Other editions of book I Once Had a Farm in Ireland: Living the Organic Lifestyle

A wheelbarrow, a cable drum, gardening tools, and a pickaxe are unusual items on a wedding registry, but that’s what Mac and Siggy, a German professional couple, needed in order fulfill their dream to start organic gardening, then emigrating to Ireland to seek a healthier and simpler life in an unspoiled country.It’s the 80's, the height of the Cold War, and a time of rearmament and potential political disaster. When Chernobyl blows up in 1986, they are scared enough by its fall-out to opt out of their comfort zone and make fundamental changes to the lives of their young family.More than just fleeing the nuclear threats, they want to blaze a new path to a more self-sustaining and wholesome lifestyle. A period of intense learning and acquiring new skills follows: How to raise chickens, pluck geese, breed cattle and sheep, and how to grow all kinds of vegetables. Soon they find out that farming means a never ending workload.. A strict, inflexible routine is required on the farm; their roles change sharply with day-to-day demands and problems they never envisioned. Even cultural differences between Ireland and Germany contribute to their stress. They almost kill themselves (and each other) to produce healthy food.Lovers of Ireland, arm-chair gardeners and travelers experience a real life account of the most ancient and mysterious European cultures instead of the prevailing shamrock- and -leprechaun image.

A wheelbarrow, a cable drum, gardening tools, and a pickaxe are unusual items on a wedding registry, but that’s what Mac and Siggy, a German professional couple, needed in order fulfill their dream to start organic gardening, then emigrating to Ireland to seek a healthier and simpler life in an unspoiled country.It’s the 80's, the height of the Cold War, and a time of rearmament and potential political disaster. When Chernobyl blows up in 1986, they are scared enough by its fall-out to opt out of their comfort zone and make fundamental changes to the lives of their young family.More than just fleeing the nuclear threats, they want to blaze a new path to a more self-sustaining and wholesome lifestyle. A period of intense learning and acquiring new skills follows: How to raise chickens, pluck geese, breed cattle and sheep, and how to grow all kinds of vegetables. Soon they find out that farming means a never ending workload.. A strict, inflexible routine is required on the farm; their roles change sharply with day-to-day demands and problems they never envisioned. Even cultural differences between Ireland and Germany contribute to their stress. They almost kill themselves (and each other) to produce healthy food.Lovers of Ireland, arm-chair gardeners and travelers experience a real life account of the most ancient and mysterious European cultures instead of the prevailing shamrock- and -leprechaun image.

A wheelbarrow, a cable drum, gardening tools, and a pickaxe are unusual items on a wedding registry, but that's what Mac and Siggy, a German professional couple, needed in order fulfill their dream to start organic gardening, then emigrating to Ireland to seek a healthier and simpler life in an unspoiled country. It's the 80's, the height of the Cold War, and a time of rearmament and potential political disaster. When Chernobyl blows up in 1986, they are scared enough by its fall-out to opt out of their comfort zone and make fundamental changes to the lives of their young family. They give up their jobs, friends and home to buy a farm in Tipperary, all to raise their young family in an unpolluted environment. Although Siggy shares her husband's environmental convictions, she would prefer a warmer location like a vineyard in France or an olive farm in Italy. But in order to keep the family together, she gives this new challenging lifestyle a try. More than just fleeing the nuclear threats, they want to blaze a new path to a more self-sustaining and wholesome lifestyle. A period of intense learning and acquiring new skills follows: How to raise chickens, pluck geese, breed cattle and sheep, and how to grow all kinds of vegetables. Soon they find out that farming means a never ending workload. A strict, inflexible routine is required on the farm; their roles change sharply with day-to-day demands and problems they never envisioned. Even cultural differences between Ireland and Germany contribute to their stress. They almost kill themselves (and each other) to produce healthy food. I Once Had a Farm in Ireland is a modern woman's journey from a sophisticated, hectic urban life in western Germany seemingly back in time to a lifestyle that may be rustic, so different but just as complex as a modern European professional's. It's the story of a woman who sacrifices her own dreams for the sake of her family until she discovers her own path. Detailed descriptions of gardening and farming activities, combined with recipes make I once had a Farm in Ireland a useful "How to" book for green-minded consumers and environmentally conscious readers who are toying with the idea of producing their own food.