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Woman-Powered Farm: Manual for a Self-Sufficient Lifestyle from Homestead to Field
To go-to guide for women who want to be part of the farming revolution. Women are leading the new farming revolution in America. Much of the impetus to move back to the land, raise our own food, and connect with our agricultural past is being driven by women. They raise sheep for wool, harvest honey from their beehives, grow food for their families and sell their goods at farmers' markets. What does a woman who wants to work the land need to do to follow her dream? First, she needs this book. It may seem strange to suggest that women farmers need a different guide than male farmers, but women often have different strengths and goals, and different ways of achieving those goals. Audrey Levatino shares her experiences of running a farm and offers invaluable advice on how to get started, whether you have hundreds of acres or a simple lot for an urban community garden. Filled with personal anecdotes and stories from other women farmers, from old hands to brand new ones, from agricultural icons like Temple Grandin, to her own sister, this book is a reassuring and inspirational guide that discusses: It's all here, in the same warm and friendly voice that readers embraced in The Joy of Hobby Farming . Full-color photography throughout provides step-by-step instructions for anything you’ll need to do on your farm. 75 color photos
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
344 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 7, 2016
It's a rare book that manages to be both feminist-focused and patronizing to women, but this book has achieved that distinction. Still 4 stars for excellent information in an engaging (when not condescending) tone for farming novices or dreamers.
March 27, 2026
Definitely 5/5 stars!! I absolutely loved this book!!! It's got great advice for women seeking a homestead/country lifestyle!
I would definitely recommend this book to any woman interested in farming - whether in a suburban backyard or apartment balcony; or a woman who dreams of a homestead or acreage in the countryside. This book is specifically targeted towards women, rather than men.
-Notable Quotes-
- "Historically, many women farmed out of pure necessity. Native American women cleared the land, planted the garden, and harvested the crops because men had the jobs of hunting, trading, and going to war." (p.19)
- "'The value of doing something does not lie in the ease or difficulty, the probability or improbability of its achievement, but in the vision, the plan, the determination and the perseverance, the for and the struggle which go into the project. Life is enriched by aspiration and effort, rather than by acquisition and accumulation.' -HELEN NEARING The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing's Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living"
- "Be very careful in choosing a farm in which to work. Some farms do not follow all the national and local labor laws and may offer unpaid internships in violation of those laws. You could find yourself in a manual labor situation that offers little opportunity for education." (p.29)
- "And lastly, you'll want to be aware of any easements that cross your property. An easement is a right to cross or occupy someone else's land. The electric and phone companies have easements under power lines that allow them to maintain them. If those lines run right over your garden, you'll want to make sure to keep them clear, to avoid the power company's coming in and spraying herbicides to keep vegetation from interfering with the lines. If you are trying to obtain organic certification, you'll need to work with your electric company on an agreement for "no spray" maintenance of the area around its lines." (p.63)
- "To maintain the energy and enthusiasm with which we entered our farming enterprise, we need to be mindful of our approach, completing our daily tasks with care, knowing when to push on and when it is time to take a break." (p.75)
- "Steel-toed boots can be hard to find in women's sizes. If you order boots online, order a men's version that is two sizes smaller than your women's size." (p.110)
- "An oil filter wrench is the perfect tool for unscrewing tight jar lids." (p.123)
- "To help keep your tires in shape, you should have an electric air compressor on the farm. A standard compressor of 90 psi is suitable. Anything more powerful is meant to run air guns and other tools. A tire pressure gauge should go into each of your vehicles and in your tool box. It's hard to have too many as they are seemingly impossible to find when you need them. And finally, keep a tire plug kit so that you can fix any simple flat that hasn't produced a major tear in the tire." (p.123)
- "Another tool you should have around is a lug nut wrench. You get a lot more leverage with it." (p.126)
- "Board fence is ideal for horses as it's sturdy and very safe for animals. It will not keep predators or deer out. Also, the cost of maintenance is prohibitive for many people. Board fencing is the most labor intensive to install. If you install board fencing, the best thing to do is to rent a post-driver, not a post-hole digger. A post-driver is like a big hammer that will hammer the posts into the ground. An auger or post-hole digger will dig out a hole that requires you to reinforce at intervals with concrete. So a post-hole driver will save you that trouble." (p.133)
