Books in Personal Memoirs

Birth, Death, and a Tractor Connecting An Old Farm To a New Family

IndieFab Book of the Year Award Winner! Maine Literary Award Winner! What happens when the last son leaves the farm, and the farmer grows old? Do the stories of six generations whisper into silence, as dust darkens the windows of the empty barn? Or can a young boy, running in yellow boots through abandoned fields, bring new life back to the farm? There is much to explore, and time to wonder. There is also, for a short while, a gentle old man, atop a faded John Deere tractor, and the possibility of connection... An unforgettable true story of history and hope on a small family farm in Somerville, Maine, from its settling in the early 1800s to its perilous transfer to a new farm family in 2008. Chronicling the history of seven generations, it is a reminder of the role small farms have played in our national and family histories, and a challenge to find innovative ways to re-connect our communities to this rich but threatened resource.

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Birth, Death, and a Tractor Connecting An Old Farm To a New Family

Once there were no stone walls. For the fiercely idealistic Yankee homesteader, a small family farm was worth fighting for, and the rocky soil yielded far more than walls. Cleared and plowed, it fed a family and provided a living. Oxen gave way to horses, horses to tractors, and still the farm persisted and the family persevered, each generation overcoming the challenges of their day. Two hundred years later, the farm, ever generous in its rewards, has not changed; but society has shifted, forgetting its connection to the land that nourishes us. It is time we remembered. Birth, Death and a Tractor is the story of a small family farm in Somerville, Maine, from its settling in the early 1800s to its perilous transfer to a new farm family in 2008. Chronicling the history of seven generations, it is a reminder of the role small farms have played in our national and family histories, and a challenge to find innovative ways to re-connect our communities to this rich but threatened resource.

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The Devil Can Ride The World's Best Motorcycle Writing

Authors such as Hunter Thompson, Robert Pirsig, and Mark Singer have written about the motorcycle, that icon for outlaws, rebels, thieves, and beat poets. This collection of motorcycle tales features the best of the vast collection of motorcycle writing created since old Gottlieb Daimler first bolted a crude internal-combustion engine to his wooden two-wheeled Einspur in 1876. In addition to essays from Thompson and Pirsig, The Devil Can Ride features works by Peter Egan, T.E. Lawrence, James Stevenson, Jamie Elvidge, John Hall, and Kevin Cameron.

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The Green Life Beyond the Tractor Seat

(Black and White edition - also available in colour) Have you ever wondered what it takes to live the dream 'Green Life'? Author Derek Palmer shares the real-life story of how he and his wife turned 50 acres of scrubland into a sustainable, organic farming enterprise. A married couple, nearing retirement age find themselves in the middle of an Aussie bush block, living in an old caravan among rogue cattle, wild dogs and snakes. Through the years of the trials and tribulations that follow, these 50 acres of scrub evolve into "Loradel Park" - a viable, sustainable and organic farm and home. An inspiring story revealing family love, strong friendships, innovation and an undying determination to succeed. It expresses the sheer joy and heartbreak, the successes and failures that go hand in hand with life on the land and introduces some incredible characters, both two-legged and four. Including hands-on know-how and observations gleaned over the years, this book offers an example or illustration of a sustainable lifestyle and hopefully will encourage others who are contemplating living the 'Green Life'.

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This Tractor Life A Memoir of Food, Wine and Woofers at Oranje Tractor Farm

Oranje Tractor Farm is home to a micro-boutique vineyard, orchard, house and cellar door near Albany on the pristine south coast of Western Australia. The owners, Pamela Lincoln and Murray Gomm, acquired a cow paddock in 1996 and have gradually, organically - and with the help of many hundreds of guests known as woofers - converted it into a productive, green oasis.Written by Pamela Lincoln - a Jill of many trades, master (or should that be mistress?) of none. Well, actually, she does have a Master's degree in health and is also a nutritionist, winemaker and home-cook, and probably a gastronomist, having recently completed a diploma of gastronomy in France. Pamela has started farmers markets in her home town of Albany, Western Australia and has toured the wine regions of USA and Europe, courtesy of a couple of wonderful awards as well as her own, regular independent travels. One was the Churchill Fellowship in 2002, and another the Vin de Champagne Award in 2004. Since 2000, Pamela and her partner (and husband) Murray have hosted hundreds of backpackers under the Workaway and WWOOFing schemes (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) at their lovingly DIY-built passive solar home nestled among the extensive organic garden and surrounding vineyard. She has written for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and has written countless funding submissions for a variety of audiences. Pamela also had a radio show on Food & Wine in the late 90s, but this is her first shot at writing a cookbook. She hopes you enjoy it as much as she has writing it.The book is divided into seasons, each featuring some stories and delicious recipes. The majority of recipes are those exchanged with the author by their guests - the woofers - and enjoyed around a convivial table. All recipes are tested and have been replicated at least twice by the author prior to publication. Most are not complex so are suitable for day-to-day preparation.

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Wisdom of Dirt A Farmer's View of How Life Is from a Tractor Seat

The American farmer is largely misunderstood as a career choice of hard work but lack the ability to contribute to the true meaning of life in everyday living. This book was written to help the nonfarmers (98 percent of the population) understand why and how farmers think and feel about living in a less complicated but aEURoecommon senseaEUR way of life. It is written from a singular point of view (mine) but with the knowledge that I have grown up and managed a fourth-generation farm that has lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and runaway inflation of the 1980s and the major economic corrections in the early 2000s. This book was written mostly for future generations in my own family, but the life lessons learned from a seventy-year-old farmer apply to anyone who wants to live a aEURoecommon senseaEUR life. Enjoy the Wisdom of Dirt.

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