A life lived with the land, and its creatures – including sheep

This was not quite what I was expecting. I adore sheep, and always want to get close to them on country walks, though they don’t share, generally, such enthusiasm to get close to me. It was my love of sheep that made me decide, over 40 years ago, to become vegetarian.

Rosamund Young clearly loves sheep – and cows, chickens, turkeys, spiders, trees, wild flowers, ash trees and many more manifestations of the natural world than I do – but she is not a vegetarian. She is an organic livestock farmer. So this was less a book about soulful sheep as companion animal, or scientific exploration of sheep en masse and their history than I thought it would be.

Nonetheless it drew me in. Young and her brother Richard come from farming stock, and made the decision to ‘go organic’ 40 years ago. This is an utterly charming book. Young is most clearly someone filled with appreciation, love and respect for the non-human creatures she shares her world with. She has a sense of warmth and humour, writes well, reads a lot of poetry, appreciates that, and the literary is woven within the very practical understanding of, and relationship with, the natural world and its beauty and fragility.

Despite the fact that a farmer’s life is relentlessly busy, and in the control of climate, weather, and all sorts of events outside human control, reading this account of this kind of working life was a curiously warm and restful experience. I assume Young has always been a patient, warm, and reflective person, but if not, as a hands on farmer, must surely have learned that patience, reflection and tenderness from the bovines and ovines she has shared her life with

The lovely illustrations, too, must be mentioned. They are a delight

A lovely lovely book. The descriptions of every day life on a farm make you feel like you’re there. Recommended.

This was stunning. A wonderful narrative charting the course of a farmer's year working with and rearing animals on an organic farm. The perils and pitfalls were as well described as the joyful moments. And the passion the author has for her work and the respect she has for the animals in her care shines from every page.

The Wisdom of Sheep by Rosamund Young.

Farm animals are familiar to us from childhood but little did we know that their inner lives are full of complexity, deep bonds and family dramas. Rosamund Young has been an organic farmer for over 40 years and this is her record of a life at the beck and call of the animals while observing and preserving the abundant wildlife at Kite's Nest Farm. It is a story of joy, discovery, co-operation and sometimes heartbreak. We learn about sheep growing old disgracefully, the intelligence of supposedly 'bird-brained' hens, 'conversations' between cows and why you should never send a text whilst milking . . .
A brilliant insight to a life lived her much loved farm animals featuring main sheep !
I loved the way the writing allowed her obvious love ( and at times exasperation ! ) of the animals shine out of the pages.
I have a farmer friend and can see this as a great Christmas present for them.