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Our Wild Farming Life: Adventures on a Scottish Highland Croft
As seen on the BBC’s This Farming Life The inspirational story of Lynbreck Croft―a regenerative Scottish farm rooted in local food, community, and the dreams of two women. "A ripping good account of the guts, luck and perseverance it takes to create a productive and healthy farm or croft that jumps the rails of our conventional industrial agriculture."―Nick Offerman, New York Times bestselling author of Where the Deer and the Antelope Play "I raced through this beautiful story with mounting awe and excitement. . . . Pragmatism, honesty and openness to new and old ideas shines through on every page. I hope it inspires legions of new farmers."―Isabella Tree, author of Wilding Lynn and Sandra left their friends, family, and jobs in England to travel north to Scotland to find a bit of land that they could call their own. They had in mind keeping a few chickens, a kitchen garden, and renting out some camping space; instead, they fell in love with Lynbreck Croft―150 acres of opportunity and beauty, shrouded by the Cairngorms and deep in the Highlands of Scotland. But they had no money, no plan, and no experience in farming. In Our Wild Farming Life , Lynn and Sandra recount their experiences as they rebuild their new home and work out what kind of farmers they want to be. They learn how to work with Highland cattle, become part of the crofting community and begin to truly understand how they can farm in harmony with nature to produce wonderful food for themselves and the people around them. Through efforts like these, Lynn and Sandra have been able to combine regenerative farming practices with old crofting traditions to keep their own personal values intact. Our Wild Farming Life is what happens when you follow your dreams of living on the land; a story of how two people became farmers―and how they learned to make a living from it, their way. "[This] is a warm yet realistic chronicle of the world of the small-time farmer, sharing a vision of how we humans can feed ourselves sustainably and ethically while living in harmony with the natural world."― Booklist "For anyone who has ever sat in a city office dreaming of . . . living off the land, this book will inspire them to take the plunge."― The Telegraph
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2022
15 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
April 21, 2022
I really enjoyed this for the educational journey it was.
There is so much to take in and learn from these girls and their adventures on their Scottish croft.
I loved all the history they managed to cram in and the traditions they learn about and followed.
I loved the community spirit they found and became a part of, it reminded me of the Irish community I live in.
These girls have worked so hard and achieved so much, they are an inspiration.
There is so much to take in and learn from these girls and their adventures on their Scottish croft.
I loved all the history they managed to cram in and the traditions they learn about and followed.
I loved the community spirit they found and became a part of, it reminded me of the Irish community I live in.
These girls have worked so hard and achieved so much, they are an inspiration.
May 9, 2023
Lynn Cassells chronicles her experience with Sandra Baer to become regenerative farmers in the Scottish Highlands. A desire to be more self-sufficient on a few acres of land takes a different form when they acquire a 150 acres croft on the edge of the Cairngorms in northern Scotland. Although both have some experience of land management having worked in various roles for the National Trust and various forestry companies, neither have farmed before and since they want to farm with nature, this becomes a challenging trial and test experience of restoring soils and forests while introducing chickens, pigs and cattle to work the land. A clear-eyes account of the challenges and accomplishments of making small-scale farming profitable providing much food for thought to consumers as myself on the choices we make when we buy food.
May 2, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I knew I was going to like this book the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb, and sure enough, I found this book to be a wonderfully inspiring slice-of-life story of what you can accomplish when you really want it and are ready to work your fingers to the bone to get it. It's the biography of two women who do the unthinkable, buy land in Scotland, quit their jobs and start farming, learning everything the hard way as they go. They start small and have lots of bumps on the road but persist and gradually establish themselves in the neighbourhood and even further.
I love reading about this kind of crazy leaps of faith, because I've done something along those lines myself - on a much smaller scale, but still - and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. So needless to say, I understand Lynn and Sandra's decision to become crofters very well indeed. I also enjoyed just hearing more about Scotland, as I once attended a summer course on nature conservation in the University of Edinburgh and got the chance to get a brief look at the Highlands then. Loved the place, too.
Overall, the book was an interesting mix of everyday life (and everyday struggles) at the croft, descriptions of local wildlife and history, and powerful messages about the importance of sustainability, regenerative farming, healthy food and having genuine respect for the land and all creatures great and small. These are values I share, so the authors are really preaching to the choir here, but it was still nice to hear my own thoughts reflected back to me. It's always comforting to realise that there are others out there who think the same way and are not content with urban life, wanting something more wholesome. I think the only reason I'm not rating this book five stars is that the narration was quite choppy at times. As a rule, I like it when authors narrate their own books, but this could definitely have been smoother.
It was still a mostly positive listening experience, though, with heaps of information I found useful. What interested me particularly was the way Lynn and Sandra were gradually able to become full time farmers and come up with more and more ways to make ends meet even though it was never easy. Back-breaking physical labour, long days and a great deal of stressing and a mountain of paperwork doesn't exactly sound enjoyable, but this book still manages to shine with the love these two women have for their chosen way of life.
Maybe that's the reason, actually. It's a lifestyle they've CHOSEN and worked and fought for. My hat's off to you, ladies. Respect. I might just follow your example one day. Solid four stars.
I knew I was going to like this book the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb, and sure enough, I found this book to be a wonderfully inspiring slice-of-life story of what you can accomplish when you really want it and are ready to work your fingers to the bone to get it. It's the biography of two women who do the unthinkable, buy land in Scotland, quit their jobs and start farming, learning everything the hard way as they go. They start small and have lots of bumps on the road but persist and gradually establish themselves in the neighbourhood and even further.
I love reading about this kind of crazy leaps of faith, because I've done something along those lines myself - on a much smaller scale, but still - and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. So needless to say, I understand Lynn and Sandra's decision to become crofters very well indeed. I also enjoyed just hearing more about Scotland, as I once attended a summer course on nature conservation in the University of Edinburgh and got the chance to get a brief look at the Highlands then. Loved the place, too.
Overall, the book was an interesting mix of everyday life (and everyday struggles) at the croft, descriptions of local wildlife and history, and powerful messages about the importance of sustainability, regenerative farming, healthy food and having genuine respect for the land and all creatures great and small. These are values I share, so the authors are really preaching to the choir here, but it was still nice to hear my own thoughts reflected back to me. It's always comforting to realise that there are others out there who think the same way and are not content with urban life, wanting something more wholesome. I think the only reason I'm not rating this book five stars is that the narration was quite choppy at times. As a rule, I like it when authors narrate their own books, but this could definitely have been smoother.
It was still a mostly positive listening experience, though, with heaps of information I found useful. What interested me particularly was the way Lynn and Sandra were gradually able to become full time farmers and come up with more and more ways to make ends meet even though it was never easy. Back-breaking physical labour, long days and a great deal of stressing and a mountain of paperwork doesn't exactly sound enjoyable, but this book still manages to shine with the love these two women have for their chosen way of life.
Maybe that's the reason, actually. It's a lifestyle they've CHOSEN and worked and fought for. My hat's off to you, ladies. Respect. I might just follow your example one day. Solid four stars.
April 15, 2022
I came across this book on my NetGalley app. I guess I will say that the cover made me smile , and then the title had me curious … So I decided to read the description, which intrigued me, as I myself have spent a few moments daydreaming about my own desire to have a “hobby farm“ (which, by the way, the ladies do not have, they have a real farm)
I have not heard of these two ladies prior to finding this, their story, having not seen them on BBC nor heard of them in any other media format. And still did not even realize that they have been on a TV show until the very end of the actual book.
I personally had a difficult time getting into the beginning of the book/story, because I was more interested in the actual day today of their farming life. Once she got started on talking about the actual beginnings of their farm life, I was hooked. I won’t lie, there were a few moments of laughing out loud, groaning, and maybe even a few tears. But in the end, I felt like I knew them, and want to visit them in real life.
Because of this book, I have been inspired into action in a few ways. Number one, I actually looked up these ladies and their adventure. Number two, I have done a bit more research into my own aspirations of small-scale farming. And number three I have scaled down some things that I thought I wanted to do, but also ramped up others.
Whether you have heard of them, because of their Appearance on the BBC television program “This Farming life”… Or if you were just interested in starting a farm, or Scotland, this is a great little story.
