Tag: books

A Poetry Collection

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

We have spent the day continuing our efforts to process the last of the garden (because some things taste better after the freeze and the freeze came very late this year) and button up the homestead for the winter. It’s a lot of work, but it’s extra this year because we are also having to make updates to the chicken coop.

Still, I have also been working on something extra special on the side–a poetry collection in honor of the Winter Solstice. The collection is an idea I have had for three years. I love reading poetry in the winter. It’s my hygge and healing, and I had the idea that it would be the most beautiful to have a collection that was nothing but Farmer-ish poetry–all focused on nature, farming, the cycles of nature and our connections to it all. I am so proud to say that we have some fantastic poetry in this book.

In this collection, we have a poem from the Poet Laureate of Maine, who is also a homesteader, from the Poet Laureate of Waffle House because she is truly awesome, from many award-winning poets, and from some poets who will be published in this collection for the first time. The poems are all just little treats. They will make you think, make you smile, make you remember your connection to the seasons and how winter can be so beautiful.

I know times are so hard all over. Not everyone is going to have $20 to spend on a book of poems, but if you can, please support this project. I don’t think you will be disappointed. It is a labor of love from the idea in my mind, to my brilliant friend who is co-editing with me, to my talented friend who created the art for the cover, to my dear husband who spent the day processing carrots with me and is the kitchen right now finishing up a poem.

Here is a link to the pre-order from our Farmer-ish Etsy shop. The collection will ship out the first week of December, arriving in plenty of time for the Winter Solstice. Thank you for reading. Thank you for following. Please share if you can.

A Farmer-ish Jolabokaflod: 2022 Book Gift-Giving List

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

Day 214 of 365

I recently learned about the Jolabokaflod tradition in Iceland. The word “Jolabokaflod” literally means Christmas or Yule “book flood.” In Iceland, the tradition is to give the gift of a book on Christmas Eve, and then, everyone spends Christmas Eve reading. Is this magnificent or what?

The tradition is so big that it helps keep the publishing industry in Iceland thriving, and it sure seems like we could use such a tradition here in the U.S. With the hopes of our own little Jolabokaflod, I am sharing a holiday list of my favorite Farmer-ish books. Shop small if you can. Support individual authors when possible. And check out some of these fantastic Farmer-ish reads for this holiday season of cozy reading.

The Heirloom Gardener by John Forti

This gorgeous book is arranged as a series of essays in alphabetical order, and within each entry, John Forti provides instruction, history, and lore about gardening and the natural world. With entries on topics like apple cart, edible flowers, tea, and Thanksgiving grace, this book is truly a treasure that your friends and family will love holding in their hands. The essays read like little meditations are good for the soul. Grab a few as gifts, but be sure to grab one for yourself–if you don’t have a copy already.

My Chickens and I by Isabella Rossellini

This is a book would make a wonderful gift for both beginning and long-time chicken keepers, as well as for those who are considering chickens. Rossellini’s clear love and respect for these amazing animals comes through the pages of this book so beautifully. After keeping chickens for so many years, I have developed a deep reverence for these resilient, intelligence, resourceful, and helpful birds. This same reverence leaps off of the pages in My Chickens and I. Rossellini does a fantastic job of weaving science with her personal story with chickens, and this is definitely not your typical celebrity book. Rossellini gets chickens. I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a book I will treasure my whole life.

Birdology by Sy Montgomery

This beautiful book by the brilliant naturalist writer Sy Montgomery (author of How to Be a Good Creature) would make a wonderful gift for the chicken keeper or anyone who loves birds in general. Montgomery shares one chapter each on the following birds—chickens, cassowary, hummingbirds, hawks, pigeons, parrots, and crows. In the opening chapter on chickens, you read about the fantastic individual personalities of chickens. Montgomery weaves science and personal story as you learn about her own flock of chickens. One of my favorite things about this book is that you can sense how much Montgomery loves and deeply respects all of the magnificent birds covered in this book. Anything by Sy Montgomery would be a great gift for the holiday season. Her work is life changing and is helping to change the cultural conversations we have about animal intelligence.

Processed Meats by Nicole Walker

This book about the way we connect with food during times of crisis is just good writing. It’s funny and sad and so very interesting. Nicole Walker’s beautiful collection of essays, Processed Meats, would be a wonderful gift for anyone interested in food writing, but there is also a wonderful weaving of the story of motherhood in this book. Processed Meats was so much more than I expected. As we continue to deal with one crisis after another, more and more of us are turning to food–both cooking and food preservation. Walker’s book is striking in its relevancy. I think her sharp insights into our bodies, our food, our culture, and our histories will be as thought provoking and entertaining to anyone on your gift-giving list.

Knocked Down by Aileen Weintraub

Knocked Down is a fantastic and often hilarious memoir from Aileen Weintraub about her experiences being on bed rest in an old farmhouse during a difficult pregnancy. From the heartbreaking moment she learns that her pregnancy was at risk, Weintraub takes us on her powerful journey into rest and isolation in the old farmhouse that is in every way possible different from the life she has been used to. To make matters even more difficult for her, her new husband has purchased a tractor company, which requires long hours and a lot of stressful work. As he’s working hard to keep the new family afloat financially, the author is left home alone in the old farmhouse, listening to coyotes, making friends with the people who deliver the mail, and hanging out with a dog who is not like the usual dog. Even though Weintraub’s humor is worth the price of admission and her stories about planting seeds and talking to Robins will make you laugh out loud, there is also a really important message about women’s healthcare in the book. This book would be a great gift to women of all ages in your life.

