serious injury. Personally, I am not a fan of allowing which is essentially encouraging my rabbits to nip aka bite me. There are other ways to show affection.

They recommend Advantage for treating fleas & mites, but they show a photo of Revolution.

The information on angora rabbits is woefully ignorant. They give incorrect information about what breeds of angora do & do not molt & also falsely claim that most angora wool is from rabbits who are tortured & their fur is ripped from their skin. Join a site like Ravelry or Etsy or something similar & you will find plenty of angora wool from bunnies who are well cared for & loved.

The authors promote the Oxbow brand relentlessly. They also got their answers & opinions from a vet who is also the VP of Oxbow...

To be fair, there are sections of this book that I liked. The pictures are always enjoyable as are some of the treat ideas & some information regarding care. The problem for me is that there is entirely too much false information & harsh judgement of others who don't do it their way. Not to mention the nonsense they spout about angora bunnies. For these reasons, this is a book I do not recommend. There are many other books about rabbits available with much better information.

Good Husbandry: Growing Food, Love, and Family on Essex Farm by Kristin Kimball

Years ago, when The Dirty Life came out, I was curious & as a result, read a good amount of the reviews available at the time. I was already farming organically at this point having gone from dreaming about it, reading books that glamorized it, then having a hobby farm while working full time, to finally full time farm ownership. Some of the reviews of The Dirty Life made me decide against the book. They made it seem like another fantasy farming book rather than the real deal. A spoiled princess, with loads of money decides to "rough it". I gave it a firm pass & never thought of it again until I came across this book, 'Good Husbandry'.

What really caught my attention was the books description. This was the after. This was the hardships. This was what happened after the rose colored glasses came off, or so I thought based on my limited to 0 knowledge about the first book. I immediately ordered this book & called my local library so I could read The Dirty Life first.

I don't want to turn this book review into one about The Dirty Life So all I'm going to do is stress to you just how much I fell instantly in love with The Dirty Life. It was nothing like I'd expected. It has touched me in a way that no other book on farming has ever done. Finally, something real. No rose colored glasses. No Mary Jane's Farm. Just the real dirt on what it is to farm naturally. It touched me deeply & has stayed with me ever since.

Now onto Good Husbandry. This book didn't touch me like the first book, but it is still a great book in it's own right. Good enough in fact that I also purchased the audio version & have read this book more than once.

As the title states, it is mostly about caring for the various animals on the farm. As Kristin discusses this, she gently discusses how hard farming is on a marriage. There are so many passages in this book that I'd love to quote, but really, there are too many, much too many for me to pick any one quote. One I remember is when she mentions a farming relationship, I believe she said something along the lines of how farming can end in divorce. Towards the end of the book a farmer friends barn burned down. Kristen says how she burst into tears. Not for the building but for the loss of all of the work that went into it. That sums up farming as a whole. You put in endless amounts of backbreaking labor & it can all be wiped out in an instant. A total loss. It can destroy your hope, your faith in what you do, or you pick yourself up, learn from it, & try again.

I don't know many people who can relate to my way of life as an organic farmer. I don't use tractors, I don't till, I don't use the endless amounts of "stuff" that is applied to the land. On top of that, hardly anyone seems to farm anymore. It is shocking & disheartening to see how year after year, people are become more removed from their food rather than closer. I would have expected closer with the local farm movement in full swing, but somehow, it's just not the case. In too many situations farmers are villainized. I'm sure this is in part to factory "farming", but what about the rest of us? The real farmers? We work hard, we do it because we love it. We do it because we love the outdoors, the land, the animals, eating the best food ever. Read both of Kristen's books, you'll see how hard it is & why it is the best life ever.

To sum it up, Kristen manages to show both the beauty & the misery of farming. She is my hero.

