A Very Small Farm

by William Paul Winchester, Carol Stanton (Illustrations)

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

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Gardening, Memoir

232 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2006

Reviews

[Christine Norvell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winchester's memoir is just as much a commentary on contentment as it is a call to perspective. In the vein of Thoreau and Walden Pond, Winchester and his life on twenty acres in rural Oklahoma is simple and poetic. Nothing is diminutive. Embrace each blade of grass, the cow Isabel, the harvester ant, the sycamore, and the relics of the Dutchman's property dating before the Oklahoma land run.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covid has caused me to go back into my own library and I picked this one out. This book is one I have gone to whenever I am experiencing difficult situations. I have gone to it when I lost my young niece to an auto accident, when I lost my parents, and when my husband was going through cancer surgery. Mr. Winchester has no idea what a comfort his book has been to me, and I highly recommend it to all who are struggling.

He writes beautifully and with a simple style that mirrors his story. This is the story of his dream, to own a small farm and to live simply. To have control of your surroundings by learning to listen to and live with the land and the elements. The life he built, like the house he raised on his own just through knowledge found in books, is a testament to his nature. It is a peaceful and comforting read, and you cannot help but marvel at what he has built. Through it all, he remains humble and lives a simple life on his farm. He is not lonely, unhappy, or ever bored. It is wonderful to read.

[Lisa of Hopewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very "nice" little book about an interesting guy and the life he builds for himself. I could see it being a quirky BBC show.

[Karla Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Wendell Berry and Thoreau, the author of A Very Small Farm, tells of how caring for the land one lives on creates life more beautiful. From bee keeping to growing and harvesting a magnificent variety of produce, grains, and other crops on his small farm, Winchester has chosen what he says is a happy life. Honest about the difficulties and differences that come with this way of living, he writes of a way of life that few, in our present age and country, can comprehend. I found his writing intriguing and inspiring.
With stacks of gardening books in front of me currently, I am anticipating learning a small taste of the beauty that comes from caring for a piece of land, albeit, in my case, about a 16x16 plot. It’s a beginning.

[Cody Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this book after a good friend (a Renaissance man himself) recommended it. What a wonderful little read it is! I can't help but think of it as Walden on the Oklahoma prairie. Not only is it a great treatise on living simply and close to the earth, but it is an engaging autobiography, a nature journal, a how-to guide, a USDA zone 7 garden variety list, and a source of some wonderful recipes. Highly recommended for any student of agriculture, self-reliance, or simplicity.

[Kelly Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book hidden away in a small, local farmer's market in Collinsville, OK and purchased it because I love local literature.

This book was such a wonderful read and was so poetic, at times I teared up with so much joy because having grown up on a small farm, I could almost feel what the author was describing. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that is curious about the simpler, slower life of living in the country, or to anyone just looking for a feel good story. Enjoy!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to go to church with the author. I love his writing style. In person he is every bit as sincere and devoted to his search for a peaceful life of self sufficiency as he writes about in this wonderful little book. If you dream of a quiet agricultural life, a simple life of peace, you will enjoy this book.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is pretty great! mr. winchester is one of my favourite substitutes at cms and i adore him so much! if you see this mr. winchester, you are such a great substitute, and a great writer! - bailey anderson, class of 2024

[Linda Leitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living a simple, self sufficient life can be rewarding. Making choices and realizing that sometimes there isn't a choice to be made can be satisfying. Besides these values, the day-to-day of owning and living on a small farm is explained - perhaps in more detail than you might want to know.

[Kit Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not flowery or particularly profound, and it doesn't have any grand moral, but I think that its quaintness is so charming itself that it is definitely one of my favorites. I really think it is so beautiful to find such enduring tranquility in the domestic and nature.

[Candi Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Small Farm is a beautiful work. Your soul will be at peace with the simple pleasures of life on a very small farm.

[Jo]

great book, it is at my school and he’s my favorite substitute.

[Lanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quaint, easy read.

[Mary Rosacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this multiple times. I really love this little book.

[Marnie Lansdown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book won the 1996 Oklahoma Book Award for Non-Fiction. The award’s website describes it thus: “In these pages, Winchester shares his meditations about the life of the small farmer-a life richly experienced. His philosophy, like his lifestyle, is simple and yet profound.”

When William Paul Winchester was a young man, he bought twenty acres of Oklahoma farmland and began living the self-sufficient life. In this well-written book, he talks about the house he built, the bee hives, the chickens, the crops, the hen house, the cows, the orchard, the small woods he planted… He also provides enough information about what farm life involves that the reader feels more informed, without overwhelming with too much detail. (The only exception to this is the chapter of journal entries that include a little too much weather data.) The last two chapters, about harvesting wheat and amaranth and preserving food, include several recipes that sound awfully good.

I really enjoyed reading A Very Small Farm. I’ve stuck so many bookmarks in this little book, I might have to buy my own copy before I return it to the library.

[Angela Childress · Rating 5 out of 5]

I small biography of a single man living a simple life. Residing on 20 acres in the country, but still close to a town, in a house he built by hand. He lives mostly by the fruit of his own labor. With his garden, chickens, honey bees, and cow. He even grows his own wheat to grind into flour.

This book is very reminiscent of Walden.... giving readers a intimiate, and realistic, look into a life lived as simple and uncluttered as possible. And proof that it can be done, even in todays society which is so dependent on computers, cell phones, tablets, and all things electronic.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when it was first published in 2006. I saw it and thought it might be a good read. It was so much more. William Paul Winchester is the son of a college English professor, and his beautiful writing shows years of reading and writing. Although it is like a journal, it is even more personal, and I found I loved reading about his chickens, cows and bees. Such a fine book, and he is from Oklahoma. I only wish he'd write something else.

[Kan Arminger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully charming book. I actually met the author a few years ago when he and my parents attended the same church. What I liked best about it was the way you really got a sense for the seasons and how they affect the flow of both tasks and provisions. I also liked the relationships forged between Winchester and the animals in his care. It takes a lot of courage and self confidence to live in this way, and I'm glad he was able to both experience it and share it with his readers.

[Brigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and wished it was longer. It tells a wonderful yet difficult (in the end) story of one man's journey to living off the land.

[Tammy]

630.92 Win (Perry library)

[Huntley Cooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to raise chickens and have a big garden. And lots of time to read. A lovely book.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To live in the country in a house I built for myself, with meaningful work and a margin of leisure, free to create a little universe of my own making- this was my idea of happiness."

[Susan Parker]

This is a very neat story about a small farm that is not far from where I live. Williasm is completely self sustaining, and that makes me feel quite inadequate. Still a good read.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about small farms that was written more than a decade before small farms started to become popular. The recipes are easy and delicious.

[Bill Bangham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. This is an elegant little book about man carving out a life as a very small farmer. I enjoyed his insight, philosophy and recipes.

[Becky Peak-Marquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost track of how many times I have read this book, but it is a perfect balm for the soul for me.
Still a five star read.

[Bitsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

2006 - I could have highlighted every word.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book: part almanac, part rumination.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place near where I live. :)