SCENES FROM A SMALLHOLDING. By Chas Griffin.

2013 1st edition. 8vo paperback (137 x 215mm). Pp248. B/w cartoon illustrations by Ken Guy.

After Chas Griffin had published this book himself, with some success, it was taken up by a major publisher and re-issued in a new form. This is a copy of the first edition, signed by the author. "From the popular series In the Organic Way." "Ever wonder what it's like to run an organic smallholding starting from scratch?" Chapters include: Garlic; Courgettes; Crop news 1989; Sheep and lambing; Crop news 1990; Crop news 1991; Commercial vs garden; Organic vs vegetarian; Water problems; Muck and spreading; Orchard; What a beautiful place; Romantic vs death; Geese; Runner beans; Polytunnels; Raised beds; Brambles; Radishes; Hay; Wind; Tractor ritual; Rabbits; Bees; Spuds; House music; Foxes; Shearing; We're all different; The tale of the kale. This book began with a column of the author's in the Henry Doubleday Research Association newsletter, and subsequently their magazine, The Organic Way. Part amusing memoir, part useful information and observation. This "a book of two halves, inter-twined: the articles themselves which are obviously themed; and the rest, which is new material (nearly three quarters of the book, in fact) that first of all elaborates a little on the article's content, and then switches into historical mode to explain why we chose smallholding over accountancy or piracy, and how two utter novices went about getting a system up and more or less running, when one of them didn't know hay from straw (names are named). The inter-twining might cause readers of a tidy persuasion some heart-ache. ...I promise you you will soon get used to an article on 'Cropping in 1989' being followed by something about making a pig's ear of learning to plough in 1984."