Beginning Farming and What Makes a Sheep Tick [Paperback]

Lowell T. Christensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1994

This is a humor book about farming, or about ranching, which sounds more adventurous. It s a farm if you plant wheat. If you plant radishes, it's a garden. It's a ranch if you own a beef cow or if you get tired of your milk cow stepping in the milk pail and transform her into hamburger. If you own sheep, it's a sign you need your head examined.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This humor title reveals an escape from city life pressures and new revelations made by farming explorations, providing a fun, tongue-in-cheek account. From killing bugs by pouring boiling water atop (and thus blanching the vegetable for future preservation) to buying a farm dog, this is filled with fun comments. -- Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Lowell Christensen was raised on a farm in Colorado. Actually it was a ranch. He has raked hay, branded cows, thrown eggs, poached pheasants, cleaned chickens, chased skunks, and all that farm stuff. He has also herded sheep, but that was some time ago, and his vocabulary has become more polite and refined since then. He began writing in first grade, but it was difficult to decipher. Today he lives in northern New Mexico where he works as a chemical engineer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 133 pages
• Publisher: Pinon Publishing Company (NM) (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964248301
• ISBN-13: 978-0964248304
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,391,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This does not deliver on it's title, February 8, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Stuart, Fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beginning Farming and What Makes a Sheep Tick (Paperback)

This book is a humor book and does not deliver anything related to basic farming.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dave Barry meets James Herriot., February 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beginning Farming and What Makes a Sheep Tick (Paperback)

If you've lived on a far, lived near a farm, or just smelled a farm, read this book. As someone who's also routinely tried to herd sheep, had to clean (a.k.a dress) chickens or learned to hand-milk a cow I laughed until I cried. I only wish I could read the sheep section (in its entirety) to a church choir... They would then understand why it's a miracle that "Sheep may safely graze".

5.0 out of 5 stars Farmer, Gardner, Country Gentleman. Good humor for all., September 1, 2006

By 

The Old Philosopher "The Old Philosopher" (WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beginning Farming and What Makes a Sheep Tick (Paperback)

I'm not ready to become a farmer, but I did buy some acres and move to the country. Lowell Christensen shares the troubles, wisdom, and humor of farming with us city folk who haven't figured out that a fence won't keep a bull away from the cows. He covers every part of farming from animals to driving on country roads to shoveling manure. The prose are light and humorous. There are a thousand ways to make mistakes on a farm, and at least half of them are humorously detailed in this short book. His recipe for home made soap produces eight pounds of soap, 18 doughnuts, and 3oz of pork skins. If you raise chickens there are thoughtful questions such as, "How many baskets should you put your eggs in?"

I'm not going to raise goats or cows, and I would need more detailed information than this general beginning book if I wanted to. But it's a fun and humorous little book on farming. It is also full of inside information from a man who grew up on a family farm. Its fun to read even if you aren't ever going to live on a farm.