I have not heard of these two ladies prior to finding this, their story, having not seen them on BBC nor heard of them in any other media format. And still did not even realize that they have been on a TV show until the very end of the actual book.
I personally had a difficult time getting into the beginning of the book/story, because I was more interested in the actual day today of their farming life. Once she got started on talking about the actual beginnings of their farm life, I was hooked. I won’t lie, there were a few moments of laughing out loud, groaning, and maybe even a few tears. But in the end, I felt like I knew them, and want to visit them in real life.
Because of this book, I have been inspired into action in a few ways. Number one, I actually looked up these ladies and their adventure. Number two, I have done a bit more research into my own aspirations of small-scale farming. And number three I have scaled down some things that I thought I wanted to do, but also ramped up others.
Whether you have heard of them, because of their Appearance on the BBC television program “This Farming life”… Or if you were just interested in starting a farm, or Scotland, this is a great little story.
January 17, 2022
Our Wild Farming Life: Adventures on a Scottish Highland Croft by Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer is a great memoir giving us a peak inside the workings of setting up a life and farm in Scotland and what happens when you follow your dreams.
This is a great insight into this fascinating adventure that involves taking a risk, moving from family and friends to the Scottish Highlands, establishing a life, land, and business anew, and seeing all the risk and har work pay off.
I really enjoyed getting a firsthand look at the settlement p, evolution, and success of this multi-faceted farm: Lynbreck Croft. The combination of traditional farming and customs intertwined with modern ideas and sustainable concepts is forward-thinking and a step in the right direction.
I am glad that Sandra and Lynn were able to realize their hopes and I wish them all the success for the future.
My only disappointment with this arc was that the Kindle edition was not an option.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Chelsea Green Publishing for this enjoyable arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/10/22.
This is a great insight into this fascinating adventure that involves taking a risk, moving from family and friends to the Scottish Highlands, establishing a life, land, and business anew, and seeing all the risk and har work pay off.
I really enjoyed getting a firsthand look at the settlement p, evolution, and success of this multi-faceted farm: Lynbreck Croft. The combination of traditional farming and customs intertwined with modern ideas and sustainable concepts is forward-thinking and a step in the right direction.
I am glad that Sandra and Lynn were able to realize their hopes and I wish them all the success for the future.
My only disappointment with this arc was that the Kindle edition was not an option.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Chelsea Green Publishing for this enjoyable arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/10/22.
June 3, 2022
4.5 Stars
I listened on audio to this book. Our Wild Farming Life is all about Lynn and Sandra's new ownership of a croft in the Scottish Highlands and their quest to farm it and live as self-sustaining as possible.
It follows the ladies careers beforehand, how they come together and the differing skills they bring to the farm and relationship which is tested as they navigate the many challenges that come their way.
The amount of research undertaken by them as complete beginners to get the croft up & running and functioning was admirable from buying livestock, planting, fixing, working out wells and water systems etc.
All the time they were conscious of the tradition of the farming community and careful to act accordingly and welcoming to those around them.
What is evident is the amount of hard work physically and mentally, determination and grit these two have in facing every obstacle thrown at them and finding a solution.
We see the ups too as well as the downs and long may the ladies continue to reap the rewards.
I really enjoyed this book and found it fascinating as a life very different to my own.
My thanks go to Netgalley and the publishers in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
I listened on audio to this book. Our Wild Farming Life is all about Lynn and Sandra's new ownership of a croft in the Scottish Highlands and their quest to farm it and live as self-sustaining as possible.
It follows the ladies careers beforehand, how they come together and the differing skills they bring to the farm and relationship which is tested as they navigate the many challenges that come their way.
The amount of research undertaken by them as complete beginners to get the croft up & running and functioning was admirable from buying livestock, planting, fixing, working out wells and water systems etc.
All the time they were conscious of the tradition of the farming community and careful to act accordingly and welcoming to those around them.
What is evident is the amount of hard work physically and mentally, determination and grit these two have in facing every obstacle thrown at them and finding a solution.
We see the ups too as well as the downs and long may the ladies continue to reap the rewards.
I really enjoyed this book and found it fascinating as a life very different to my own.
My thanks go to Netgalley and the publishers in providing this arc in return for a honest review.
March 5, 2022
If you watch Britbox in the United States or BBC2 in the United Kingdom, you might have seen the authors on season 3 of This Farming Life. But they are already established in that show. Here in Our Wild Farming Life, you can read their backstory that also includes what drove them to farming in the first place.
With a bit of Scottish history and crofting law, Our Wild Farming Life is an interesting memoir. If you have ever felt the draw of the land, you will enjoy reading the authors’ story. My only complaint was there were only a few pictures grouped in the middle of the book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Thanks to Chelsea Green Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
With a bit of Scottish history and crofting law, Our Wild Farming Life is an interesting memoir. If you have ever felt the draw of the land, you will enjoy reading the authors’ story. My only complaint was there were only a few pictures grouped in the middle of the book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Thanks to Chelsea Green Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2022
NetGalley ARC.
I knew it wouldn't be riveting but I didn't think it would be so dull. :/ I've never heard of these women before, didn't know anything about their TV show. Might like it more if I did, might like the show more than the book. But the book was just this side of boring. It started out interesting enough but then got too detail-oriented and I lost interest. Listening to Lynn's lilt was fun though! "Adventures" is a word used loosely in this subtitle. lol.
I knew it wouldn't be riveting but I didn't think it would be so dull. :/ I've never heard of these women before, didn't know anything about their TV show. Might like it more if I did, might like the show more than the book. But the book was just this side of boring. It started out interesting enough but then got too detail-oriented and I lost interest. Listening to Lynn's lilt was fun though! "Adventures" is a word used loosely in this subtitle. lol.
January 26, 2024
So inspiring to read about how two very ordinary girls have followed their dream and gone through so many challenges to achieve the life they wanted, all the while with nature and a strong moral compass leading the way - very well written, smashed through it
October 6, 2024
I enjoyed the escapism and total respect to these women
February 13, 2022
I adored this book!!
Ex-pat memoir ✅
Scotland ✅
Historic house ✅
The great outdoors ✅
Gardening ✅
Friendly locals ✅
It checked all the boxes for me. I like the structure of the book, taking you through each phase of their journey. I really appreciated the history of crofting and the highlands, and the secret they found out about their house from the previous inhabitants was so cool!
Lynn is so descriptive, I felt like I was there. I could feel the anxiety of not knowing what to do in new and unfamiliar situations, the agony over the tough calls and the heartbreak when things didn’t go according to plan but according to nature. Lynn and Sandra have an amazing bond with and respect for their livestock.
One of the things that usually makes me very critical of memoirs is when they contain minimal dialogue, but this was very well done, and I didn’t find it lacking even though the dialogue was few and far between. I think it must be because Lynn was talking about the farm, her experiences and ideals she is so passionate about as opposed to talking about herself. I was really thankful for the handful of pictures, but I would've appreciated even more and if they had been scattered throughout, closer to the subjects they were portraying.
Although Lynn and Sandra are very respectfully trying not to force their way of farming on others, I do believe their way is correct, and I hope it spreads. I highly recommend this book, and I want to know where I can watch This Farming Life in the U.S.!
Thank you NetGalley and Chelsea Green Publishing for the ARC!
Ex-pat memoir ✅
Scotland ✅
Historic house ✅
The great outdoors ✅
Gardening ✅
Friendly locals ✅
It checked all the boxes for me. I like the structure of the book, taking you through each phase of their journey. I really appreciated the history of crofting and the highlands, and the secret they found out about their house from the previous inhabitants was so cool!
Lynn is so descriptive, I felt like I was there. I could feel the anxiety of not knowing what to do in new and unfamiliar situations, the agony over the tough calls and the heartbreak when things didn’t go according to plan but according to nature. Lynn and Sandra have an amazing bond with and respect for their livestock.
One of the things that usually makes me very critical of memoirs is when they contain minimal dialogue, but this was very well done, and I didn’t find it lacking even though the dialogue was few and far between. I think it must be because Lynn was talking about the farm, her experiences and ideals she is so passionate about as opposed to talking about herself. I was really thankful for the handful of pictures, but I would've appreciated even more and if they had been scattered throughout, closer to the subjects they were portraying.
