Autobiography

Pastoral Song

Pastoral Song

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  • Create Date：2021-10-11 10:52:30
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：James Rebanks
  • ISBN：0063073277
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Summary

As a boy， James Rebanks's grandfather taught him to work the land the old way。 Their family farm in the Lake District hills was part of an ancient agricultural landscape: a patchwork of crops and meadows， of pastures grazed with livestock， and hedgerows teeming with wildlife。 And yet， by the time James inherited the farm， it was barely recognizable。 The men and women had vanished from the fields; the old stone barns had crumbled; the skies had emptied of birds and their wind-blown song。

Pastoral Song is the story of an inheritance: one that affects us all。 It tells of how rural landscapes around the world were brought close to collapse， and the age-old rhythms of work， weather， community and wild things were lost。 And yet this elegy from the northern fells is also a song of hope: of how， guided by the past， one farmer began to salvage a tiny corner of England that was now his， doing his best to restore the life that had vanished and to leave a legacy for the future。

This is a book about what it means to have love and pride in a place， and how， against all the odds， it may still be possible to build a new pastoral: not a utopia， but somewhere decent for us all。

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Reviews

Megan Brady ，

Ooh this book needs to be read by more people。 He shares his family’s story and their farm， and how farming practices have changed over his lifetime。 He talks about farming practices in a way though that doesn’t portray one way of farming as “good” or “bad” as often times in the real world it is more complex than that。 Though there are definitely better ways to do things。 My favorite overall concept from his book is the need to mix and meld farms and wild places。

Lori Evesque ，

Fantastic book。 One of the only books on the future of the world from a regenerative farmer perspective。 It's not "farming is bad- nature is good" view but more realistic。 We have to farm， we have to renew our farming lands and methods。 Rebanks prose makes it easy to picture his farm。 WE do have a future if we want it。 Fantastic book。 One of the only books on the future of the world from a regenerative farmer perspective。 It's not "farming is bad- nature is good" view but more realistic。 We have to farm， we have to renew our farming lands and methods。 Rebanks prose makes it easy to picture his farm。 WE do have a future if we want it。 。。。more

Joyce Schiff ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Fascinating revelation of the importance of natural farming， how to accommodate change and improvements but still maintain nature in its finest 。。 Incredible imagery 。。。。。。。。 Passing down love of nature to figure generations。。。。。

Enid L。 Lapham ，

A hymn of praiseWhat a pleasure to read this book。 I feel my farmer grandfather near as I read about James' forebears。 I feel hope for the future with his example of farming future。 A hymn of praiseWhat a pleasure to read this book。 I feel my farmer grandfather near as I read about James' forebears。 I feel hope for the future with his example of farming future。 。。。more

David ，

Rebanks relates the story of his life on his family farm in the Lake Section of England。 He writes in a beautiful， poetic way。 He weaves into the story the global changes that have impacted farming in a negative way - focusing only on the bottom line resulting in mono-crop， industrial farming。 And he describes how he is trying to combat those changes by mixing modern farming techniques with those that he learned from his grandfather and father。 As with many books of this type， Rebanks argues we Rebanks relates the story of his life on his family farm in the Lake Section of England。 He writes in a beautiful， poetic way。 He weaves into the story the global changes that have impacted farming in a negative way - focusing only on the bottom line resulting in mono-crop， industrial farming。 And he describes how he is trying to combat those changes by mixing modern farming techniques with those that he learned from his grandfather and father。 As with many books of this type， Rebanks argues we should try to know where our food comes from and we should value that food。 I’d give the book five stars but the book bogs down about midway through， although Rebanks comes out of the morass and the ends the book very well。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

Skimmed it。 Well-written。 Many parts were sad， thoughtful。Seemed better rounded than his earlier book。