- "The best time to sharpen is at the end of the season when you're putting your tools away for the winter. If you sharpen and oil them with a bit of mineral oil or silicon spray, your tools will stay rust-free and be ready to go when the first weed breaks the soil in the spring." (p.143)
- "You can buy biodegradable landscape fabric, but it doesn't last long and then doesn't break down in the soil as quickly as is usually desirable. But it's certainly a more environmentally friendly option." (p.181)
- "A few cautions regarding mulch: because mulch retains moisture, it can cause plants to rot... Mulch is attractive to burrowing rodents and can also attract slugs and snails... Beware of dyed mulch. It has chemicals in it that will leach into your soil." (p.181)
- "When a lot of people think about dogs in the country, they assume they are just living loose an free around the property and taking care of themselves mostly. This is a recipe for trouble. Dogs can get themselves into all kinds of trouble when roaming about. When we first moved to the country, we had no fence. Our dogs would take off and roam the county for hours at a time... Even in the country, you should have a way to keep your animals close to home." (p.260)
- "It's not practical to lock pastured chickens in their coop every night. For them, you should use electric netted fencing and/or leave your guard dog out in the pasture with them." (p.263)
- "Make sure the fence [for goats] is at least 5 feet tall." (p.271)
I would definitely recommend this book to any woman interested in farming - whether in a suburban backyard or apartment balcony; or a woman who dreams of a homestead or acreage in the countryside. This book is specifically targeted towards women, rather than men.
-Notable Quotes-
- "Historically, many women farmed out of pure necessity. Native American women cleared the land, planted the garden, and harvested the crops because men had the jobs of hunting, trading, and going to war." (p.19)
- "'The value of doing something does not lie in the ease or difficulty, the probability or improbability of its achievement, but in the vision, the plan, the determination and the perseverance, the for and the struggle which go into the project. Life is enriched by aspiration and effort, rather than by acquisition and accumulation.' -HELEN NEARING The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing's Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living"
- "Be very careful in choosing a farm in which to work. Some farms do not follow all the national and local labor laws and may offer unpaid internships in violation of those laws. You could find yourself in a manual labor situation that offers little opportunity for education." (p.29)
- "And lastly, you'll want to be aware of any easements that cross your property. An easement is a right to cross or occupy someone else's land. The electric and phone companies have easements under power lines that allow them to maintain them. If those lines run right over your garden, you'll want to make sure to keep them clear, to avoid the power company's coming in and spraying herbicides to keep vegetation from interfering with the lines. If you are trying to obtain organic certification, you'll need to work with your electric company on an agreement for "no spray" maintenance of the area around its lines." (p.63)
- "To maintain the energy and enthusiasm with which we entered our farming enterprise, we need to be mindful of our approach, completing our daily tasks with care, knowing when to push on and when it is time to take a break." (p.75)
- "Steel-toed boots can be hard to find in women's sizes. If you order boots online, order a men's version that is two sizes smaller than your women's size." (p.110)
- "An oil filter wrench is the perfect tool for unscrewing tight jar lids." (p.123)
- "To help keep your tires in shape, you should have an electric air compressor on the farm. A standard compressor of 90 psi is suitable. Anything more powerful is meant to run air guns and other tools. A tire pressure gauge should go into each of your vehicles and in your tool box. It's hard to have too many as they are seemingly impossible to find when you need them. And finally, keep a tire plug kit so that you can fix any simple flat that hasn't produced a major tear in the tire." (p.123)
- "Another tool you should have around is a lug nut wrench. You get a lot more leverage with it." (p.126)
- "Board fence is ideal for horses as it's sturdy and very safe for animals. It will not keep predators or deer out. Also, the cost of maintenance is prohibitive for many people. Board fencing is the most labor intensive to install. If you install board fencing, the best thing to do is to rent a post-driver, not a post-hole digger. A post-driver is like a big hammer that will hammer the posts into the ground. An auger or post-hole digger will dig out a hole that requires you to reinforce at intervals with concrete. So a post-hole driver will save you that trouble." (p.133)
- "The best time to sharpen is at the end of the season when you're putting your tools away for the winter. If you sharpen and oil them with a bit of mineral oil or silicon spray, your tools will stay rust-free and be ready to go when the first weed breaks the soil in the spring." (p.143)
- "You can buy biodegradable landscape fabric, but it doesn't last long and then doesn't break down in the soil as quickly as is usually desirable. But it's certainly a more environmentally friendly option." (p.181)