Although Lynn and Sandra are very respectfully trying not to force their way of farming on others, I do believe their way is correct, and I hope it spreads. I highly recommend this book, and I want to know where I can watch This Farming Life in the U.S.!
Thank you NetGalley and Chelsea Green Publishing for the ARC!
May 7, 2024
Though nothing special about the writing, per se, “Our Wild Farming Life“ is an inspirational read. It offers a relatively brief overview of how a couple made a dream become a reality, though not filled with a significant amount of detail, the reader does get an overall sense of obstacles that the authors need to overcome, how their personal values weave into the farm and business they create, and the importance of community when taking on such a massive endeavor. If you are like me, and always in awe of people, brave enough to take a leap, you may appreciate this story. Of course now I am obsessed with watching YouTube videos of Scotland. On the downside, this book made me wish I was 20 years younger and could start parts of my life over again, making different decisions that would lead me toward a path more aligned with the homestead I wish I had.
March 23, 2022
Having never seen the TV show, I wasn't familiar with the authors or their farm prior to listening to this audiobook so I went in completely fresh. I enjoyed coming along on this journey as these women worked out how to create a life that suits them. While I wasn't excited to hear about the animals going to slaughter, I can respect how this farm is run, working to improve the land while creating a good life for themselves. It's too bad all farms aren't run more like this one. Yes, it would increase prices over the monocrop and factory farming we currently have. Maybe this would inspire more people to grow what they can and more communities to set aside space for community gardens. It's a delicate balance with keeping food affordable, but it would be great if more government funding went toward more sustainable farming practices.
Thanks to Chelsea Green Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Chelsea Green Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
March 17, 2022
arc|GIFTED|AD|NETGALEY. Really enjoyed this after the TV show. It was nice to hear their story and all about farming life. Also love that it was narrated by lynn herself as it always adds an extra spark when the author reads it themselves.
April 1, 2022
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley - all opinioms are my own
I have not seen the BBC TV program but I greatly enjoyed this book. Cassells approach to working with nature in farming is in line with my own and my feelings about the emotive subject of rewilding, so obviously this book was going to resonate. But I was completely hooked on Cassells' tale. At no point does she dress up the grimmer realities of living on and with the land - this is no beau idyll cottage core set in the Highlands, it's very much a lot of hardwork and at times is a struggle. Cassells was very honest about how it changed some of her attitudes and how they had things to overcome or relearn. I appreciate the viewpoint that there are many ways to farm more sustainably and live less selfishly off the back of nature. As Cassells says, humans tend to forget that we are part of nature, not separate from it. Overall, this was a great book - heart-warming, honest and thought provoking. Highly recommend. Cassells narrated it well too.
I have not seen the BBC TV program but I greatly enjoyed this book. Cassells approach to working with nature in farming is in line with my own and my feelings about the emotive subject of rewilding, so obviously this book was going to resonate. But I was completely hooked on Cassells' tale. At no point does she dress up the grimmer realities of living on and with the land - this is no beau idyll cottage core set in the Highlands, it's very much a lot of hardwork and at times is a struggle. Cassells was very honest about how it changed some of her attitudes and how they had things to overcome or relearn. I appreciate the viewpoint that there are many ways to farm more sustainably and live less selfishly off the back of nature. As Cassells says, humans tend to forget that we are part of nature, not separate from it. Overall, this was a great book - heart-warming, honest and thought provoking. Highly recommend. Cassells narrated it well too.
July 7, 2025
A really interesting look at farming in the Scottish Highlands.
May 7, 2022
Really interesting listen, such a brave thing to do but the way they overcome set backs and embrace their new community is lovely.
September 28, 2022
This is the inspiring and uplifting tale of two determined, thoughtful women who took ownership and stewardship of a croft – a 150-acre parcel of Scottish land that most people would consider hopeless, and restored it to life as a small farm in harmony with nature. I loved this book partly for the details about their farming life, but even more, I appreciated their openness about the challenges and dilemmas they faced. Many of these will have been experienced by other farmers too. Their story has been featured on BBC2’s series This Farming Life. This is a passionate, honest, pragmatic account of careful decision-making combined with hard work and integration into the local community.
Lynn and Sandra met in 2012 while working as rangers for the National Trust. Soon the two realized how strongly they were drawn to each other. They shared a dream of growing their own food, heating their winters with firewood they gathered and cut, and learning from the land around them. Pragmatically, they acknowledged that bills would have to be paid, imagining operating a small campground. Full-time farming was not on their radar, despite their attention to planning.
Sandra was drawn to Scotland, and so she got a ranger job in Scotland, to further their land search. Lynn found tree-planting work and lodging a few hours away, enabling them to spend weekends together. Every evening was spent working down lists of available property.
Sandra found an enticing property – a small traditional farming homestead, Lynbreck Croft, set in beautiful scenery. It was way over their budget, but they became obsessed with this impossible dream. They booked a viewing, and fell in love with the place. How could they ever raise the money? Moving there to live would involve leaving their jobs, nullifying any chance of a mortgage or bank loan. Lynn had some trepidation and fear about leaving friends, family, and career.
One close friend offered to lend them the money to make up the shortfall. What good fortune! What a good friend! In March 2016, four years after they met each other, they were locating the key to their cabin under a rock and moving in. Crofts are small Scottish farmsteads, usually mixed arable and grazing, providing a subsistence level of food, water and heating.
Crofting law is complex, and usually banks will not provide mortgages or loans on crofts. It is a real challenge to make crofting profitable. It requires both traditional knowledge and a willingness to embrace modern technology.
Two old buildings stood on the homestead when they moved in, and they opted to live in the 3-bedroom wooden cabin. The old croft house, dating from 1852, had been gutted for a renovation that never happened.
Sandra and Lynn developed a huge respect for the crofting community, and wondered how well they could carry the responsibility, and how welcome they would be in the local community, where residents are being squeezed out by vacationers. They never hid the fact that they are a couple, but never felt any discrimination or awkwardness. When their neighbors learned that they wanted to work the land, they welcomed them warmly.
It dawned on them what a massive amount of work they had taken on. They started with the trees around the cabin, tending saplings, pulling competing grasses, installing tree guards. Their past work with trees gave them confidence and familiarity. Next they started their no-dig (no-till) permaculture kitchen garden, using the flat south-facing area in front of the cabin. They installed a rabbit-proof fence and made five raised beds, bringing in soil from many mole hills. A neighbor who saw their efforts donated a tractor bucket-load of manure.
They started felling and cutting firewood for the winter, and a daily rhythm developed. Lynn worked four days a week in Inverness, 50 minutes away. Sandra got a part-time job cutting riverside weeds to improve access for fishers. Most new farmers face similar issues: keeping a flow of money coming in, while building up the farm.
The authors chronicle their misfortunes candidly, such as the time they tried to sterilize their well and then spent several months using bottled water until the well recovered from their ministrations. They do not pretend they can go it alone. Gratitude to neighbors lifts them up. They receive gifts of an old barrel, a tractor-bucket of peat fuel for their stove, and even a heifer.
The authors have the goal of providing food for themselves and the local community, while ensuring natural diversity. They don’t seek to recreate past harsh conditions. They want a warm house, electricity, speedy internet, and a reliable car. It became clear their margins would be very tight, and they would be working hard.
UK agriculture is heavily subsidized, and they decided to see what funding they were entitled to. For a coherent 5-year plan they could get a Young Farmer’s Start-Up Grant of €70,000, of which 90% would be paid upfront! They struggled with “Imposter Syndrome”: feelings of chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that persist despite proof of success. They struggled to define their plans precisely enough for this competitive grant. One year after they moved to Lynbreck, they received a letter saying the money was on its way!
Lynbreck is on the leeward edge of the Cairngorm Mountains, in mixed grassland, woodland, heather and bog. They hired an ecologist to make a baseline vegetation survey. She found 148 species of trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, mosses and wildflowers, shared insight into previous uses of the land and provided recommendations on maintaining and improving diversity.
Lynbreck includes 38 acres of bog to the south of the homestead: tussocks of purple moor-grass, pillows of sphagnum moss and bog pools. The largest vegetation area is dry heath: heather-clad hills on the north with small clusters of trees. The landscape was once a mosaic of young trees, older trees and open spaces, not continuous forest as some imagine.