Julie Stielstra ，

The pace and structure of this book reflects in some ways the life Rebanks has lived: to get to the beauty and the joy， you have do a lot of hard， dirty， slogging work。 It is to Rebanks's credit that he makes it worth it。 Raised at the cusp of an agricultural revolution， he learns much of "the old way" of farming: small in scale， mixing livestock and crops， and integrating them into a whole， from his granddad。 His own dad struggles to keep it going， but faces unbearable pressure from the new， co The pace and structure of this book reflects in some ways the life Rebanks has lived: to get to the beauty and the joy， you have do a lot of hard， dirty， slogging work。 It is to Rebanks's credit that he makes it worth it。 Raised at the cusp of an agricultural revolution， he learns much of "the old way" of farming: small in scale， mixing livestock and crops， and integrating them into a whole， from his granddad。 His own dad struggles to keep it going， but faces unbearable pressure from the new， competitive， commercial， technology-driven ways。 When James steps in to take over， he has to choose， and this is the story of what he chose and why。 First he tells the story of his grandfather and his own education as a boy， learning and absorbing how it's done， and has been literally for hundreds of years。 This is an often lyrical， sometimes nostalgic， classic rural-memoir stuff that the Brits have done well for generations。 It's slow-paced， sometimes verges on "heartwarming，" and could have used some editing as it meanders on for many pages。 But it sets the stage。 The second part explains how it all went to hell， with machinery and toxic chemicals and a ferocious and distorted market， forcing farmers to "feed the world" instead of their families and community， with the consequent poisoning and disruption of the soil， animals wild and domesticated， the plants， towns， families and farmers。 In the third - and to my mind， the best， part is when James makes his choice to turn back， to aim for health of his farm， his animals， his soil， his earth。 He had a bit of a head start， as his own family traditions had not gone so far down the modern road as to be irretrievable。 A soil scientist is delighted to tell him his analysis shows his soil is still the healthiest in his district。 He also has a university education and a profession that pays the bills （he is an expert advisor to Unesco）， as he flatly acknowledges that farming the way he would like to means you will go bankrupt。 Period。 Some environmentalists would say he should give it up and let his 185 acres simply go wild。 But even on his hill farm， it's probably too late to just walk away。 So he tries to strike a balance， helping streams revert to natural courses， planting thousands of trees， rotating his pastures and plantings， scheduling mowing around nesting birds， and tweaking his livestock （sheep and cattle） by bringing in hardier， sturdier， more versatile breeds who will graze the weeds， churn the soil， drop healthy fertilizing manure， and cope with conditions as they are in the fells with less need for drugs， stabling， and other interventions。 The final passage is one of great beauty: he and his youngest daughter out in the meadow as a barn owl swoops and dives and swirls in the falling dusk。 There is a barn it can live in safely， there are unpoisoned fields where the mice and voles it is hunting can live， and where his animals feed and fertilize and work the soil to support them all。 Rebanks's goal is not a wilderness， but a healthy farm。 And we need more of those。 。。。more

Cynthia ，

Very lyrical prose。 I could envision the farm by his colorful descriptions。 Enjoyed immensely。 Hope for future。

Kristy ，

Beauty in Our WorldReading this novel reminds all of us of what is really important in life。 Your soul will be touched by these words。

Matthew Shiney ，

James Rebanks has created a beautiful and vital book on the state of farming。 It is at once an elegy to a lost way of life—a disintegration of our basic connection to our history， environment and the very food that sustains us—and a hopeful look to how we can make pragmatic changes to recapture what is being lost。 I appreciate his balance and realism。 His solutions thread the needle between the anti-farming environmentalists and the hyper-capitalist efficiency mongers that degrade our food and t James Rebanks has created a beautiful and vital book on the state of farming。 It is at once an elegy to a lost way of life—a disintegration of our basic connection to our history， environment and the very food that sustains us—and a hopeful look to how we can make pragmatic changes to recapture what is being lost。 I appreciate his balance and realism。 His solutions thread the needle between the anti-farming environmentalists and the hyper-capitalist efficiency mongers that degrade our food and the planet。 The scope is both hyper-local and global， detailing the beauty and challenges of maintaining his small fiefdom， while taking a macro view of how we got here and the state of mass food production。 He makes you fear for what the future holds， while inspiring you to make a difference。 He provides a refreshing perspective on the meaning of the good life。 An intimacy with family， community， and our physical environment are worth far more than accumulation， consumption， and leisure。 It is not an easy life， but easy things are of little value。I cannot recommend Pastoral Song highly enough。 。。。more

Dee ，

I loved this book。 I don't often write that I love a particular book， but Rebanks' writing is lyrical。 It is hard going in the middle of the book because he's explaining industrial farm practices and why they are damaging to the ecosystems。 However， I was deeply touched by his story， and how he and others have turned his farm into a place full of life。 It gave me hope。 I loved this book。 I don't often write that I love a particular book， but Rebanks' writing is lyrical。 It is hard going in the middle of the book because he's explaining industrial farm practices and why they are damaging to the ecosystems。 However， I was deeply touched by his story， and how he and others have turned his farm into a place full of life。 It gave me hope。 。。。more

Rebecca Kilby Vannette ，

Made it about halfway through， but the angst， tone， and style are definitely not for me。 Plenty of other authors out there who walk through what went wrong with agriculture in the last century。

Marsha ，

This book offers a perspective I hadn't thought much about: that of the small farmer who despairs that many of the practices of modern farming （monocultures heavily dependent on synthetic inputs） are destroying the environment -- and yet who is struggling to make a living and keep the farm， so who feels s/he must follow suit to have a chance at being competitive -- and staying afloat。 Our demand for， and support of， cheap food exacerbates this problem， and devalues the work of farmers。 This book offers a perspective I hadn't thought much about: that of the small farmer who despairs that many of the practices of modern farming （monocultures heavily dependent on synthetic inputs） are destroying the environment -- and yet who is struggling to make a living and keep the farm， so who feels s/he must follow suit to have a chance at being competitive -- and staying afloat。 Our demand for， and support of， cheap food exacerbates this problem， and devalues the work of farmers。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

Excellent。 Beautifully written。 The challenges of living on the land， loving and respecting it and providing for a family。 Respect for generations past and hope for generations future。 Set in England but could be anywhere。 Ecology， nature， growing things， love for animals and family。 I hope many will read this story。

Rachel Willis ，

If you care at all about the food you eat （and really you should）， this book is a must read。 I highly recommend it。

Steve McCarthy ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this book although there were times when I had to put it down and take a break from it。 Story of a British farmer and his relationships with his grandfather， father， his children and the land。 He chronicles the changes in farming and to the land over several generation。 The depressing part was how we have screwed up farming and the land in the 70s， 80s and 90s with mono culture farming， artificial fertilizers and pesticides。 But the book ends up with hope for the future - at I thoroughly enjoyed this book although there were times when I had to put it down and take a break from it。 Story of a British farmer and his relationships with his grandfather， father， his children and the land。 He chronicles the changes in farming and to the land over several generation。 The depressing part was how we have screwed up farming and the land in the 70s， 80s and 90s with mono culture farming， artificial fertilizers and pesticides。 But the book ends up with hope for the future - at least on this farmer's land。 Well written， interesting and thoughtful。 。。。more

Rose ，

a lovely book for its time and place - pastoral England。 But from here in hot， smoky， drought-ridden CA， I need different books right now to support my sense of place。 I might come back to this one some day。

Kevin Haar ，

3。5 Stars。 James Rebanks' The Shepherd's Life is one of my favorite books and one I will continue to turn to when I need to a reminder of my connection to my land。 I've read it three times and found it fresh each time。 Rebanks' new book， Pastoral Song， is much less a story of life on a farm and more of a story of how farmlife has changed。 Rabanks details the way the land was worked when his grandfather farmed the land， how it changed under his father into the beginnings of an industrialized farm 3。5 Stars。 James Rebanks' The Shepherd's Life is one of my favorite books and one I will continue to turn to when I need to a reminder of my connection to my land。 I've read it three times and found it fresh each time。 Rebanks' new book， Pastoral Song， is much less a story of life on a farm and more of a story of how farmlife has changed。 Rabanks details the way the land was worked when his grandfather farmed the land， how it changed under his father into the beginnings of an industrialized farm， how the 'factory farm' continues to grow with his generation， and what farming may look like for his kids。 While there is certainly some condemnation of factory farming， Rebanks approaches it not with blame， but with empathy。 He understands why and how farming has become the mostly disconnected and inhumane practice it is today and he outlines the greed and innovation that made it so while acknowledging the benefits of the changes。 Being well-read on the topic， I found Rebanks' arguments to be very engaging。 However， this was much more an intellectual excersie than his first book which was rich with personal narrative and hope。 The structure of this book， filled with short chapter breaks， many only a paragraph long， added to the disjointed feel。 For anyone uninformed about modern farming practices， this is a tremendous place to start。 For those looking for a more intimate portrait of life on an English farm or a more personal memoir， I strongly recommend his first book over this one。 。。。more

