I had seen the Julia Rothman book Farm Anatomy all over the internet after it came out late last year and had a feeling that I would really like it. As farm kids we would often hear stories about 'city kids' thinking milk came from a factory and we all thought this was totally hilarious and maybe a bit untrue. But the truth is, when it comes to farming it is a bit of a mystery to a lot of people. The book has so much good information and I don't think there would be a household where it wouldn't come in handy because everyone consumes things that start off coming from some kind of primary producer. It has recipes, how to instructions on a whole bunch of stuff (who hasn't wanted to build a barrel smokehouse?) and information that I am sure will help if you ever a) go on Farmer Wants a Wife or b) get asked what a wether is*.
I had to include the shearing picture from the book, coming from a sheep farm.
The other book I got is by Lee Crutchley and is called Quoteskin Volume 1. It started as a way for Lee to stay creative and draw while looking for work after returning from time spent overseas. It features illustrated quotes from all sorts of places (Tegan and Sara below) and it was created with 'no master plan and no intention to create ultra finished illustrations'.
What I like about this and a whole bunch of other books out there (and TV, Film, Music and Art) is how Lee put his work on the internet, gained a following and then got to turn it into a book. Rather than trying to turn it into a book in the first place and probably having to change a whole bunch of stuff to get it to appeal to demographics and make money. Isn't it great how the internet can give people the power to put stuff out there and gain an audience on their own terms?
I found this on my phone when getting the pictures I took of the books and thought it was farmy appropriate. She has grown so much since last Christmas!