By their first autumn the new farmers had a good understanding of the land. They observed that for trees to flourish they needed to fence out the foragers. They contacted various bodies for advice and funds for tree planting. They claimed “carbon funding” to bridge the gap. This is a way of trading future carbon sequestration to companies seeking ways to offset their carbon emissions, and make them carbon neutral. In other words, get paid to plant trees.
Despite their worries about repaying the funds if they hit a disaster, they installed a large deer fence and planted 17,400 trees. Yes, just the two of them. Yes, while working outside jobs to provide money to live on. They had to clear 17,400 spots to plant in, in two months: an average of 290 spots each day, so the trees would get a good start. In mid-February were ready for their tiny trees. They planted dawn to dusk at a rate of almost 580 trees a day, in snow, wind, rain, icy blasts, and also sunshine. This huge task took them over the brink of exhaustion, and also gave them enormous satisfaction.
Their story delves into many of the issues new farmers face: uncertainties, confusions, dilemmas; accepting government financing along with regulations and inspections. “Farming subsidies don’t exist to prop up a farmer, they exist to subsidize the true cost of producing food to make it cheaper for all of us.” The pressure to make the land as agriculturally productive as possible leads to spending large amounts of money on inputs. Without farm subsidies, no-one could afford to pay the actual cost of the food. Farming is being done at a loss by many farmers, trapped in dependency on subsidies.
They sought like-minded farmers. Initially they felt kinship with the rewilding movement, but over time that kinship dwindled. Some Rewilding practitioners see the needs of nature opposed to the needs of people. Some of the wild animals they would like to reintroduce pose a very real threat to the needs of farmers to keep their livestock safe, and their habitats in balance. It is easy for farmers and re-wilders to become entrenched and polarized.
Regenerative agriculture was the closest fit to what they were doing: farming in a way where the impact of livestock benefits the health of the soil and increases biodiversity and abundance of species above and below the ground. Lynn and Sandra watched videos by Richard Perkins, listened to Allan Savory on holistic management, and Christine Jones on soil biology. Integrating animals into farming is vital as part of biodiversity. Their confidence grew over time, but so did their task lists, and the challenges of time and money!
They were working 16-hour days, earning income four days a week each, expanding their farming business and putting food on their own table. They were paralyzed with fear about giving up their paid jobs in case their dream collapsed, but they were sacrificing the simple pleasures of life that were the reasons they chose this path. They reduced their paid work and accepted tighter finances, regaining some time.
After getting hens early on, they next bought three young Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, a rare breed well-suited to the crofting life. Lynn and Sandra planned for them to root up a strip of land in small sections at a time, to plant 320 trees next winter. Additionally, of course, the pigs would provide meat to eat and to sell.
The soil-prep aspect went well, but like many new farmers they made the mistake of overfeeding their animals “to be nice to them”, causing excess fat. When it came time for the trip to the abattoir, each pig got personally thanked for their past work and their future.as nourishment. The authors did wrestle with guilt and re-examined their meat-selling plan. In spite of good intentions, there is no single food choice made by any living organism that does not impact some other form of life. Plants included.
Next they got six hardy Highland cattle (the short ones with big horns and long shaggy coats), filling an ecological niche: recycling plant material, dunging the soil, creating new habitats. And providing exceptionally high quality beef. They need no housing, and their lighter weight limits damage to the ground. The electric fencing and careful planning let them rotate the cattle around their land daily. Sandra studied the work of Temple Grandin on efficient humane livestock handling systems, and built a successful custom design in their barn.
After noticing the cattle browsing on reachable tree leaves and lichen, they decided to make “tree hay” for winter. Lynn and Sandra got grants to plant edible hedgerows and a stretch of native willows, and planted and fenced 5000 trees in their lower field. Their plan was to cut some branches every year and dry them for winter forage to supplement bought-in pasture hay. They also dried nettles and docks in bundles, adding to the feed diversity to keep their animals healthy.
Another period of anguish was coming to terms with the need to shoot deer and other wild animals threatening their food supply. Lynn had a moral tussle when she found three deer inside their (incomplete) fencing. Her brain was saying shoot, but her trigger finger would not comply. She worried about not making a clean kill. She knew she needed to do it, and finally she was able to take a good shot. The dead deer rolled down into the gully, and she set out to find it, wondering if she would be filled with remorse when she saw it. She was not. She talked aloud, thanking the deer and promising to do her best to use its body. This calmed and reassured her, shifting the focus away from her own emotions. She felt pride rather than guilt, that night, after the successful butchering, with nothing going to waste. Rabbit stews followed. Then pork from pigs they had raised – another significant step in their role as stewards of the croft.
Vegetable production was challenging in the limited growing season at their exposed landholding, where spring was three weeks behind the less-elevated town five miles away. They planted a shelterbelt, and made cold frames. Every harvested crop was precious to them. They enlarged the garden with an area of berries undersown with medicinal herbs, and a potato patch to the north of the old house. The yield was so high they sold some alongside their eggs on their roadside stand.
The following year the potato sales covered the cost of all the vegetable seeds, making all their produce feel free. They were now growing 70% of their vegetables. Alongside the eggs and potatoes, they sold their first lot of pork. They wanted a diverse, multi-enterprise business to pay their bills, and a bit for rainy days, but they were not motivated to accumulate extra money.
They had the dilemma of wanting to be home more, but worrying about walking away from a monthly salary. Then Lynn quit her job. In 30 months they had transformed Lynbreck from a semi-derelict croft to a fully-functional farming business, thanks to immense amounts of hard work, and only careful spending.
They started an Egg Club, a subscription egg delivery service, asking a higher price than the supermarkets and other roadside vendors. Some of those vendors were not making any money, just breaking even by selling their hobby surplus at cost price. Another farm dilemma – how to set prices. They decided to only sell locally, telling the story of their farming and the individual animals to every customer. They were only just breaking even and covering the cost of their portion of food. Their time was not covered at all. Nor was depreciation of equipment, or investment in new tools.
The first time they sold pork, they briefly fell into the trap of focusing on the money. They kept back only a few packs of chops and sausages for themselves, before they realized their folly. They decided to be more efficient, not just take on more work. They tried value-added foods, particularly charcuterie. They were able to get a loan. (If the book seems a list of loans and grants, this is because they started with almost no money and no land, and that’s what you have to do.)
Sandra took a course, but suffered the horrible experience of blanking on what to do when faced with a half pig. Happily, her automatic pilot kicked in and she did an excellent butchery job. They started a Meat Club, delivering a monthly added-value meat parcel. Not every creation was a success, but 94% of the subscribers signed up for a second year. The butchery paid for itself and a little more.
They bought sheep, then regretted it and sold them after a year. Not everything works out. It’s important to be willing to reconsider your decisions. That’s not always easy: “Have we failed? Did we give up too easily?” But you’ll know the feeling of relief when you make the right choice.
Then life got difficult again. Their well was running out of water! A hot dry summer led to using 300 liters per day, partly thirsty livestock, partly fencing contractors power-washing their equipment, partly garden irrigation. They had not thought of well water as a finite commodity. To add embarrassment and stress, a BBC film crew was filming over their shoulders. Lynn had responded to a search for farmers to be filmed for a slice of life series This Farming Life, and forgot to mention it to Sandra before they were being asked if they’d be willing to be filmed for a trial run, next week.
Their daily chores increased to include carrying buckets of water from the river, buying bottled water to drink, buying a mobile water tank and a pump to extract water from a spring to water the cattle, and bathing in the loch each evening. “Water, in both scarcity and abundance, can be the limiting factor of life.” Later, they installed a new well by the spring, and added rainwater-butts. Parallel with the drying down of their well, their bank account experienced something similar.
While this was going on, they had a night in Glasgow for a BBC Thank You “wrap party”. A fun evening was followed by anticipation of a sleep-in next morning and a sumptuous breakfast. But they woke to a text from the farmer who was taking care of their animals, saying the cows had nudged open the valve on the bowser and lost all the water. So they grabbed some toast and drove home fast.
Their swift rise into public awareness led to involvement in policymaking bodies and political organizations. Lynn spent whole days answering emails, showing important people around Lyncroft, or away from home, giving presentations on farming and crofting.