- "A few cautions regarding mulch: because mulch retains moisture, it can cause plants to rot... Mulch is attractive to burrowing rodents and can also attract slugs and snails... Beware of dyed mulch. It has chemicals in it that will leach into your soil." (p.181)
- "When a lot of people think about dogs in the country, they assume they are just living loose an free around the property and taking care of themselves mostly. This is a recipe for trouble. Dogs can get themselves into all kinds of trouble when roaming about. When we first moved to the country, we had no fence. Our dogs would take off and roam the county for hours at a time... Even in the country, you should have a way to keep your animals close to home." (p.260)
- "It's not practical to lock pastured chickens in their coop every night. For them, you should use electric netted fencing and/or leave your guard dog out in the pasture with them." (p.263)
- "Make sure the fence [for goats] is at least 5 feet tall." (p.271)
September 7, 2017
The concept for this book could be applied to so many other areas and I wish it would be: I would buy all of them. Maybe it could be a series! Women farmers would be one installment joined by books on women mechanics, women carpenters, women plumbers, etc. I, myself, thoroughly enjoyed the pictures demonstrating proper technique. The sense of empowerment felt in seeing another woman wield an ax or fell a tree truly is incalculable and convinces me that there is no reason I cannot do the same.
As far as content, I think Levatino provides a great, general overview of what it means to be a woman farmer. I appreciate her constant encouragement to pursue further research. Knowing only just a little bit more than the average woman inspired to be a farmer, I recognized that the information she supplies is in many instances the bare minimum. And it's refreshing to see that the author recognizes that, as well. That she points to so many other sources indicates, to me, that she truly is committed to preparing and supporting informed, successful women farmers.
As far as content, I think Levatino provides a great, general overview of what it means to be a woman farmer. I appreciate her constant encouragement to pursue further research. Knowing only just a little bit more than the average woman inspired to be a farmer, I recognized that the information she supplies is in many instances the bare minimum. And it's refreshing to see that the author recognizes that, as well. That she points to so many other sources indicates, to me, that she truly is committed to preparing and supporting informed, successful women farmers.
March 20, 2018
Lots of great information and resources in this book. It felt geared more towards people who want to farm for a business. She also talks a lot about the value in doing internships to learn about farming which is great if that’s an option but if you’re in a stage of life where that isn’t there wasn’t much information about starting.
December 4, 2021
Great read. Wrote a bunch of notes... It's a like a spring board for getting more info that you didn't know you needed. Love that it gave realistic perspectives about hard, less glamorous parts of rural living, especially for us idealistic city girls thinking we can make it as easy as walking into a nursery.
August 9, 2021
Relies heavily on the gender binary and uses a lot of biological essentialism in its distinction of woman farmers. A decent primer for basic farm knowledge from a newcomer's perspective and does provide some useful tips for some women.
February 13, 2023
I'm sure it's helpful for some, just not much so for me. I am more interested in the type of farming that sustains my family and not extra ways to make money off the farm, and this book didn't seem to have much on that.
January 6, 2019
Such an empowering and practical book for this woman farmer.
November 26, 2023
Simple, helpful how-to book. Though you can get all of this information on the web, there is something special about this book as a shelf guide.
January 25, 2026
Really inspirational. Offers a lot of additional resources and makes me want to start farming for my family. Grateful for this book.
August 28, 2020
Very informative, textual. Excellent illustrations and step by step instructions of women using hand/power tools, felling trees, fixing flat tires, building fencing, constructing various types of gardens, compost tea, and many other practical aspects of modern farming. I also enjoyed the personal stories of various women in the farming business.
May 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It gave a lot of detail on everything farm-related: how to buy or lease land, how to use a chainsaw, how to find an internship on a farm, just to name a few. It contains pictures, how-tos, resources, organizations. It's very detailed and well-researched.
July 23, 2015
Great overview of farming and all the options that come with it, along with fantastic resources and ideas for further exploration.
October 5, 2015
Provides detailed step-by-step how to as well as recommendations for working a farm from the stand point of women. Ideal book for any female homesteader.
June 5, 2016
A helpful book for women who enjoy or are engaged in farming. Several "how-to" guides that are not found in other similar books.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews