farming
The Bucolic Plague
Josh and Brent are die-hard city boys on their way home from an annual apple-picking weekend in upstate New York when a detour changes their life forever. While lost, they drive by a fabulous mansion/farm that they happen to fall in love with. It happens to be for sale, and in a heartbeat their lives change. Rather than following the conventional path of buying a summer home in the Hamptons, Josh and Brent decide to buy the Beekman Mansion and have a go at being (weekend only) gentlemen farmers. The story that follows is thoroughly enjoyable - funny, touching, and full of spirit. Naturally, their path is not always an easy one - the surprise (to one of them, at least) installation of Farmer John and a herd of 80 goats, the difficult upkeep of a centuries-old mansion, and job stresses (and losses) strain Josh and Brent as individuals as well as straining their relationship. I found myself wanting to invite the pair over for drinks and dinner because they are such delightful company. Instead, I raise a glass to the Fabulous Beekman Boys - long may they prosper!
Memory of trees
A memoir of growing up in a rural area of Minnesota and an intimate portrait of a family, I was especially interested in reading it since I grew up just a few miles from the author’s home, went to the same schools and shopped at the same stores.
Gayla captures the beauty of the trees and flowers of the area, the relationships of families who farm together, and the connection of farmers to the seasons and the land.
One reviewer wrote: One is reminded of that old axiom about how you can take the girl out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the girl. The author currently works at the University of Minnesota and traveled overseas, but is still tied to the land where she grew up
Central Wisconsin farming of the 1950s
Andy Meyer, a young farmer and cucumber warehouse manager, lives in a rural Wisconsin community where everyone is interconnected. New machines, processes, and philosophies are changing farming and the landscape. Will his choices lead to success for himself and the community he lives in? What is success?
Every Farm Tells a Story: A Tale of Family Farm Values
Jerry Apps is a professor of agriculture at UW Madison, and has written more than 35 books. This detailed account of family farms is based on his family's experiences from the 1930s to the present. This book was interesting to me because I grew up on a small farm in Minnesota, though the time period is more that of my parents. Without being preachy, the author describes how rural families lived and how they needed to work together in order to survive. It also describes both the tough times and the good times. The period illustrations and excerpts from his mother's accounts book give a realistic feel to his story. It will appeal to those who like history, who grew up on a farm or who would like to live on a farm.
Recent Books R US and Reading Challenge comments are listed below.