Carving Out a Living on the Land
Lessons in Resourcefulness and Craft from an Unusual Christmas Tree Farm
“A thorough and generous guide to shaping your world not only to your own happiness, but the world’s as well.”—John Hodgman, host of Judge John Hodgman; author of Vacationland
Carving Out a Living on the Land tells the story of how author Emmet Van Driesche navigated changing life circumstances, took advantage of unexpected opportunities, and leveraged new and old skills to piece together an economically viable living on marginal farmland, while at the same time respecting the land’s complex ecological relationships. Van Driesche’s adventure began when he recognized that he could do much more with his land than simply tend rows of perfectly sheared Christmas trees.
From spoon carving to scything, coppicing to wreath-making, Carving Out a Living on the Land proves that you don’t need acres of expensive bottomland to start your land-based venture, but rather the creativity and vision to see what might be done with that rocky section or ditch or patch of trees too small to log. You can lease instead of buy; build flexible, temporary structures rather than sink money into permanent ones; and take over an existing operation rather than start from scratch. What matters are your unique circumstances, talents, and interests, which when combined with what the land is capable of producing, can create a fulfilling and meaningful farming life.
Listen to an audiobook sample!
IntroductionReviews and Praise
"The lessons here, cleanly told, serve the aspiring farmer, small business owner, and demonstrate not just how to run a farm, but how to build a sustainable and deeply satisfying life with the skills you have, and the ones you can learn."—Boston Globe
More Reviews and Praise
Publishers Weekly, Starred Review—
"Van Driesche’s charmingly pragmatic account of running a Christmas tree farm in Western Massachusetts with his wife, Cecilia, resembles a mini-MBA for farmers in its breadth and depth of insight. . . Filled with a practical and open-minded approach to problem-solving that agrarians and urbanites alike will find refreshing, [this] book provides an invigorating paean to seizing opportunities, finding one’s strengths, and working hard."
“In this no-nonsense resource for novice Christmas Tree farmers (and all farmers), Van Driesche shares his sustainable success story in pragmatic and engaging detail.”—Forrest Pritchard, farmer; New York Times best-selling author of Gaining Ground
“A couple of years ago I bought a Christmas tree from Emmet Van Driesche’s little family in the woods. I immediately wanted to move in with them. They radiated the kind of peaceful contentment that comes with doing work that makes sense to you and that you are good at. But since moving in with them would be creepy, I am glad to have this book, a thorough and generous guide to shaping your world not only to your own happiness, but the world’s as well.”—John Hodgman, host of Judge John Hodgman; author of Vacationland
“Carving Out a Living on the Land describes the joy of living a simpler life in tune with nature, without skipping on the nitty gritty of hard work and paying the bills. Along the way, Emmet shows that spoon carving is not just a wonderful pastime but can be part of a thriving modern business, filling one’s time between the hustle and bustle of childcare and tree cutting with calm, spoon-y industriousness.”—Barn the Spoon, founder, Spoon Club and The Green Wood Guild; author of Spoon
About The Author
About Emmet Van Driesche
Emmet Van Driesche, along with his wife, Cecilia, operates the Pieropan Christmas Tree Farm in western Massachusetts. When he’s not working on the tree farm or editing scientific manuscripts, he spends his time carving wooden spoons and teaching others to do the same. You can find out more about him at www.emmetvandriesche.com.
Connect with this author
Author Videos
Books By Emmet Van Driesche
| Pages: | 288 pages |
| Book Art: | Full-color photographs and illustrations throughout |
| Size: | 6 x 9 inch |
| Publisher: | Chelsea Green Publishing |
| US Pub. Date: | June 3, 2019 |
| UK Pub. Date: | November 7, 2019 |
| Hardcover: | 9781603588263 |
Available In/Retail Price
Hardcover, 288 pages, $28USD, £22.00GBP
MEDIA & EVENT INQUIRIES
Media Inquiries:
Contact Publicity at: [email protected] or (802) 295-6300 x 127
Event Inquiries:
To set up an author appearance or event contact Darrell Koerner at [email protected]
Review Copies:
Click here to request a review copy of one of our books.
Rights & Permissions
Email us for rights & permissions inquiries.
SALES CONTACTS
Special, Corporate and Academic Sales
Darrell Koerner
[email protected]
(303) 963-5612
Trade and Library Sales
Kirsten Drew
Book Strategy Manager
[email protected]
Independent Bookstore Sales
To place a retail wholesale order, please contact the appropriate regional representative.
Canadian and Overseas Trade Distribution
To place an international wholesale order, please contact the appropriate foreign trade distributor.
Academic Kit
Request a desk or evaluation copy.