The Dirty Life: A Memoir Of Food, Farming, And Love by Kristin Kimball

When I first came across this book, I thought it might be interesting. I was looking for books about small farms whose owners choose to do it the old fashioned way. I didn't need to read another farm porn book with pretty pictures that set up the armchair farmer to believe that farming is really as simple as poking a seed in the ground & then you eat. In a way, it is this simple if you pretend the labor involved in between doesn't exist.

As with anything that catches my interest, I look for reviews. At that time, the negative reviews painted a picture of exactly what I didn't want. A rich couple who know nothing try to start a farm, the language is obscene & the book is too whiny. After seeing several reviews along those lines I decided to give The Dirty Life a pass. What a mistake.

Several years later I came across a book titled Good Husbandry. It hadn't been reviewed yet. I noticed it was by the same author who's previous book, I'd given a firm pass. This time was different for me. Good Husbandry appeared to be years down the road after the rose colored glasses came off - or so I imagined having never read the first book. Now this had my interest. How did this woman & her husband fare after all these years? I immediately put in a request for the book & also immediately contacted my wonderful local library to see if they carried The Dirty Life. I picked it up that day. I wanted to read it first so I would have a better understanding of the story behind Good Husbandry.

In my humble opinion, The Dirty Life is the best non fiction book ever! I have never read another person's accounting on farming that I have connected with so deeply. This book is raw & dirty. Kristin was a New York City thirty something writer. She dated but not seriously & didn't feel connected, but loved her apartment & her life. Or did she?

The beginning of the book she introduces the reader to how she ended up where she is now & we can blame it all on a man. In this story, that man is Mark. Kristen wanted to explore the budding local food movement & found a farm she wanted to interview. Her brief time at this farm & with Mark left her craving more. She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted, just that something was missing. Kristen & Mark start to date. Eventually Mark convinces her that they should marry & have a local environmentally responsible farm that provides a full diet. A full diet meant not just your typical vegetables, but also grains, milk, butter, cheese, meats, eggs & sugar (in this case, maple syrup). To their knowledge, this had never been done before.

There relationship was very rocky but something must have clicked with them because through it all, they stuck it out. Eventually they found Essex Farm. This was a huge bit of land that hadn't been farmed in ages. It had many outbuildings in disrepair & a variety of fields & pastures as well as a very old farmhouse that needed some serious TLC.

They put everything they had in their dream of a full diet farm. Everyone thought they would fail. After all, who makes money farming? For them, it wasn't just about making money though. It was about creating something local that would be of benefit to the locals. They wanted to produce real wholesome food that didn't come neatly wrapped & placed on shelves in florescent lighted stores from... well who really knows? They wanted real.

The purchased draft horses to plow the fields, Jersey dairy cows for the best milk you could ever hope to drink, pigs, chickens, sugaring supplies (to make maple syrup), & Scottish Highland cattle for meat, & plenty of seeds.

The picture Kristen paints of their adventure into farming is both beautiful & disturbing. For myself, I find it incredibly easy to relate to both. While my farm is nothing like Essex Farm, it is also exactly the same. I'm not providing a full diet CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), raising pigs, tapping maples, beef cattle or working with my husband. Nor do I have hundreds of acres. But it doesn't matter. It's the heart of it that matters. It's the land. It gets into you & it doesn't let go. Going out into "civilization" is jarring. Everything is so clean, people are dressed so nicely. It's like an entirely different world. Farming is dirty, sweaty, labor intensive & sometimes heartbreaking. Farming is also rewarding, addictive, & beautiful. Plus, you eat the healthiest freshest foods. Farmers get to eat like kings.

I was (am) so smitten with this book, that after reading the borrowed library edition, I found a signed copy on Amazon & purchased it. I also got the audio book version. I begged my husband to listen to it on audio & he did. He liked the book, but it didn't resonate with him like it does with me. Perhaps this is because he's a part time farmer. Perhaps because it's from a woman's point of view. Maybe a little of both?

The world needs more authors like Kristen to show what farming really is like in all it's beauty & struggles.