Meanwhile Sandra was holding down all the farm chores, and both of them were feeling increased stress and exhaustion. Life was moving ever faster. They were not living a more relaxed life. Self-doubt came back. They were responsible for too many spinning plates, which could all come crashing down. Plus, their expertize was not really in policymaking and lobbying. It was in reconnecting people with production of their food. They realized they needed to invest more time in themselves and each other. They had very little time to observe the vast skyscape, experience the birdlife or enjoy watching wildlife. Sandra and Lynn’s relationship had become strained as their energy was drained by running the croft and explaining it to other people.
They didn’t blame anyone but themselves. Now was time to focus on making life personally sustainable. Lynn stepped back from the committees and meetings. They started grouping visitors into either monthly public tours (for a small fee) or private tours for a larger fee.
Lynn gave a talk at a rewilding conference with 500 participants. Someone booed loudly when she said “We have to accept that it’s OK to eat meat.” Lynn carried on with her talk, but was understandably shaken. At the break the boo-er apologized and said she’d learned a lot by listening to the talk. A survey by the Farm Advisory Service found that Lynbreck had sequestered 12 times more CO2 than emitted.
The farmers were now making an income from farming and were no longer working outside jobs. They prepared to run a residential course on How to Farm. Then the Covid pandemic hit. Their projected income nose-dived. All events involving people coming to Lynbreck were cancelled, and much money was refunded. Some people left their money with Lynn and Sandra for “next year”. Sales of meat and eggs covered most of their overheads. Produce sales hit the roof. They got a government Covid business support grant to cover lost earnings.
A few weeks in, they noticed the quiet and realized they had nothing to do except run their farm and live their lives. At some point during the Covid pandemic, they wrote this book, and I hope it brings them a steady income.
Lynn and Sandra met in 2012 while working as rangers for the National Trust. Soon the two realized how strongly they were drawn to each other. They shared a dream of growing their own food, heating their winters with firewood they gathered and cut, and learning from the land around them. Pragmatically, they acknowledged that bills would have to be paid, imagining operating a small campground. Full-time farming was not on their radar, despite their attention to planning.
Sandra was drawn to Scotland, and so she got a ranger job in Scotland, to further their land search. Lynn found tree-planting work and lodging a few hours away, enabling them to spend weekends together. Every evening was spent working down lists of available property.
Sandra found an enticing property – a small traditional farming homestead, Lynbreck Croft, set in beautiful scenery. It was way over their budget, but they became obsessed with this impossible dream. They booked a viewing, and fell in love with the place. How could they ever raise the money? Moving there to live would involve leaving their jobs, nullifying any chance of a mortgage or bank loan. Lynn had some trepidation and fear about leaving friends, family, and career.
One close friend offered to lend them the money to make up the shortfall. What good fortune! What a good friend! In March 2016, four years after they met each other, they were locating the key to their cabin under a rock and moving in. Crofts are small Scottish farmsteads, usually mixed arable and grazing, providing a subsistence level of food, water and heating.
Crofting law is complex, and usually banks will not provide mortgages or loans on crofts. It is a real challenge to make crofting profitable. It requires both traditional knowledge and a willingness to embrace modern technology.
Two old buildings stood on the homestead when they moved in, and they opted to live in the 3-bedroom wooden cabin. The old croft house, dating from 1852, had been gutted for a renovation that never happened.
Sandra and Lynn developed a huge respect for the crofting community, and wondered how well they could carry the responsibility, and how welcome they would be in the local community, where residents are being squeezed out by vacationers. They never hid the fact that they are a couple, but never felt any discrimination or awkwardness. When their neighbors learned that they wanted to work the land, they welcomed them warmly.
It dawned on them what a massive amount of work they had taken on. They started with the trees around the cabin, tending saplings, pulling competing grasses, installing tree guards. Their past work with trees gave them confidence and familiarity. Next they started their no-dig (no-till) permaculture kitchen garden, using the flat south-facing area in front of the cabin. They installed a rabbit-proof fence and made five raised beds, bringing in soil from many mole hills. A neighbor who saw their efforts donated a tractor bucket-load of manure.
They started felling and cutting firewood for the winter, and a daily rhythm developed. Lynn worked four days a week in Inverness, 50 minutes away. Sandra got a part-time job cutting riverside weeds to improve access for fishers. Most new farmers face similar issues: keeping a flow of money coming in, while building up the farm.
The authors chronicle their misfortunes candidly, such as the time they tried to sterilize their well and then spent several months using bottled water until the well recovered from their ministrations. They do not pretend they can go it alone. Gratitude to neighbors lifts them up. They receive gifts of an old barrel, a tractor-bucket of peat fuel for their stove, and even a heifer.
The authors have the goal of providing food for themselves and the local community, while ensuring natural diversity. They don’t seek to recreate past harsh conditions. They want a warm house, electricity, speedy internet, and a reliable car. It became clear their margins would be very tight, and they would be working hard.
UK agriculture is heavily subsidized, and they decided to see what funding they were entitled to. For a coherent 5-year plan they could get a Young Farmer’s Start-Up Grant of €70,000, of which 90% would be paid upfront! They struggled with “Imposter Syndrome”: feelings of chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that persist despite proof of success. They struggled to define their plans precisely enough for this competitive grant. One year after they moved to Lynbreck, they received a letter saying the money was on its way!
Lynbreck is on the leeward edge of the Cairngorm Mountains, in mixed grassland, woodland, heather and bog. They hired an ecologist to make a baseline vegetation survey. She found 148 species of trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, mosses and wildflowers, shared insight into previous uses of the land and provided recommendations on maintaining and improving diversity.
Lynbreck includes 38 acres of bog to the south of the homestead: tussocks of purple moor-grass, pillows of sphagnum moss and bog pools. The largest vegetation area is dry heath: heather-clad hills on the north with small clusters of trees. The landscape was once a mosaic of young trees, older trees and open spaces, not continuous forest as some imagine.
By their first autumn the new farmers had a good understanding of the land. They observed that for trees to flourish they needed to fence out the foragers. They contacted various bodies for advice and funds for tree planting. They claimed “carbon funding” to bridge the gap. This is a way of trading future carbon sequestration to companies seeking ways to offset their carbon emissions, and make them carbon neutral. In other words, get paid to plant trees.
Despite their worries about repaying the funds if they hit a disaster, they installed a large deer fence and planted 17,400 trees. Yes, just the two of them. Yes, while working outside jobs to provide money to live on. They had to clear 17,400 spots to plant in, in two months: an average of 290 spots each day, so the trees would get a good start. In mid-February were ready for their tiny trees. They planted dawn to dusk at a rate of almost 580 trees a day, in snow, wind, rain, icy blasts, and also sunshine. This huge task took them over the brink of exhaustion, and also gave them enormous satisfaction.
Their story delves into many of the issues new farmers face: uncertainties, confusions, dilemmas; accepting government financing along with regulations and inspections. “Farming subsidies don’t exist to prop up a farmer, they exist to subsidize the true cost of producing food to make it cheaper for all of us.” The pressure to make the land as agriculturally productive as possible leads to spending large amounts of money on inputs. Without farm subsidies, no-one could afford to pay the actual cost of the food. Farming is being done at a loss by many farmers, trapped in dependency on subsidies.
They sought like-minded farmers. Initially they felt kinship with the rewilding movement, but over time that kinship dwindled. Some Rewilding practitioners see the needs of nature opposed to the needs of people. Some of the wild animals they would like to reintroduce pose a very real threat to the needs of farmers to keep their livestock safe, and their habitats in balance. It is easy for farmers and re-wilders to become entrenched and polarized.
Regenerative agriculture was the closest fit to what they were doing: farming in a way where the impact of livestock benefits the health of the soil and increases biodiversity and abundance of species above and below the ground. Lynn and Sandra watched videos by Richard Perkins, listened to Allan Savory on holistic management, and Christine Jones on soil biology. Integrating animals into farming is vital as part of biodiversity. Their confidence grew over time, but so did their task lists, and the challenges of time and money!
They were working 16-hour days, earning income four days a week each, expanding their farming business and putting food on their own table. They were paralyzed with fear about giving up their paid jobs in case their dream collapsed, but they were sacrificing the simple pleasures of life that were the reasons they chose this path. They reduced their paid work and accepted tighter finances, regaining some time.
