The Contrary Farmer

This wonderful book is almost written as though the author is talking to a new young neighbor farmer, sharing his wise, hard learned experiences and reasons behind his cottage farm techiques. As a city boy myself (although nearly 50 now), I read this book with the excitement of a much younger man hanging onto every word from the authors mouth. I purchased this book along with nearly a dozen others on small farms, homesteading, chickens and such. This book is my favorite of all of them. The other books are just that, books, but The Contrary Farmer was like having grampa talking to you personally, giving direction, perspective and guidance in plain talk that instills his love for the cottage farm. Although this book taught me much about livestock, crops and machinery, the book left me with much more. I regret that the book has an end. I am planning to buy 10 acres for a cottage farm as I sort out how I will spend the rest of my life. I have no answers yet, but I will leave The Contrary Farmer on the lamp table instead of placing it in the bookshelf with the other 'books'.

This is a highly enjoyable book about how to make a profit on a small farm. The author's contention is that few people will ever get rich any more farming, but a family that's willing to work hard should be able to earn the money they need on a farm with considerably less than 100 acres. Logsdon stresses that if you calculate a dollar value for your labor, you'll find that your hourly wage is rather low, but on the other hand, if you enjoy what you're doing, then perhaps it isn't really valid to calculate the hourly wage anyhow. There's no arguing that farm labor is hard work, but how many city people pay large sums of money for gym memberships in order to get the exercise that they miss while sitting at their desks? Hoeing a garden provides great exercise at no cost, as well as an income when the produce is sold. However, on a huge factory farm, weeds must be controlled with herbicides or expensive gas-driven machinery, which brings down the profitability of the enterprise as well as damaging the environment. Logsdon's golden rule is never to finance farming by borrowing. He points out that "rates of money growth (interest) seldom match rates of biological growth," so borrowing money to buy farm or equipment or land is almost always the start of a losing proposition.After the first few chapters about what he terms "pastoral economics", Logsdon devotes separate chapters to each of the parts of his small farm ecosystem, the garden, the animals, water, meadows, trees, corn, mechanics, and pastures. Although he eschews wide-spread use of pesticides, he's not an organic purist, which may rub certified organic farmers the wrong way. He's very keen on maintaining animals like some sheep and chickens, a few pigs, and a cow or two. Many of his observations and suggestions center around maintaining the land and feeding the animals while getting the farm to yield a modest living for himself and his family. This book is thoroughly enjoyable to read, and contains many practical bits of advice as well as some interesting ideas to chew on.

If you haven't run across Gene Logsdon before, it's probably not just because he keeps a low profile; it's also that he's one of America's best kept secrets. You see, he's an honest man, and he calls a spade exactly that, usually with such a wry angle that you end up laughing. Reading "The Contrary Farmer" was the kind of pleasure you wish more books on the rural life would deliver. It's like having Gene over for coffee and being able to hear him expound on thoughts you never quite got around to thinking all the way through. Gene Logsdon is a hard-working thinking-person's genius and a national treasure.

Gene Logsdon puts into the few pages of this book his lifetime of living and learning. I only hope I'm half as happy as he is.I am trying to go home and have started my cottage farm. The words of wisdom and the advise offered will be beside me every step of the way

The Contrary Farmer is very informative about small scale farming. Logsdon has many creative and interesting ideas. The book interlaces information with good stories and philosophizing. It is often rather humorous. Overall, it is perhaps one of the most enjoyable farming books on the market, if not THE most enjoyable. This is true whether you farm or whether you are only interested in farming. Very highly recomended!