Kay ，

Sadly I just could not get into this book。 This topic is generally one I am very interested in but the way it written bored me。

Jeff Zell ，

This is essentially a story about three men and the land they hold in common。 Rebanks' grandfather taught him to love the land he was raised on and that his family has worked for generations。 Grandfather taught him to appreciate a farm that is diverse and that is a safe place for nature。 One simply accomodates oneself to the hard work。 As James tells the story after his father's passing， he and his father found relating to one another a challenge。 His father made a valiant effort to keep the far This is essentially a story about three men and the land they hold in common。 Rebanks' grandfather taught him to love the land he was raised on and that his family has worked for generations。 Grandfather taught him to appreciate a farm that is diverse and that is a safe place for nature。 One simply accomodates oneself to the hard work。 As James tells the story after his father's passing， he and his father found relating to one another a challenge。 His father made a valiant effort to keep the farm going。 When James left home as a young man he went to work on an enormous Australian farm that utilized all of the tools of industrial farming。 When he came back home， he convinced his Dad to begin using some of the practices that James learned。 These were also the same practices that many of their farming neighbors in the Lake District were using。 Industrial farming pays much better。 After a few years， Dad and James saw that their land and its occupants were changing dramatically。 The animals were getting sick more often。 The ground was not as fertile。 They had to use more and more chemicals and antibiotics to address the problems。 And， they were purchasing more and going further into debt。 Dad and James decided to change course。 James tells us the series of changes and improvements that they made over the course of a number of years。 They drew on the wisdom of conservationists and botanists。 When James' father died， he continued reshape the land so that it was productive， healthy， and animals of all kinds were able to live on the land。 One of the most interesting part of these changes for me was how they made crooked the waterways and added ponds and marshes to the property。 Rebanks offers many criticisms of contemporary， industrial farming practices but these criticisms are tempered by the very real problem of food production。 We have a lot of people in this world and they all need to eat。 Where are we going to get all of the food necessary and how？ Rebanks is balanced and tempered in his insights for our way forward as a world。 a delightful and insightful read！ 。。。more

Joseph Reynolds ，

Great writing。 Great passions about farming。

Eric Jensen ，

Beautifully written; an inspiring memoir and an urgent message for everyone。 However you relate to agriculture & ecology， this will book will shift and deepen your thinking。 Highly recommended。

CATHERINE ，

Important read about the state of farming through the personal lenses of a farmer who has seen the impact first hand of modern farming practices。 As someone who grew up in Northern Ireland who saw sheep， cattle etc。 in the fields and the feeling of disconnect from food and animals living in a city now， I appreciate the need to respect and understand where your food comes from。 Worth reading。

Sean ，

The book takes you through the eyes of James as he sees both himself and the world around him transform。 In a generation， the upheaval and change of rural communities is visible， and unavoidable。He is pragmatic in his view， the world is complex， and we'd be mistaken to assume we could prescribe a single solution to all。 What is clear is that we should reassess our priorities and asks of farming， to help mutually create a better farming system moving forward。The book is very approachable， both f The book takes you through the eyes of James as he sees both himself and the world around him transform。 In a generation， the upheaval and change of rural communities is visible， and unavoidable。He is pragmatic in his view， the world is complex， and we'd be mistaken to assume we could prescribe a single solution to all。 What is clear is that we should reassess our priorities and asks of farming， to help mutually create a better farming system moving forward。The book is very approachable， both for those in the agricultural community and the broader public。 That is perhaps why it is seeing a high level of success。 He straddles worlds very nicely。This book can help add nuance and understanding to issues that are often cast as right and wrong， black and white。 It's a great read。 。。。more

