Our Little Farm: Adventures in Sustainable Living

The married Wohllebens (Peter is the author of The Hidden Life of Trees) invite readers into their hobby farm in northwestern Germany. This book is ostensibly a memoir of the couple’s journey towards the goal of self-sufficiency. In reality, however, it is more of a factual how-to handbook that’s filled with lessons they’ve learned and practical farming advice. For example, the book covers investing in quality tools and selecting appropriate clothing for working in the fields. The Wohllebens also provide details about growing only the crops that are climate-compatible, but here the book focuses only on Germany’s weather conditions and terrain, diluting its usefulness for U.S. readers. This book is dense text—full of facts and information—without illustrations, interesting sidebars, or pointers to additional resources, though there are recipes. Each chapter could serve as a full-length book in its own right. That adds up to a somewhat challenging read, which may be off-putting to some novices interested in self-sufficiency.