Barnheart: The Incurable Longing for a Farm of One’s Own
Whether they’re about raising chickens or herding sheep, the tales of Jenna Woginrich have caught the imagination of thousands of young homesteaders. As she learns traditional farming skills by trial and error, Woginrich records her offbeat observations and poignant moments with honesty, humility, and humor.
In BarnHeart, she lands at a small rented farm and struggles to find her place in a reserved rural community filled with working farmers who are scraping by and wealthy vacation-home owners with fancy barns that never house livestock. Although her barnheart — a term Woginrich coins to describe her state of longing for a farm of her own — never subsides, she makes do on her rented farmstead, caring for her sheep, chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, a goat, and a turkey, until relationships sour and she’s abruptly forced to leave. Where will she and her animals go? Will she finally be able to afford the farm she’s always dreamed of?
Even when dealing with cranky neighbors, small-town politics, and the loneliness that comes with running a farm on her own, Woginrich never loses her sense of humor. Readers will recognize themselves and find inspiration in this appealing story of longing and striving for a more authentic life.
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3 Responses
Disappointing,
I read the author’s first book and really enjoyed it. This one was disappointing to me. It seemed less authentic and more like a caricature.In some strange way she seemed to be name-dropping; from the breeds of hens, to the kind of car she drove, to the music she listened to. Her enthusiasm seems genuine but maybe she has just played out the subject matter and was stretching for material.I hope she gets her farm and comes back with a fresh book. I would recommend checking this one out of the library rather than buying.
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|Posted on April 16th, 2012 at 8:35 am
For the Farmer in All of Us,
Barnheart
Jenna Woginrich
The incurable longing for a farm of one’s own
Jenna is a witty, well rounded homesteader with a knack for finding the funniest things about farming and living off the land. I loved her book Chick Days and when I saw she had a memoir out I knew it would be a memorable read.
Jenna as she mentions in her intro goes from urban designer to rural shepherd. She starts her memoir with a chapter on “How to know if you are infected”. Infected with what you ask? Barnheart.. the desire to be a farmer but due to circumstances it just isn’t happening at the current time. Don’t fret, hold tight and know you are not alone.
Having recently moved off our farm to a much smaller property I can seriously relate to Jenna. I had a farm and no longer do, having gone from a full farm to just a few chickens and rabbits. My heart longs for the goats and cows again and the title homesteader.. but circumstances just don’t allow it right now. If I had read this prior to the move I don’t think it would have the significant impact that it did now. I have more empathy for those who desire the rural life and haven’t arrived there yet.
Taking off to Vermont Jenna plays her fiddle right into the heart of New Englanders, despite her quirkiness. I think she was just what they needed! It isn’t always smooth sailing though, as Jenna learns lessons about living on a real farm. Not the story book kind of farm, but the downright dirty and hectic farm that is a ton of work and not always a huge payout.
Jenna blogs at [...] about her life of homesteading. She is always encouraging others to join in the fun and embrace the country life. Reading her memoir is like sitting down on her country porch talking with her about her farm and critters. Fantastic memoir for those who suffer Barnheart and for those who just love hearing about the antics of the farm life.
I received a copy of this book from Storey in exchange for an honest review. Get your copy today!!
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|Posted on April 16th, 2012 at 9:18 am
Everything I was hoping for,
I already have Jenna’s earlier book “Made from Scratch,” which I thoroughly enjoyed. Jenna’s writing style is clever, humorous, and a joy to read. Reading “Barnheart” I felt like I finally found another person who wanted what I want. I like to think of myself as a future farmer. I have always felt like I was alone in dreaming about buying land, working with animals, and living off the land as much as possible. But reading about her experiences has made me realize I am not the only one and that with time it is possible. If you also want to live in the country or at least have some farm animals running around your back yard I would recommend this book. I will be buying any future books she writes. I hope you enjoy them like I have.
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|Posted on April 16th, 2012 at 9:30 am
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