Patrick Laurie

This book tracks the journey of Patrick Laurie, who buys a farm in southwest Scotland near where he grew up and tries to make a go of cattle rearing. It’s hard work but rewarding for him, and he describes it all vividly. His goal is to farm in a sustainable way and be more in tune with the natural landscape, so he rotates crops, makes hay with hand-tied stooks, and raises locally bred Riggit Galloway cattle instead of larger continental breeds that find the climate and available food less than hospitable. It seems to be lonely work as well; he’s married, but his wife doesn’t get much of a look in, and I can’t tell whether that’s because she didn’t want to be written about or whether the farm was more his idea than hers…

If you’re vegan, you will likely find much of this book hard to take, given that the author is raising cattle for beef. Otherwise, I would recommend this if you’re interested in the farming life or lesser-known parts of Scotland. (I’ve been to Wigtown, so the landscape was familiar to me, and now I want to go back!)… (mer)