Make Hay While the Sun Shines: A Year on the Farm

by Tom Pemberton

For six generations, the Pemberton family have farmed at Birks Farm in the picturesque town of Lytham on Lancashire's Fylde Coast, working at the heart of the area since the 1830s and supplying dairy produce to the local community ever since. In 2016, Tom Pemberton uploaded a one-minute video to YouTube about how to use the farm shop's new raw milk vending machine. He thought a handful of people would watch it. It turns out many more did. And so he began uploading regular videos, every Tuesday, Friday and the occasional Sunday to show what he gets up to on the farm. Things don't always go to plan, especially when you're the farmer's son, but every day's a learning day and Tom approaches work as he does life in stay positive and don't take yourself too seriously.Make Hay While the Sun Shines takes us behind the farm gate and follows a year on the from calving cows to maintaining machinery, from mucking out to planning and building a brand-new cow shed. Tom gives us a unique insight into everyday life on a busy dairy farm with all its highs, lows and hard graft. Full of heart, amusing anecdotes and unforgettable characters like Tom's dad, Andy - aka the Ginger Warrior - this is Tom's story of determination, adventure and how to keep a smile on your face even when you're knee deep in cow poo.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

Hardcover

Published April 28, 2022

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a fan of Tom Pemberton’s Farm Life YouTube channel. His genuine love of farming and his humour is carried into this audiobook. Not only entertaining, it was also very educational. I’ll continue watching his videos and hopefully he’ll have more books in the future.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow thisis such an amazing read. I really didn't want this book to end it was that much fun to read. I often find it fascinating learning about new things and different people jobs and this book didn't disappoint. I love being on farms and this book really made me feel part of a farming family I connected straight away and became totally engrossed in the book. The author Tom writes so well making it very interesting , wonderful, fun and whitty book. I just loved the humour that ran through this book. It was really fun but serious at the same time. Which makes it the perfect blend, to get the importance of this book across. I just couldn't put this book down. It was so nice reading how the younger generation of farmers are evolving the farm while still using the knowledge of the older generation his father the ginger ninja. It was packed full of amazing facts about everyday life on the farm, the different animals and how tom and the family carefully chose how to upgrade the farm. I loved the fact that the author incorporates Facebook, twitter, Instagram and YouTube into farming and the community. I loved this book so much it was just perfect in every way. It definitely brighted up my day knowing the next generation of farmers are both protecting our hard working animals and environment. It also shows just how important these matters are to tom and his Family. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author and just can't wait to read the next book. So tom keep writing.
The highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating this truly stunning book that will take me on a wonderful journey to a magnificent farm from the seat of my very comfy green chair.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been vaguely aware of Tom Pemberton's success on social media although I hadn't seen his videos, but I am interested in farming and how our food is produced so I was looking forward to learning more about what goes on behind the farm gate, so to speak. This is an easy book to get into, written in an engaging and convivial style. It feels less like observing Tom's life from the outside, and more like having an interesting, humourous catch up with a mate. The book feels really honest and genuine, and Tom takes us through the highs, lows, and amusing in-betweens of life on a family farm in the UK.

There is no doubting Tom's passion and enthusiasm for the animals and land he tends, and this book is a wonderful way to share that with the reader. Those in the farming community will recognise and identify with many of his stories, anecdotes and experiences, while the general public will learn about the trials, tribulations and happy successes of striving to keep a farm viable in the 21st century, as Tom learns from the past generations and endeavours to ensure its survival into the future.

Tom comes across as personable, passionate, funny and very human, and his ability to learn from his mistakes speaks to many of us. His affection for, and commitment to, both the animals and the farm is tangible. I liked the notes from his dad that are dotted through the book as it showed Tom's acknowledgement and respect of his father's hard work. I learned such a lot about current farming practices, and more than I will ever need to know about farm machinery. A really enjoyable read that informs and amuses.

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me for the book network. If you have any interest at all about farming or you want to become a farmer this is definitely the book for you.
I had not heard of Tom Pemberton before I read this. I will definitely be looking at his YouTube channel to see how him, his family, the animals and the farm are getting on.
I felt like this was all very genuine and honest and shows that farming is incredibly hard work, with long hours and not always getting days off.
This wasn’t just about farming 8t also showed the relationship between father and son and the relationship of his family in general.
If anyone thinks having a farm is going to make you rich they are very mistaken, it’s really hard work and heavily scrutinised.
Tom really loves t(e animals he cares for which also shows through.
I think to be a farmer and do it well you have to genuinely have a love for it.

[Raye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Make Hay While the Sun Shines was like returning to certain moments in my childhood combined with a lesson in the incredible hard work that goes into running a farm.

Tom Pemberton makes it very clear from the off-set that he loves his family’s farm, that he loves the work and wouldn’t swap it for anything, but he makes no bones about how difficult it can be. Reading about the process of running a farm, all the things you are responsible for, all of the sacrifices that are made, all the expense, the hours sitting on a tractor, all the planning. It’s overwhelming, as a reader. 

The passion for the legacy he is part of fills every single page and even when things seem as though they’re getting tougher (like during the pandemic, or when there were the issues with the newborn calves) not once did I, as the reader, feel as though he wanted to give up.

At my primary school, there were a number of children who grew up on farms, a couple from dairy farms in the area, and another few whose parents bred sheep. They would come in every single morning rosy-cheeked having already been up since the crack of dawn working with their parents. The farm was their life, their livelihood and they loved to share that a new cow or sheep had been born, that they had been in the milking shed, or feeding a new lamb. That’s what I got from this book, the joy, the exhilaration of every experience.

Throughout there were stories about things Tom had enjoyed because of his YouTube channel, such as a trip to Austria with Mercedes, and the poor drones that were victims of a new learning curve. We met his wife Jo, his cousin who decided to help them mow the fields because he was bored, and I learnt that the Red Tractor on milk bottles isn’t just there for decoration (something that I was not aware of before).

