Customer Reviews

Country Life: A Handbook for Realists and Dreamers

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Heiney began his farming life in central London, so he knows how to farm 5000 sq feet of land. This is far less than most would recognise as a farm, but he sees farming as a mindset. He tells how to farm on what you have, whether it be 5000 ft, 1/2 acre, 3 acres or 8+ acres. His background is British, so he comes at this with a unique viewpoint (at least as far as this Yank can see). He has a great supply of things we've forgotten on this side of the pond- how to build a living fence that will not rot and needs no painting (i.e. laying a hedge), how to assure yourself of a never ending supply of beanpoles (i.e. coppicing), and many other universals that we have forgotten. Do not think this is only a book for the British. He directs his comments to those around the world who share a desire to farm. For example, he tells how to plan and grow both northern and southern orchards. What crops do well with water and those that need less. Among the things I found fascinating were his analysis of how much land I'd need to grow an annual supply of wheat for my family (far less than you'd guess). Do you know what animals you can keep if you have only a half acre? Great photos, good writing, and a wealth of practical information make this one to buy, keep, and reread.

This is a very attractive book --- like all Dorling Kindersley books, it's beautifully published with brilliant photos and Heiney surely knows his stuff, but, at 192 pages, this is really an inspirational book more than anything else. It's also out of print and, as of today, I see someone is attempting to sell a copy for $347.00 (and used book searchs won't turn up many better prices). Please. Go to your library and if they don't have it, order it through inter-library loan. Look through the sections that might apply to your situation a couple of times. Take a few notes. You'll thank me later.

This is one of the best "back to land" books I've ever read. The pictures are just beautiful. The information is priceless. Even if all you are able to do is dream, it is still worth it. It will inspire and teach.

This book made me want to up and leave the city right now and go buy a farm! :-) We have a dream of someday owning a small farm, and this book simply reinforced that desire. The information was a good, basic overview of what is involved, and well-illustrated. Definitely worth the money!

My rating is not so much on the content of this book, but on the skyrocketing prices of it since going out of print. This title has been printed by the same publisher under the title "The Practical Homestead: The Backyard Handbook for Growing Food, Raising Animals and Nurturing Your Land" and should be a much lower price. Do your self a favor and get it from the library or purchase the reprint. The Practical Homestead: The Backyard Handbook for Growing Food, Raising Animals, and Nurturing Your Land

I checked this out from the library. I'm so glad they had a copy since the book is so expensive! I really like this book because I'm not quite sure what all I want to include in our future farm, so it gives just enough information on many different animals and other farming options for me to be able to make my decision when the time comes.

The book is 192 pages and has tons of pictures and sketches. It offers suggested layouts for small, medium and large farms. It discusses different kinds of fences and shelters and how to build them, and it even offers recipes in the back of the book you can make from your own home-grown ingredients!

I will definitely check this book out again in the future, and if the price comes down, I would like to have it in my own library.

I found this book to be very informative. A good teaching book on the many aspects of tools, animals, food, and more. It is a fantastic book. I really enjoyed it and recomend to everyone even remotely interested in this subject.

The Bible of the Self-sustaining Farmer! A must for anyone remotely interested in the basics and essentials of a truly agrarian lifestyle. This book is very hard to find nowadays and is out of print. However, it is worth the effort to track it down.

This was my first how-to-farm book and I thought it was wonderful. I loved it so much I read it in one weekend! Heiney is like most of us who would pick up a book about how to farm: not a born farmer. He never dreamed of farming until the age of 38. The progress he has made and the knowledge he has gained is inspiring for those of us who aspire to a similar life transformation.

The book includes tons of pictures and helpful information, from selecting your land to harvesting and storing your crops (even making wine!), what kind of tools you need for what types of jobs. I especially appreciated Heiney's comparisons of what and how much you can grow on different farm sizes, how much space you need for various livestock.

I'll definitely need books on specific topics if/when I ever get my farm, but this was a great overview.

Terrific book to get started , whether you are looking to just have a little garden & a couple chickens or have a full-fledged self-sufficient farm...Great ideas & information