After getting hens early on, they next bought three young Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, a rare breed well-suited to the crofting life. Lynn and Sandra planned for them to root up a strip of land in small sections at a time, to plant 320 trees next winter. Additionally, of course, the pigs would provide meat to eat and to sell.
The soil-prep aspect went well, but like many new farmers they made the mistake of overfeeding their animals “to be nice to them”, causing excess fat. When it came time for the trip to the abattoir, each pig got personally thanked for their past work and their future.as nourishment. The authors did wrestle with guilt and re-examined their meat-selling plan. In spite of good intentions, there is no single food choice made by any living organism that does not impact some other form of life. Plants included.
Next they got six hardy Highland cattle (the short ones with big horns and long shaggy coats), filling an ecological niche: recycling plant material, dunging the soil, creating new habitats. And providing exceptionally high quality beef. They need no housing, and their lighter weight limits damage to the ground. The electric fencing and careful planning let them rotate the cattle around their land daily. Sandra studied the work of Temple Grandin on efficient humane livestock handling systems, and built a successful custom design in their barn.
After noticing the cattle browsing on reachable tree leaves and lichen, they decided to make “tree hay” for winter. Lynn and Sandra got grants to plant edible hedgerows and a stretch of native willows, and planted and fenced 5000 trees in their lower field. Their plan was to cut some branches every year and dry them for winter forage to supplement bought-in pasture hay. They also dried nettles and docks in bundles, adding to the feed diversity to keep their animals healthy.
Another period of anguish was coming to terms with the need to shoot deer and other wild animals threatening their food supply. Lynn had a moral tussle when she found three deer inside their (incomplete) fencing. Her brain was saying shoot, but her trigger finger would not comply. She worried about not making a clean kill. She knew she needed to do it, and finally she was able to take a good shot. The dead deer rolled down into the gully, and she set out to find it, wondering if she would be filled with remorse when she saw it. She was not. She talked aloud, thanking the deer and promising to do her best to use its body. This calmed and reassured her, shifting the focus away from her own emotions. She felt pride rather than guilt, that night, after the successful butchering, with nothing going to waste. Rabbit stews followed. Then pork from pigs they had raised – another significant step in their role as stewards of the croft.
Vegetable production was challenging in the limited growing season at their exposed landholding, where spring was three weeks behind the less-elevated town five miles away. They planted a shelterbelt, and made cold frames. Every harvested crop was precious to them. They enlarged the garden with an area of berries undersown with medicinal herbs, and a potato patch to the north of the old house. The yield was so high they sold some alongside their eggs on their roadside stand.
The following year the potato sales covered the cost of all the vegetable seeds, making all their produce feel free. They were now growing 70% of their vegetables. Alongside the eggs and potatoes, they sold their first lot of pork. They wanted a diverse, multi-enterprise business to pay their bills, and a bit for rainy days, but they were not motivated to accumulate extra money.
They had the dilemma of wanting to be home more, but worrying about walking away from a monthly salary. Then Lynn quit her job. In 30 months they had transformed Lynbreck from a semi-derelict croft to a fully-functional farming business, thanks to immense amounts of hard work, and only careful spending.
They started an Egg Club, a subscription egg delivery service, asking a higher price than the supermarkets and other roadside vendors. Some of those vendors were not making any money, just breaking even by selling their hobby surplus at cost price. Another farm dilemma – how to set prices. They decided to only sell locally, telling the story of their farming and the individual animals to every customer. They were only just breaking even and covering the cost of their portion of food. Their time was not covered at all. Nor was depreciation of equipment, or investment in new tools.
The first time they sold pork, they briefly fell into the trap of focusing on the money. They kept back only a few packs of chops and sausages for themselves, before they realized their folly. They decided to be more efficient, not just take on more work. They tried value-added foods, particularly charcuterie. They were able to get a loan. (If the book seems a list of loans and grants, this is because they started with almost no money and no land, and that’s what you have to do.)
Sandra took a course, but suffered the horrible experience of blanking on what to do when faced with a half pig. Happily, her automatic pilot kicked in and she did an excellent butchery job. They started a Meat Club, delivering a monthly added-value meat parcel. Not every creation was a success, but 94% of the subscribers signed up for a second year. The butchery paid for itself and a little more.
They bought sheep, then regretted it and sold them after a year. Not everything works out. It’s important to be willing to reconsider your decisions. That’s not always easy: “Have we failed? Did we give up too easily?” But you’ll know the feeling of relief when you make the right choice.
Then life got difficult again. Their well was running out of water! A hot dry summer led to using 300 liters per day, partly thirsty livestock, partly fencing contractors power-washing their equipment, partly garden irrigation. They had not thought of well water as a finite commodity. To add embarrassment and stress, a BBC film crew was filming over their shoulders. Lynn had responded to a search for farmers to be filmed for a slice of life series This Farming Life, and forgot to mention it to Sandra before they were being asked if they’d be willing to be filmed for a trial run, next week.
Their daily chores increased to include carrying buckets of water from the river, buying bottled water to drink, buying a mobile water tank and a pump to extract water from a spring to water the cattle, and bathing in the loch each evening. “Water, in both scarcity and abundance, can be the limiting factor of life.” Later, they installed a new well by the spring, and added rainwater-butts. Parallel with the drying down of their well, their bank account experienced something similar.
While this was going on, they had a night in Glasgow for a BBC Thank You “wrap party”. A fun evening was followed by anticipation of a sleep-in next morning and a sumptuous breakfast. But they woke to a text from the farmer who was taking care of their animals, saying the cows had nudged open the valve on the bowser and lost all the water. So they grabbed some toast and drove home fast.
Their swift rise into public awareness led to involvement in policymaking bodies and political organizations. Lynn spent whole days answering emails, showing important people around Lyncroft, or away from home, giving presentations on farming and crofting.
Meanwhile Sandra was holding down all the farm chores, and both of them were feeling increased stress and exhaustion. Life was moving ever faster. They were not living a more relaxed life. Self-doubt came back. They were responsible for too many spinning plates, which could all come crashing down. Plus, their expertize was not really in policymaking and lobbying. It was in reconnecting people with production of their food. They realized they needed to invest more time in themselves and each other. They had very little time to observe the vast skyscape, experience the birdlife or enjoy watching wildlife. Sandra and Lynn’s relationship had become strained as their energy was drained by running the croft and explaining it to other people.
They didn’t blame anyone but themselves. Now was time to focus on making life personally sustainable. Lynn stepped back from the committees and meetings. They started grouping visitors into either monthly public tours (for a small fee) or private tours for a larger fee.
Lynn gave a talk at a rewilding conference with 500 participants. Someone booed loudly when she said “We have to accept that it’s OK to eat meat.” Lynn carried on with her talk, but was understandably shaken. At the break the boo-er apologized and said she’d learned a lot by listening to the talk. A survey by the Farm Advisory Service found that Lynbreck had sequestered 12 times more CO2 than emitted.
The farmers were now making an income from farming and were no longer working outside jobs. They prepared to run a residential course on How to Farm. Then the Covid pandemic hit. Their projected income nose-dived. All events involving people coming to Lynbreck were cancelled, and much money was refunded. Some people left their money with Lynn and Sandra for “next year”. Sales of meat and eggs covered most of their overheads. Produce sales hit the roof. They got a government Covid business support grant to cover lost earnings.
A few weeks in, they noticed the quiet and realized they had nothing to do except run their farm and live their lives. At some point during the Covid pandemic, they wrote this book, and I hope it brings them a steady income.
May 30, 2022
The most thrilling part of this book was the fact that I heard it on audio. One of the authors herself narrated it, and it was so full of feeling.
There were quite a few repetitions that I would have been annoyed by if I was reading it in print, but since they were voiced with the enthusiasm that it was, I did not mind it. The repeated statements were about things that were important to the couple, their ideologies and a few decisions they took. While listening to her, though, I got why she was mentioning certain things repeatedly because of the fervour with which she talked of it.
I have not watched the BBC series mentioned on the cover, but people who have might know the authors already. They are a couple who decided to live out their love for the wild and nature. They started off studying things that were not remotely connected to what they eventually ended up doing, but the journey was as much part of the story as the building and functioning of the farm.
