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Humble by Nature: Life, lambs and a dog called Badger
In 2007, after twenty years of living in London, Kate Humble and her husband Ludo decided it was time to leave city life behind them. Three years later, now the owner of a Welsh smallholding, Kate hears that a nearby farm is to be broken up and sold off. Another farm lost; another opportunity for a young farmless farmer gone. Desperate to stop the sale, Kate contacts the council with an alternative plan - to keep the farm working and to run a rural skills and animal husbandry school alongside it. Against all odds, she succeeds.Here, in Humble By Nature, Kate shares with us a highly personal account of her journey from London town house to Welsh farm. Along the way we meet Bertie and Lawrence the donkeys, Myfanwy and Blackberry the pigs and goats Biscuit and Honey, not forgetting a dog called Badger and his unladylike sidekick Bella. And we are introduced to the tenant farmers Tim and Sarah, the locals who helped and some who didn't, and a whole host of newborn lambs.Full of the warmth and passion for the natural world that makes Kate such a sought after presenter, Humble By Nature is the story of two people prepared to follow their hearts and save a small part of Britain's farming heritage, whatever the consequences.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2013
8 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 21, 2020
I enjoy all books written by Kate Humble. She is a warm and natural personality and a most talented lady.
March 7, 2020
Light, escapism. A good book to read in front of the fire, with a mix of tea and a plate of hobnobs. Privileged Kate Humble can drop London life and buy a gorgeous farmhouse in the Wales with menagerie of animals, buy a 100 acre farm to turn into an rural educational centre / working farm / holiday home let. If only....
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February 5, 2024Enjoyed the first half but found the second half a bit of a slog to get through. Loved reading about the bee colonies. At first I thought ooo wouldn’t it be lovely to have a small holding, yes I could do that, until they started slaughtering the animals.
June 25, 2013
I have chosen the book because the book cover shows very interesting and cute to me!It looks like that I want to read it! This book fits the category of the book published in 2013 or 2012. That book is a brand new book this year, it looks so exciting! I found out that this book it little bit boring but look bit funny as well.
My favourite character of the story is Ludo because he sometimes make the wrong decision about moving the houses from one place to another place like From London to Mexico or Mexico to London. This is depends on the job as they are looking for. Their job is a firm maker, a firm maker that travel everywhere to do some movie or documentary. Some times, he make the decision wrong about the name of the dog which it was adopted during the story. The dog's name is Badger. This story is all about life as their living in farming area where they do lots of work on farming and filming at the same time.
My favourite quote from the story is "buy land because they're not making it anymore" This quote makes me think that if you buy more land you may not make money, you lose the money, but unless if you make an investment, then I can make the money. This quote talks about money for their farm land area.
I learned more deeply from this book, is making the right choice, don't make the wrong decision otherwise you will end up spending far too many money on this. Also, I have to learn how to manage the money in the future as these guys are struggling to buy the farm with not enough money as they failed to buy the farm 1st attempt with the better place for them to pay it.
My favourite character of the story is Ludo because he sometimes make the wrong decision about moving the houses from one place to another place like From London to Mexico or Mexico to London. This is depends on the job as they are looking for. Their job is a firm maker, a firm maker that travel everywhere to do some movie or documentary. Some times, he make the decision wrong about the name of the dog which it was adopted during the story. The dog's name is Badger. This story is all about life as their living in farming area where they do lots of work on farming and filming at the same time.
My favourite quote from the story is "buy land because they're not making it anymore" This quote makes me think that if you buy more land you may not make money, you lose the money, but unless if you make an investment, then I can make the money. This quote talks about money for their farm land area.
I learned more deeply from this book, is making the right choice, don't make the wrong decision otherwise you will end up spending far too many money on this. Also, I have to learn how to manage the money in the future as these guys are struggling to buy the farm with not enough money as they failed to buy the farm 1st attempt with the better place for them to pay it.
June 12, 2019
Not so humble after all...
