Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #311201 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Customer Reviews

Inspirational
Nothing has motivated me more than Salatin's book, YOU CAN FARM. Finally, we are doing it! Wish I'd had this book 30 years ago, but the author was a child at the time. Extremely well written, shows how a couple willing to work hard can make a profit (when was the last time the average farmer heard that word?) on 20 acres. Very tactfully explains why most farmers not only are not profitable, but often require someone working off the farm in order to maintain the lifestyle. No longer necessary. But what is necessary is some rethinking of the rules, some creative marketing of what is produced, and a need for the farmer to think of himself (once again) as an independent businessman, rather than a cog in the wheel of agri-industry. Give this one to the young person who wants to go to the land, and watch what happens!

Infectious optimism
This title caught my eye; I had to make some management choices on some new land we had aquired. We had never grown field crops or livestock before.
I found this book tremendous fun to read. Salatins enthusiasm and self assuredness is refreshing. He knows his subject. This book is biased towards Americians; sometimes it is not clear when he uses certain jargon unfamiliar to Brits. Also, the kind of slagging-off of intensive agriculture to potential customers he proposes you use to highlight your own good produce, seem to be too sensational for use in the UK (eg supermarket chicken = "fecal soup"). You just have to make a few allowances along the way.
I have found this book very helpful in guiding my own thoughts about what farming choices I will be able to make in the future. I helps you to look at your own motivations, and see whether they are right or wrong.

Farming in the USA for Americans
I bought this book hoping to pick up some tips about farming and building a farming business. The book certainly does what it says on the title but is aimed very much at the American farmer who has thousands of acres of land to work with. There is not very much about 'farming' but more of how to turn the farm into a tourist attraction. If you have thousands of acres, then this book would be a good buy - but if you are looking to expand a small-holding, there are much better books out there aimed at the UK farmer/small holder.