There is a deep love and understanding that flows through the book. I have felt that deeply about very few things in life but always admired it in others. In this case, there was a lot to admire. They come across as ordinary people that we may have passed on the street, but the determinations and literal backbreaking work they take up at different stages are definitely inspirational.
I do not want to talk about their life too much because picking this version or the book version of this is something I would recommend to anyone who has wanted to read about people trying in their small (or large) way to the world around them. The overall positivity in the narrative is its primary strength.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
There were quite a few repetitions that I would have been annoyed by if I was reading it in print, but since they were voiced with the enthusiasm that it was, I did not mind it. The repeated statements were about things that were important to the couple, their ideologies and a few decisions they took. While listening to her, though, I got why she was mentioning certain things repeatedly because of the fervour with which she talked of it.
I have not watched the BBC series mentioned on the cover, but people who have might know the authors already. They are a couple who decided to live out their love for the wild and nature. They started off studying things that were not remotely connected to what they eventually ended up doing, but the journey was as much part of the story as the building and functioning of the farm.
There is a deep love and understanding that flows through the book. I have felt that deeply about very few things in life but always admired it in others. In this case, there was a lot to admire. They come across as ordinary people that we may have passed on the street, but the determinations and literal backbreaking work they take up at different stages are definitely inspirational.
I do not want to talk about their life too much because picking this version or the book version of this is something I would recommend to anyone who has wanted to read about people trying in their small (or large) way to the world around them. The overall positivity in the narrative is its primary strength.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
March 19, 2022
Our Wild Farming Life tells the story of Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer’s journey into the Scottish highlands to become farmers in the proud Scottish crofting tradition. It traces their first steps toward their dream of living a self-sustaining life in Scotland through their tireless work in finding their path and making that dream a reality—something that requires an enormous amount of work.
The story is idyllic but not idealized and the narrative never shied away from the difficult backbreaking balancing act that is starting a homestead. Moreover, it is filled with the practical steps the authors had to take to get their croft and farm to where they wanted it to be. From planting trees and raising livestock to raising the needed funds to support their homestead ambitions, the wonderfully romantic highs and crushingly realistic lows are recounted in detail. They aspired to a different future, but they were realistic in the steps needed to get there. And open about the challenges and turns along the way.
Undergirding the endeavor was perseverance and grit. A determination that lies beneath the tenacity and strength of the Scottish people that derives its power from the land. Because while Cassells and Baer were neither born nor bred in Scotland, they felt a kinship to its people and traditions and were committed to honoring past, current, and future generations of Scottish farmers.
This is a theme that runs throughout the book that made me emotional quite a few times. It should come as no surprise to people who know me, but I have a deep and abiding love of Scotland. To call this book inspirational would be an understatement. To say I wasn’t jealous (and a bit tempted) to follow the authors’ suit and leave everything to build a life in the Scottish highlands would be a lie.
When it comes to Scotland, something in me recognizes something in it. And, most importantly, I feel like it sees the real me. That may seem like a stupid sentence and it might be. But it’s the closest I can get to explaining the feeling I have when I’m in Scotland. The authors’ quest (really that’s the only word for it) to build their Scottish life resonated and seemed to articulate that same sentiment. I think they would understand my feelings perfectly and I loved reading about theirs.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to hunt down episodes of This Farming Life from the BBC.
Thanks to @netgalley for an ARC of this wonderful book.
The story is idyllic but not idealized and the narrative never shied away from the difficult backbreaking balancing act that is starting a homestead. Moreover, it is filled with the practical steps the authors had to take to get their croft and farm to where they wanted it to be. From planting trees and raising livestock to raising the needed funds to support their homestead ambitions, the wonderfully romantic highs and crushingly realistic lows are recounted in detail. They aspired to a different future, but they were realistic in the steps needed to get there. And open about the challenges and turns along the way.
Undergirding the endeavor was perseverance and grit. A determination that lies beneath the tenacity and strength of the Scottish people that derives its power from the land. Because while Cassells and Baer were neither born nor bred in Scotland, they felt a kinship to its people and traditions and were committed to honoring past, current, and future generations of Scottish farmers.
This is a theme that runs throughout the book that made me emotional quite a few times. It should come as no surprise to people who know me, but I have a deep and abiding love of Scotland. To call this book inspirational would be an understatement. To say I wasn’t jealous (and a bit tempted) to follow the authors’ suit and leave everything to build a life in the Scottish highlands would be a lie.
When it comes to Scotland, something in me recognizes something in it. And, most importantly, I feel like it sees the real me. That may seem like a stupid sentence and it might be. But it’s the closest I can get to explaining the feeling I have when I’m in Scotland. The authors’ quest (really that’s the only word for it) to build their Scottish life resonated and seemed to articulate that same sentiment. I think they would understand my feelings perfectly and I loved reading about theirs.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to hunt down episodes of This Farming Life from the BBC.
Thanks to @netgalley for an ARC of this wonderful book.
March 8, 2022
I wanted to love this one, as much as I love Lynbreck Croft, but unfortunately it left me wanting. I started reading the digital ARC and didn't finish it, but then I received the ARC for the audiobook and let Cassells voice take me away.
Like many people, I first met Lynn and Sandra through the BBC's This Farming Life. They were my favorite that season and I started following them on social media. Because I am well-versed in the history of their croft, I don't feel like I learned anything new from reading this book, but I'm sure that people who stumble upon the book without having seen the show might enjoy it more that I did.
Nevertheless, I have nothing but respect for the couple and the gamble they took. The book is great for fans of Isabella Tree's Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm and Roy Dennis's Restoring the Wild: Sixty Years of Rewilding Our Skies, Woods and Waterways.
Like many people, I first met Lynn and Sandra through the BBC's This Farming Life. They were my favorite that season and I started following them on social media. Because I am well-versed in the history of their croft, I don't feel like I learned anything new from reading this book, but I'm sure that people who stumble upon the book without having seen the show might enjoy it more that I did.
Nevertheless, I have nothing but respect for the couple and the gamble they took. The book is great for fans of Isabella Tree's Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm and Roy Dennis's Restoring the Wild: Sixty Years of Rewilding Our Skies, Woods and Waterways.
April 16, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Chelsea Green Audio for the audiobook of this title in exchange for an honest review.
As a longtime fan of James Herriot and similar books, this seemed to be right up my alley, and it was—in more ways than I expected!
Although not mentioned in the description, and somewhat minimized in the book itself, Lynn and Sandra are in fact a couple, and it’s lovely to see that they are accepted in their Scottish community.
I always enjoy it when an author reads their own work, and this was no exception. I quite enjoyed Lynn’s narration, and found her accent to be rather soothing.
There were really two stories here—the story of their lives leading up to the purchase of the croft, and the story of their rebuilding the croft into a working, self-sufficient entity, including how they dealt with the pandemic. They almost make it sound like anyone could do what they did, with a lot of hard work. Almost.
The story of the croft itself had several parts—the flora, the fauna, the finances. While I appreciated learning about how they chose trees to restore the land, that part did not interest me as much as the animals. I loved hearing the stories of their experiences with chickens, pigs, sheep and cows… though perhaps not so much about the abattoir. I confess that reading about their finances did give me new appreciation for the cost of food that I buy at the farmer’s market.
Given the current state of the planet, it’s really great to hear about people taking care of the land and really being true to their values!
As a longtime fan of James Herriot and similar books, this seemed to be right up my alley, and it was—in more ways than I expected!
Although not mentioned in the description, and somewhat minimized in the book itself, Lynn and Sandra are in fact a couple, and it’s lovely to see that they are accepted in their Scottish community.
I always enjoy it when an author reads their own work, and this was no exception. I quite enjoyed Lynn’s narration, and found her accent to be rather soothing.
There were really two stories here—the story of their lives leading up to the purchase of the croft, and the story of their rebuilding the croft into a working, self-sufficient entity, including how they dealt with the pandemic. They almost make it sound like anyone could do what they did, with a lot of hard work. Almost.
The story of the croft itself had several parts—the flora, the fauna, the finances. While I appreciated learning about how they chose trees to restore the land, that part did not interest me as much as the animals. I loved hearing the stories of their experiences with chickens, pigs, sheep and cows… though perhaps not so much about the abattoir. I confess that reading about their finances did give me new appreciation for the cost of food that I buy at the farmer’s market.
Given the current state of the planet, it’s really great to hear about people taking care of the land and really being true to their values!