It was nice hearing the anecdotes about lambs, pigs and the farming community and I'm sure Kate Humble is really nice and well-meaning. The writing was fluid and easy to read which made it a quick read. I was born and grew up in a rural farming community and it consisted of local people who lived very simple lives rooted in their community and the land so I thought I'd like this book.
My problem with this book is that - at least for the first two thirds - she is quite patronising and condescending towards ordinary people who aren't lucky enough or don't have the inclination to aspire to a rural lifestyle. I'm sure this is unintentional but it made her very hard to like.
She seems to sneer at other people's life choices in order to glorify the superiority of her own. After a while, it becomes quite unpleasant and feels like she's just trying to show off. The amount of times it mentions money, the cost of things, owning X number of acres is tiresome, especially as she's a privately educated woman from the home counties. It seemed rude of her to so often belittle the lives of other people who weren't lucky enough to be born into a wealthy and entitled lifestyle.
You can't buy the lifestyle of a farmer or a childhood in an ordinary farming community... just like any other heritage or upbringing can't be bought and should be equally celebrated. I just wish this book had been a bit more honest and had celebrated her clear talents as a project manager!
It was nice hearing the anecdotes about lambs, pigs and the farming community and I'm sure Kate Humble is really nice and well-meaning. The writing was fluid and easy to read which made it a quick read. I was born and grew up in a rural farming community and it consisted of local people who lived very simple lives rooted in their community and the land so I thought I'd like this book.
My problem with this book is that - at least for the first two thirds - she is quite patronising and condescending towards ordinary people who aren't lucky enough or don't have the inclination to aspire to a rural lifestyle. I'm sure this is unintentional but it made her very hard to like.
She seems to sneer at other people's life choices in order to glorify the superiority of her own. After a while, it becomes quite unpleasant and feels like she's just trying to show off. The amount of times it mentions money, the cost of things, owning X number of acres is tiresome, especially as she's a privately educated woman from the home counties. It seemed rude of her to so often belittle the lives of other people who weren't lucky enough to be born into a wealthy and entitled lifestyle.
You can't buy the lifestyle of a farmer or a childhood in an ordinary farming community... just like any other heritage or upbringing can't be bought and should be equally celebrated. I just wish this book had been a bit more honest and had celebrated her clear talents as a project manager!
November 17, 2017
I love it when the author narrates their own story on audio books and this was such an enjoyable listen! Kate’s voice is warm and personable as she tells the listener/reader about her and her husband’s adventures creating a smallholding home in Monmouthshire, Wales.
If you do not like animals, there is no point reading this book, as it is saturated with Kate’s love for them and that is what makes it such a great story. She tells her tales of heartbreak and success with warmth and emotion and the passion she has for a life surrounded by animals show through in the casual narrative. Listening to this book made me smile a lot and it simply made me happy.
I would not say it is a must-read, but if you do love animals, I cannot recommend this highly enough.
If you do not like animals, there is no point reading this book, as it is saturated with Kate’s love for them and that is what makes it such a great story. She tells her tales of heartbreak and success with warmth and emotion and the passion she has for a life surrounded by animals show through in the casual narrative. Listening to this book made me smile a lot and it simply made me happy.
I would not say it is a must-read, but if you do love animals, I cannot recommend this highly enough.
August 21, 2024
I've already read a book by Kate Humble (Living Simply) and at the time loved it. I flew through this book in about a week... to all you speed readers out there, that's quick for me! 😉
After moving from London to a remote cottage in South Wales, I appreciated reading about the many trials and tear-inducing challenges Kate faced as she and her husband, Ludo, set about taking on the council, locals, and planning authorities with their proposals to save a Monmouthshire farm. It's exhausting just thinking of all the paperwork, endless phone calls, and sleepless nights endured... and that's just the beginning.