The book was filled with funny little anecdotes, and bits of advice that can be adapted to life away from a farm.

I loved the top tips from Tom and the Ginger Warrior (his father), and the illustrations that have been used occasionally to separate sections of longer chapters.

Though this is a book of facts, it is also a story of growth and experiences and I really enjoyed reading it. In fact, I am going to recommend it to my mum, who still lives in the village where we grew up and on a windy day can still smell the dairy farm at the end of our road.

To read the full review and others, visit my blog

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Book Review 📚
Make Hay While the Sun Shines by @tompemberton_farmlife
•••
What a fantastic read. Tom is best known for his Farming and YouTube videos, but turning his hand to writing a book has been a huge success. A wonderful insight into farming life ups and downs, highs and lows, Tom has shared a year of excitement and reality. A perfect read for anyone who's ever watched farming in the fields around them or considered where their milk comes from!
•••
The ebook was kindly gifted in return for a review, but reviews and comments are all genuine. @thebooknetwork.co.uk
@octopus_books_
•••
4 Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book interesting as I recently visited Tom's farm while on holiday in Liverpool.
This was good as a first book and now want to read the next one he has just published which has coloured photographs included. I hope the new one has a bit more variety as the first one seemed a bit stuck on silage and grass growth. Tom is so down to earth and friendly and it comes across when reading the book and watching his You tube channel. His farm and shop is well worth a visit and his prices in the shop are very reasonable. I'm looking forward to another visit and hopefully watch the milking process.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Pemberton's new book: Make Hay While the Sun Shines: A year on the farm. This book takes us behind the farm gate and follows a year on the farm: from calving to maintaining machinery, from mucking out to planning and building a brand-new cow shed.

Tom gives us a unique insight into everyday life on a busy dairy farm with all its highs, lows and hard graft. Full of heart, amusing anecdotes and unforgettable characters like Tom's dad, Andy - aka the Ginger Warrior - this is Tom's story of - determination, adventure and how to keep a smile on your face even when you're knee-deep in cow poo.

[Fabio De Bernardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book for me, so rating it would be unfair. Although I don't remember how I first discovered it, I found it interesting to read it after reading George Monbiot's "Regenesis", which speaks of the ills of modern farming. As with every complex matter, there is no black and white and Tom Pemberton comes across as a genuine individual who clearly doesn't wake up in the morning with any plan to harm anything or anyone. So while I was the wrong audience for the book, and at moments it felt it had too much "advertising" in there, I think this would be an enjoyable read for the right audience.

[Sarah Lean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having watched Tom on YouTube for over two years I was excited to read his book.

It's an enjoyable read and lots of moments that make you smile.

But for me, there was nothing new here. If you've watched his YouTube videos for the last two years you'll know all the stories he's sharing. No behind the scenes stories or extra bits unfortunately.

[Neil M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting read, Tom comes across as affable, hard working, and so passionate about farming, and I learnt a lot, I'll definitely be checking out his YouTube stuff!

It was a teeny bit dry and technical for me at times but overall I enjoyed it.

[Iwona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new genre and interesting read.
A well smoothly written interesting read. Book contains a lot of useful facts, combined with older generation knowledge that the Author gained from his father.

[Nick Spann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great debut book

Summarised his YouTube videos beautifully. Great to get some clarification of the terms the uses in his videos.Let's hope for plenty more in the future.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book and very good supplement to the videos or can be read on its own to see a lot of the insights into farming.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story that I found entertaining and informative. Well written, full of interesting anedoctes.
Loved it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book, a bit "bloggy" but I guess that is Tom's normal way. Enjoyed the stories and getting a good insight into the farming side of things.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like having a good chat with Tom. You can tell when he’s on about something he finds exciting. If you’re a fan of his videos, you’ll like this book.

[Georgina Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @thebooknetwork.co.uk for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn’t love a farm full of cute animals, lambs & calves etc. This book tells us about a year on the farm, how the milking is done, building a new shed, and during lambing & calving seasons.

I found the lambing section particularly interesting as I work next to a field of lambs at this time of year, they’re so cute 🥰 There is so much information in this book, it should be called a beginners guide to farming. Everything you need to know and more, including references to Tom’s YouTube channel where the “fame” began. I’m off to check it out.

[Kirsty McCracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

Can I just say how thankful I am to thebooknetwork.co.uk for letting me be a part of this tour?!

Tom Pemberton is a very well known name in our family - my father discovered YouTube when he finally got a smart TV last year.
As a 7th+ generation* dairy farmer's daughter Tom's book describes a life and conversations that I know only too well. I loved that he didn't shy away from anything and you could tell he wrote with as much honesty as care. His personality REALLY shines through in his writing and I honestly have to say that his dad was my favourite part of this (Sorry Tom 🙈).
This was a book about farming by someone with true passion - although it honestly takes a different breed of person to farm, and Tom is evidently part of this breed. I've always said farming was the only life long condition none of the "suffers" are interested in recovering from.

I got the eBook of this in exchange for a honest review and my honest review is that this book is going to be a triumph in both the farming community and those just beginning to learn about the people who feed us. Farmers are going to enjoy it not only because Tom has a mixed farm and so covers cattle, sheep, and arable, but also because it gives them a nosey into how someone else does what they do - and there is noone nosier than a farmer, in my experience anyways.

*I say "7th+ generation" as that's as far back as we've ever seen records for. #countrybumpkinthroughandthrough

[Alex Cotterill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book. Being a dairy and arable farming enthusiast for a long time, I have watched nearly all of Tom’s videos. The book was very well written with some good humour in it as well as references to key events that have happens over the years.