In his book, Our Little Farm, author Peter Wohlleben shares his decades long experience of sustainable living and the choices and adaptations he and his wife made along the way. Located in the forested mountains of northwestern Germany, the farm was dedicated to the production and preservation of fruit and vegetables but also had chickens and goats. The goal was to produce as much food from different food groups as they comfortably could do, using fertilizer from their animals and no poisons.
Wohlleben presents his experience in a series of chapters that each deal with a specific aspect of farming from weighing the benefits and problems of sustainable farming to selecting a site and crops, to discouraging unwanted animal friends, and building housing for chickens and goats. We learn about the problems of moths when raising sheep, how attacks by a fox and hawk led to an end of free range chickens, and that raising bees for honey is the much more profitable than selling vegetables or fruits. The author discusses the many factors that led to each of his decisions he and his wife made in the establishment and running of their farm. Wohlleben’s decision making process was always based on his commitment to preserve the health of the land and its inhabitants, and his belief in the interconnectiveness of all living things in the ecosystem.
Wohlleben writes in a casual, approachable style and with equal candor about his successes and failures. His solutions to the problems he faces are best for him but may be inspiration to those with different circumstances. His pragmatic, step-by-step method of making decisions and approaching and solving problems can be used by anyone interested in small sustainable farming, and this is the greatest value of the book . And even if you have no interest in small farming the stories he tells are informative, delightful, and entertaining. A very good read!
To buy Our Little Farm from Amazon, click here.
Karen