The heartwarming stories of the developing family of livestock both educated and fascinated me as a reader. I'm in awe of Kate and Ludo's energy, determination, and vision of a prospective new life. It feels like there's more to hear, and I'm guessing as this was published eleven years ago, lots of growth must have taken place at Humble by Nature. I'm honestly looking forward to investigating more... and I love Kate's writing style.
After moving from London to a remote cottage in South Wales, I appreciated reading about the many trials and tear-inducing challenges Kate faced as she and her husband, Ludo, set about taking on the council, locals, and planning authorities with their proposals to save a Monmouthshire farm. It's exhausting just thinking of all the paperwork, endless phone calls, and sleepless nights endured... and that's just the beginning.
The heartwarming stories of the developing family of livestock both educated and fascinated me as a reader. I'm in awe of Kate and Ludo's energy, determination, and vision of a prospective new life. It feels like there's more to hear, and I'm guessing as this was published eleven years ago, lots of growth must have taken place at Humble by Nature. I'm honestly looking forward to investigating more... and I love Kate's writing style.
September 18, 2020
A surprise lovely read by Kate Humble about the initial purchase, restoration and maintenance of her farm in rural Monmouthshire; taking it from quagmire with crumbling outbuildings and flooded fields, to a working farm teaching rural skills including husbandry and foraging.
The author comes across as genuinely down to earth and keen to make the farm as community friendly as possible. She and her husband immerse themselves fully in the farming life, doing all they can to make that life accessible to others.
A very hearty, honest read.
The author comes across as genuinely down to earth and keen to make the farm as community friendly as possible. She and her husband immerse themselves fully in the farming life, doing all they can to make that life accessible to others.
A very hearty, honest read.
April 4, 2018
This is a lovely book focusing on Kate Humble's passion for the countryside and country life. It is a wonderful journey through the trials and tribulations of preserving farming life and what it involved to be a modern smallholder.
This is a lovely quick-read for anyone interested in farming, nature or the countryside. This book would be ideal for anyone who enjoys Countryfile or is considering moving to the country.
This is a lovely quick-read for anyone interested in farming, nature or the countryside. This book would be ideal for anyone who enjoys Countryfile or is considering moving to the country.
April 20, 2020
If you like homesteading novels, you might very well like this as well. As always with these sorts of books, I'm inspired and flabbergasted at how people manage to pick up and make a big change. I'd love to do something similar, as I love renovation, conservation, community building, education, farming, and nature.
May 9, 2021
Loved it
June 8, 2021
good read, you laugh and cry with Kate, sharing her up and downs.
July 24, 2021
I very much enjoyed this look into Kate Humbles journey into establishing a small holding and the ups and downs the new venture brings.
January 29, 2022
Very interesting book. Always enjoy Kate Humble’s programmes about her farm in Wales.
April 15, 2022
Boring ... yawn
July 20, 2022
I think this may be my favourite of Kate's books. Full of joy and interesting tales,it made me feel that anything is possible,if you just keep trying.
July 26, 2013
I'm not really one for biographies, but picked this up on a whim and loved it. Kate humble comes across as friendly, fun and open, with a real passion for the countryside and her animals. It's well written, but in an amateur kind of way - as if she's saying 'I'm not a writer by trade, but here is my life...' and that only adds to the charm. It's well worth a read and if she ever writes another I'll definitely be reading it.
June 7, 2013
A great book showing how Kate's drive has saved a Monmouthshire farm.
June 14, 2013
Loved it - well written, down to earth and inspirational.
February 18, 2014
Enjoyed this countryside tale from Kate Humble - but please come back to Autumnwatch :)
April 11, 2014
I usually do not like autobiographies however in things case I was surprised and couldn't put it down. This book is for all ages it truly doesn't matter because you can relate to it.
September 29, 2014
Loved it! I've always been a fan of Kate Humble and now I want to go to her place and take workshops!
June 17, 2016
And now I want a farm and all the animals too!
October 26, 2016
Lovely
December 21, 2017
Didn't think I liked Kate Humble much, but I do now
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews