Barnheart
The Incurable Longing for a Farm of One's Own
by Jenna Woginrich
Mem. Ed. $11.99
Pub. Ed. $14.95
You pay $1.00
Bonus Content
Barnheart
How to Tell If You’re Infected
Certain people, myself included, are afflicted by a condition that’s difficult to describe. It’s not recognized by physicians or psychoanalysts (yet), but it’s really only a matter of time before it’s a household diagnosis. It’s a sharp, targeted depression, a sudden overcast feeling that hits you while you’re at work or standing in the grocery-store checkout line. It’s a dreamer’s disease, a mix of hope, determination, and grit. It attacks those of us who wish to God we were outside with our flocks, feed bags, or harnesses instead of sitting in front of a computer screen. When a severe attack hits, it’s all you can do to sit still. The room gets smaller, your mind wanders, and you are overcome with the desire to be tagging cattle ears or feeding pigs. (People at the office water cooler will stare and slowly back away if you say this out loud. If this happens to you, just segue into sports banter and you’ll be fine.)
The symptoms are mild at first. You start reading online homesteading forums and shopping at cheese-making supply sites on your lunch break. You go home after work and instead of turning on the television, you bake a pie and study chicken-coop-building plans. Then somehow, somewhere along the way you realize that you’re happiest when you’re weeding the garden or collecting eggs from the henhouse. It’s all downhill from there. When you accept that a fulfilling life requires tractor attachments and a septic system, it’s too late. You’ve already been infected with the disease.
This condition is roughly defined as the state of knowing
unequivocally that you want to be a farmer but, due to personal circumstances, cannot be one just yet. So there you are, heartsick and confused in the passing lane, wondering why you can’t stop thinking about heritage-breed livestock and electric fences. Do not be afraid. You are not alone. You have what I have. You are suffering from Barnheart.
But do not panic, my dear friends; there is a remedy! The condition must be fought with direct, intentional actions that yield tangible, farm-related results. If you find yourself overcome with the longings of Barnheart, simply step outside, get some fresh air, and breathe. Go back to your desk and finish your office work, knowing that tonight you’ll be taking notes on spring garden plans and perusing seed catalogs. Usually, those small, simple actions that lead you in the direction of your own farm can help ease the longing.
At times, though, you might find yourself resorting to extreme measures — calling in “sick” to work in the garden, muck out chicken coops, collect eggs, and bake bread. After all, this is a disease of inaction, and it hits us hardest when we are furthest from our dreams. If you find yourself suffering, make plans to visit an orchard, a dairy farm, or a livestock auction.
From BARNHEART by Jenna Woginrich. Copyright © 2011 by Jenna Woginrich. Used by permission from Storey Publishing
Barnheart
If you have a desire to own a farm, you might have “barnheart,” wishing you were outside with your flocks and feed bags, instead of in front of a computer screen, says Jenna Woginrich.
Following her heart, Jenna rents a Vermont farm, recording her experiences with passion and humor in Barnheart. She learns as she goes, caring for her sheep, chickens and a goat, among others, canning and playing her banjo along the way. It’s not easy, but Jenna never loses her sense of humor. Her goal is to buy a farm of her own and, through a chain of events (miracles?) Jenna buys just the one she dreams of.
Jenna’s resilience and passion will inspire you to follow your heart’s dream. She sums it up like this: “Crows fly. Buddha sits. I farm.”
Softcover : 192 pages
Publisher: Storey Publishing Llc ( December 01, 2011 )
Item #: 13-497781
ISBN: 1603427951
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Product Weight: 8.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Inspirational 
May 20, 2012
The author has matured more before age 27 than most people I have known, going from a city apartment dwelling office worker to living sustainably by homesteading alone in a small cabin in rural Vermont while still holding down a 9-5 job. This memoir is both educational and enjoyabale, made more so by her quick wit.
To respond to a previous review, having followed her blog I must say it is consistently evident that the care of her animals is always first and foremost her priority. The incident in question came from a new neighbor from the big city who wanted a rural life from a magazine or, but apparently not the real thing - that livestock make noise, are meant to live outside and, heaven forbid, even poop. Oh, the horror! (btw animal welfare exonerated the author, found not one single thing valid in the neighbor's complaint & the inspector complimented her on the care her sheep, dogs, chickens & rabbits were obviously receiving. not sure if he checked the beehive.)
Living from the land truly changes your relationship to it, and your greater world view. Woginrich's has been a journey of self sufficiency and self reliance and her connection to land and people, and my, she tells the story well.
Reviewer: Jennifer
I love animals more than she 
February 29, 2012
I was anxious to delve into a book about country living, became excited as I flipped through and realized it would be about sheep, wool-making and perhaps fashion fun with furry friends. Not. As I found a page where she buys an animal to raise it and later kill it, I got turned off. She went on to say she gave up her PETA vegan stance to say it is OK to kill well-raised animals for food. My grandmother trained me early to hate her Dad's cattle-raising and brutal murder that she ran from every year. I adore my pets and the wild, happy anoles that play with me outdoors. I am not anxious to read a book about someone who lives with these wonderful, loving beings and decides to kill them.
Reviewer: Lydia
Not quite what I had expected!
February 26, 2012
Although the book is well written, and the author is familiar with her subject, I found something missing. It may have been to the perceived lackadaisical attitude to her birds, or her inability to put down some "real" roots. She has no lack of determination, and that's a good thing, but there still seemed to me to be a deficit of some depth of feeling for the animals. I particulary found it disturbing when she mentioned the episode with a friend of hers over her perceived neglect of her stock. This is another book that will be going to Half-Price books, but I'm glad I got the chance to read it first!
Reviewer: Sandy K
Barnheart
February 24, 2012
I loved this book. I couldn't wait to get back to reading it. Jenna's courageous and open sharing of her oddessy was rich and endearing. What a great adventure!
Reviewer: Kathleen G
Mystery of the White Lions
January 22, 2012
One of the best books ever. Well researched historically, scientifically and psychologically, she writes in a concise and entertaining style with endless surprises about the mystical relationship of man and beast in Africa. The oral tradition of the African shaman is rarely presented to us, and she does it with delightful style.
Reviewer: Lydia
Copyright © Bookspan. Quality Paperback Book Club® / QPB® are registered trademarks of Bookspan. Unauthorized use prohibited. All rights reserved.
10207201205ADFL
Card Security Code
The card security code is an added safeguard for your credit/debit card purchases. Depending on the type of card you use, it is either a three- or four-digit number printed on the back or front of your credit/debit card, separate from your credit/debit card number. To make shopping at Quality Paperback Book Club® even more secure, we require that you enter this number each time you make a credit/debit card purchase. Please note that your security code will not be stored with us even if you have saved your credit/debit card information.