May 18, 2022
4.5/5 Thank you to Net Galley and the author for the eAudioARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so interesting! And I think it helped that it was narrated by one of the authors whose passion was obvious. Her Irish accent and lovely voice inflections also helped to make the story very captivating.
Two young women buy and start to farm a Scottish Croft. Money is tight and things don’t always go to plan; but they make the best of things and muddle through.
In the beginning, the two women meet through ranger positions in England. They soon become a couple and decide to go after a simpler life where they can be their own bosses and grow their own food. They start by keeping outside jobs and working the croft in their off hours; gradually decreasing their outside paid jobs until they are totally only working their croft farm. They have a kitchen garden, chickens, pigs and cows. They also dabbled with keeping sheep; but found that that did not work for them. Everything they do is done with keeping the health of the farm foremost. No chemicals are used and natural ways to improve the health of their soil and animals are utilized.
They were constantly spending long hours and working very hard to keep things going. Many challenges came forward; but they always seemed to meet them with humour and more hard work. They became advocates for natural, regenerative farming and were actually highlighted on a BBC show called This Farming Life.
This book was so interesting! And I think it helped that it was narrated by one of the authors whose passion was obvious. Her Irish accent and lovely voice inflections also helped to make the story very captivating.
Two young women buy and start to farm a Scottish Croft. Money is tight and things don’t always go to plan; but they make the best of things and muddle through.
In the beginning, the two women meet through ranger positions in England. They soon become a couple and decide to go after a simpler life where they can be their own bosses and grow their own food. They start by keeping outside jobs and working the croft in their off hours; gradually decreasing their outside paid jobs until they are totally only working their croft farm. They have a kitchen garden, chickens, pigs and cows. They also dabbled with keeping sheep; but found that that did not work for them. Everything they do is done with keeping the health of the farm foremost. No chemicals are used and natural ways to improve the health of their soil and animals are utilized.
They were constantly spending long hours and working very hard to keep things going. Many challenges came forward; but they always seemed to meet them with humour and more hard work. They became advocates for natural, regenerative farming and were actually highlighted on a BBC show called This Farming Life.
March 18, 2022
I very much enjoyed listening to the audiobook of 'Our Wild Farming Life'. Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer make a striking couple - gay, one Irish and the other raised in Switzerland, and pretty much no farming experience between them. And yet they decide to take the leap and buy a large croft in Scotland.
There's a fair bit of build-up to getting the croft going, but the authors write about their journey engagingly, and Cassells does a great job as the narrator. You absolutely grasp the enormity of the challenge they set themselves, and the hard graft they put in to make it happen. And happen it does.
One of the elements I most loved and found most moving about the book was when the authors got to know the personalities of their new animals - their chickens, their pigs, and their cattle - and how they agonised over sending animals to slaughter. They present the very best kind of ethical meat-eating.
Easy listening, an affable narrator, and an uplifting story of regenerative farming - what more could you want from a book like this?
(With thanks to Chelsea Green Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)
There's a fair bit of build-up to getting the croft going, but the authors write about their journey engagingly, and Cassells does a great job as the narrator. You absolutely grasp the enormity of the challenge they set themselves, and the hard graft they put in to make it happen. And happen it does.
One of the elements I most loved and found most moving about the book was when the authors got to know the personalities of their new animals - their chickens, their pigs, and their cattle - and how they agonised over sending animals to slaughter. They present the very best kind of ethical meat-eating.
Easy listening, an affable narrator, and an uplifting story of regenerative farming - what more could you want from a book like this?
(With thanks to Chelsea Green Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review)
March 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this memoir! Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer have written a very thoughtful and immersive book about their experiences learning to be 'crofters' or farmers in harmony with nature. Purchasing, moving to, and learning to farm their land, was an incredibly intense experience & they successfully convey these experiences throughout the book. I think many people occasionally dream about quitting their job and just 'living off the land', but what is it like to actually do it? Cassells & Baer share their adventures so vividly with the reader, that I found myself at times wanting to get chickens, cows, pigs, and plant trees! At other times, their story made me glad that I’ve held onto my more routine employment.
I listened to the audio book, which was read by Lynn Cassells. The narration was well done and I think this book could be enjoyed either in print or as an audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in return for my honest opinion.
I listened to the audio book, which was read by Lynn Cassells. The narration was well done and I think this book could be enjoyed either in print or as an audiobook. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in return for my honest opinion.
April 7, 2022
Many, many years ago when newly married I had dreams of beginning a smallholding- a dairy cow, some chickens, and a large garden that would feed us. We ended up buying a home in the village, sans cow. But with many of the big choices we make, I often wonder, "what if...". Listening to this book about two farming novices who drop everything to give it a go was a delight. They glossed over the truly hard parts of farming and the failures, and focused on the beauty of working with the land. In so, I was able to answer my own "what if..." with yes, it would have been lovely.
Readers will enjoy this bucolic memoir, filled with farming adventures that are reminiscent of James Herriot's tales in that it somehow all works out. Readers looking for the nitty gritty of actual farming life should look elsewhere (but should still listen to this one).
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Readers will enjoy this bucolic memoir, filled with farming adventures that are reminiscent of James Herriot's tales in that it somehow all works out. Readers looking for the nitty gritty of actual farming life should look elsewhere (but should still listen to this one).
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2022
I had no idea what to expect when I received a review copy of the audiobook of Our Wild Farming Life. Being American, I had never seen This Farming Life and had no idea about what Scottish Crofts were and am not a farmer - though I am interested in where my food comes from and responsible farming practices. The story and narration immediately draw you in and you become so wrapped up not only in Lynn and Sandra's story, but the story of the land, and what farming is vs. what it can be. I'm certainly rededicated to buying my meat and produce from local farms and understand better why the prices are what they are. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys interesting memoirs, values our land and animal welfare, and enjoys a good story!
September 29, 2022
I was very excited to listen to Our Wild Farming Life because I am an avid traveler who would like to someday to relocate to Scotland. These people were living my dream. I found their tale extremely interesting. I was particularly interested in how owning their property came about. It gave me a realistic look at what it would take to have a thriving croft in Scotland. I found them to be knowledgeable and the information they shared was never bogged down in the mundane. They did an excellent job sharing the intricacies of their life and how it works, but balanced it out with narrative that allowed the reader/listener to remain engaged and interested.
I would highly recommend this book.
I was provided a copy of the Audiobook through NetGalley for an honest review of the material.
I would highly recommend this book.
I was provided a copy of the Audiobook through NetGalley for an honest review of the material.
March 29, 2022
I received a copy for review from Netgalley.
4.5/5
I really loved listening to this book. I'm currently obsessed with nature writing and just book about living alongside nature. These two women are putting in the work to make the world a little bit better. I feel like the world could learn a lot about living with nature from them. While I'm not a farmer or anything close to one, I feel like we really need to move towards this type of farming. We need to stop polluting the earth and ourselves, we need to take care of our environment.
Lynn also narrated this really well, and I wish both of them well in their farming endeavors.
4.5/5
I really loved listening to this book. I'm currently obsessed with nature writing and just book about living alongside nature. These two women are putting in the work to make the world a little bit better. I feel like the world could learn a lot about living with nature from them. While I'm not a farmer or anything close to one, I feel like we really need to move towards this type of farming. We need to stop polluting the earth and ourselves, we need to take care of our environment.
Lynn also narrated this really well, and I wish both of them well in their farming endeavors.
April 8, 2022
I will start by admitting that I’ve never seen any episodes of This Farming Life but plan to search it out and learn more.
Coming into this audio book with fresh eyes (ears!?) and no preconceived notions about the authors or their lives, I did find the book interesting, yet a little dry. I can’t place my finger on it exactly but it was a little too factual and into the weeds to keep me wanting to listen.
I think this book is perfect for fans of the show that are looking for more details behind the show and how it came to be.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Chelsea Green Publishing for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
Coming into this audio book with fresh eyes (ears!?) and no preconceived notions about the authors or their lives, I did find the book interesting, yet a little dry. I can’t place my finger on it exactly but it was a little too factual and into the weeds to keep me wanting to listen.
I think this book is perfect for fans of the show that are looking for more details behind the show and how it came to be.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Chelsea Green Publishing for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
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