A Very Small Farm [Paperback]

William Paul Winchester (Author), Carol Stanton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2006

In the tradition of Thoreau’s Walden, William Paul Winchester offers a chronicle of everyday life on Southwind, his farm of twenty acres. As a subsistence farmer, he builds his own house and barn, puts in a garden and an orchard, acquires a milk cow, and takes up beekeeping. In these pages, we hear his thoughts on such subjects as the weather, seasonal changes, machinery repair, the flora and fauna of the region, and vegetarian cooking. His philosophy, like his lifestyle, is simple, yet profoundly wise.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

After graduating from college with a botany degree, Winchester wondered what to do for a living. So he bought 20 acres of land in Oklahoma, built himself a house and barn, started a garden, and acquired a few animals. This memoir of his past 13 years as a homesteader focuses on the various activities that occupy his days. He describes the satisfaction of growing his own food, the delight in building things for his own use, and his enjoyment of the outdoors, whether watching clouds passing overhead or breathing in the evening air, "fragrant with sun-dried cow manure." Winchester's principal source of income is the honey from his beehives, and while the short chapter on beekeeping is fascinating, the rest of the book is rather bland. However, its themes of relying on oneself, experiencing simple pleasures, and practicing frugality will appeal to some readers. A marginal purchase.
Ilse Heidmann, Kyle Comm. Lib., San Marcos, Tex.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

For fifteen years, William Winchester recorded daily what took place on his farm, and from these annals comes the fond reminiscence now entitled A Very Small Farm. In a house he built for himself the summer after graduating from college, Winchester lives what he considers the most pleasant life imaginable, that of a small farmer. Winchester's prose reminds us of the sacred aspects of daily tasks. While tending to the garden or keeping one's house in order can quickly become mundane, we are reminded by Winchester that there is always something precious in building and maintaining what surrounds us. A Very Small Farm is a wonderful chronicling of the pleasures of a simpler life than that afforded most urban dwellers long since removed from the rural life. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (March 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806137789
• ISBN-13: 978-0806137780
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every page was a pleasure, April 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Very Small Farm (Hardcover)

I enjoyed every page and how beauty is found in the small every day life that transpires on the farm. The animal companionship, the rewards of sowing and reaping, the well thought out strategies for self sufficiency. If you're looking to get off the corporate treadmill or break from the collective madness of modern society, here's a book to get you started on your way. The fact that the farm is on 20 acres brings this lifestyle into home range for others aspiring to slow down to nature's pace and experience nature's glory on a daily basis. Two thumbs up for this book - it has even inspired me to plant my first vegetable garden!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern Walden, October 25, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Collinsville, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Very Small Farm (Paperback)

This book was written by a neighbor who lives only half a mile from my house. He is so modest that we had known him and bought milk from him for six months before some other neighbor told us he had written a book. This is a man who has made a personal decision to live a simpler and more honest life. He makes practically everything he uses including his house and his furniture. He also has the hometown values that make me remember "The Waltons" on TV. His book quietly lets you in on the good times and the hard times. I just petted Isabel (his milk cow) this morning and both her and William are doing fine. People who are feeling rushed and harried would do well to drop into the book and dream of a life not many Americans are still living. Certainly not many with college degrees in Biology like William!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is now a treasure of mine, May 11, 2000

By 

"banjofool" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Very Small Farm (Paperback)

Once in a great while I stumble upon a book that rings of truth and settles into my imagination. Subtle and unpretentious, Mr. Winchester reveals a world slowed down that makes sense. If you like clouds, dirt, paths, bread, outbuildings, cows, fields and the sound of the wind, you'll probably enjoy this book very much.