Farmer-ish Print Annual Volume II edited by Crystal Sands

Of course, I have to recommend this collection of beautiful essays, poetry, recipes, and education for anyone Farmer-ish in your life. This book is thick and beautiful, and the writing is gorgeous. The essays are meaty and are perfect to cozy up with on a winter’s read. The poetry is gorgeous and is perfect for a winter cup of tea or cocoa. And the educational pieces will certainly inspire. Because I make this book with the goal of making the writers proud to be in it, I think it’s just an extra special, extra beautiful collection. With stories about apples, woodpeckers, baby llamas and more, this book is a great gift for gardeners, homesteaders, farmers, and nature lovers in your life. So many people have told me they treasure this newest collection from Farmer-ish. It’s a lovely gift for this holiday season for sure.

Children’s Books

I am a huge fan of giving children’s books as gifts to both children and adults, and I have some beautiful recommendations for your shopping list this year.

Honeybee Rescue by Loree Griffin Burns and Ellen Harasimowicz

Beautifully written and photographed, Honey Bee Rescue: A Backyard Drama, written by Loree Griffin Burns and photographed by Ellen Harasimowicz, is a children’s book that tells the real-life story of what happens when a colony of bees settles into a beekeeper’s garage. This book is both educational and fun and would be a great addition to any children’s library. The photographs in this book are breathtaking and informative, and I love that the book includes detailed back matter that features an interview with a bee rescuer and a glossary. If you have a little bee lover in your life, or even a grown up bee lover, this would be a wonderful gift. Also, who doesn’t love bees?

The Sun is Late and So Is the Farmer by Phillip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

I just discovered this gorgeously written and illustrated children’s book and adore it. The books relates the story of farm animal reactions one morning when the sun is late to rise and the farmer is still sleeping–and the animals are hungry for breakfast. The illustrations are heavy with blue hues, giving this book a perfect vibe for any of the winter holidays. My favorite part is that the farm animals talk about animal dreams. My other favorite part is that the owl tells the hungry animals “Rooster will know what to do.” Because, of course, the magnificent rooster knows how to bring the sun. My other, other favorite part is that the farmer is a woman! I promise, this book is one that will be treasured.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper and Carson Ellis

This book is one of my favorite children’s books ever. In a book that both children and adults with adore, Susan Cooper eloquently tells the story of the Winter Solstice, accompanied by brilliant illustrations from Caldecott Honor winner, Carson Ellis. In addition to the main story, the book also includes a beautiful scientific, historical, and cultural explanation of the significance of the shortest day of the year. This is a must for a Solstice gift.

Why The Moon Tumbled Out of the Sky by R.James Sand and Ronan J. Sands

I am super biased on this one, as it is written by my husband and illustrated by my son when he was little. It’s a treat, I promise. My husband is a master of lyricism and rhythm in his poetry, and the topics are full of whimsy. I have also had many moms report that their children loved just staring at the illustrations made by a child. This hardcover book is a collection of children’s poetry arranged by the seasons, so it is a wonderful gift for the Solstice. The winter poems are wonderful, with a poem about a very unique snowman. The title poem will make you laugh out loud when you learn why the moon tumbled out of the sky, but there are also poems about a grumpy garden gnome, an eccentric chicken, and a very-well dressed beetle.

I hope you, your family, and your friends will love these beautiful books as much as I do. I think these would be wonderful winter holiday gifts, and I hope to continue the Farmer-ish Jolabokaflod list with a list of my favorite cookbooks coming soon.

My Farmer-ish Partner

~ Crystal Sands ~ Leave a comment

Day 110 of 365

I will be short tonight, as I am happy to report that Ron and I spent the whole day editing and re-working the print annual. It was wonderful to me to spend the day talking writing with Ron. He’s a great writer. He inflexible, so it impacts his ability to get published. Still, he has landed a few poems, and so many who read Farmer-ish tell me they really like his work.

I am a writing teacher and have a PhD in Rhetoric. One of the reasons I fell in love with this man was because of his writing–that and his homemade bread. Oh my gosh! The first time I tasted his homemade bread (he’s a magician with bread dough), I was like, “I’m going to need to marry this man.”

The bad part was that I was sure I had just a few hours to go, but I ended up doing more than editing and wrapping up the author bio pages. I spent half of the day changing pictures to find something “perhaps just a little bit better.” Thankfully, I found what I was looking for, and I am over the moon with the photographs in this book. Many are my own, and I don’t consider myself a photographer at all. Still, I lucked into some great shots, and I am thankful for them. It is my dream to hire an original photographer for Farmer-ish, but that is just a dream for now. I have hope for one day though. In the meantime, I spent hours and hours searching through old pictures to find the perfect photograph of Rhode Island Red and the perfect trees in winter.

Anyway, Ron, I could tell, is hopeful about the annual. He told me it was very good, that I found some really strong writers, and this makes me extra hopeful. He’s terribly picky about what he reads. I’m so hopeful this annual will do well. I am including some sneak peeks here. If you follow this blog, do check out the pre-order information. I think you will love it. It’s a treat!

And I am so thankful to have a good editing partner.