Susanmoreyverizon。Net ，

I found Pastoral Song to be both an enjoyable and informative read。

Jane ，

Rebanks is a delightful writer。 He was raised on his father's and grandfather's traditional farms in the Lake District of England at a time when farming was becoming "modern。" He loved farming but despaired as he saw how modern methods and pesticides were destroying the land and making the short lives of livestock miserable。 Rebanks not only absorbed everything about farming but also studied at Oxford where he obviously learned to think clearly about all of this; he also traveled to Australia an Rebanks is a delightful writer。 He was raised on his father's and grandfather's traditional farms in the Lake District of England at a time when farming was becoming "modern。" He loved farming but despaired as he saw how modern methods and pesticides were destroying the land and making the short lives of livestock miserable。 Rebanks not only absorbed everything about farming but also studied at Oxford where he obviously learned to think clearly about all of this; he also traveled to Australia and Iowa where he saw even more evidence for the disaster that modern farming has become。 When he inherited the family farms， he welcomed the new science of environmental farming and began to restore his farms so they could be fruitful and sustainable。 Rebanks is a thoughtful and lyrical writer。 His explanation of how our demand for cheap food has led， among other things， to dairy cows who live their short， sad lives indoors was enough to make me want to become a vegan。 。。。more

Rhinnan ，

4。5 stars。

Andrea ，

James Rebanks grew up on a home owned farm in England。 His grandfather taught him the joy of hard work。 His grandfather did not believe in pesticides and manufactured fertilizers。 He believed in following the old methods of farming。 He was an organic farmer before organic farming was even a thing。 Rebanks grows nostalgic while revealing his childhood and growing up on his farm。 Learning the methods of crop rotation and animal husbandry from methods used for hundreds if not thousands of years。 Ev James Rebanks grew up on a home owned farm in England。 His grandfather taught him the joy of hard work。 His grandfather did not believe in pesticides and manufactured fertilizers。 He believed in following the old methods of farming。 He was an organic farmer before organic farming was even a thing。 Rebanks grows nostalgic while revealing his childhood and growing up on his farm。 Learning the methods of crop rotation and animal husbandry from methods used for hundreds if not thousands of years。 Even though he is very nostalgic for the old farmer ways， he clearly explains things that worked as well as didn’t work。 He goes on to explain how modern farming works and ways that it doesn’t。 Finally rounding out the book with the ways he thinks they can be melted together to create a system of farming more in harmony with nature。 I hated hearing about the difference between the way animals were treated in the past vs the way they are treated now。 It was very sad to hear how the “old” ideas， people， and methods were completely disregarded and devalued。 It is disturbing to hear how animals are kept inside often never seeing the sun。 They are given antibiotics to keep them from getting sick。 I don’t know about you but if I am on antibiotics for too long my stomach constantly hurts。 How must these animals feel？It is very easy to see how small family farms have gone out of business。 Huge farming businesses and current farming practices have displaced the small local farmers。 The entire farm production process from bankers， seeds， pesticides， feed， and fertilizer get more money from the food sold than the farmer who grows the crop or raises the animal does。 It is because of the drive to reduce the cost of food。 It leaves very little money for the actual farmer。It is unfortunate that the drive to reduce the cost of food has caused so many problems。 Animals are mistreated。 The land where most crops are grown are being over produced and destroyed。 In some places the pesticides and fertilizers cause serious damage to the land， animals， and waterways around the farms。 “We are all encouraged to apathetic and disinterest。 Nearly all of the food scandals and farming crisis that have eroded our trust in farming have come about as a result of the drive to reduce costs through dubious practices。 As farmers and others in the food chain have sought to cut corners behind the scenes doing things their fathers and grandfathers would never have dreamed of in order to make food cheaper than it really should be。 This was business school thinking applied to the land with issues ethics and nature shunted off to the margins of consiousness。 There was no room for sentiment， culture or tradition。 No understanding of natural constraints or costs。 The modern farming mindset didn’t recognize these external things as relevant。 This was farming reduced to a financial and engineering challenge rather than being understood as a biological activity……。We convinced ourselves that farming was just another business subject to the same rules as any other but that is coming to seem like the most foolish idea ever。 We created a society obsessed with food choices and ethics while disconnecting most people from the practical agricultural and ecological knowledge to make those choices。Now people worry about what they should eat but have largely lost sight of how their local landscape should be farmed and what food stuffs they can produce sustainably。 Most people are are now largely illiterate when it comes to agriculture and ecology。 This is a cultural disaster because the global challenge of how we live sustainably on this planet is really a local challenge。 How can we farm in ways that will endure and do the least harm？ And what does that local farming produce for us to eat？This is not an argument for entirely eating local foodstuffs I like bananas as much as the next person but a reminder that it is good sense that our food is produce around us and under our gaze。”The goal for modern day farming should be a balanced between old farming practices and new ones。 As a consumer during the Covid-19 pandemic I have become very aware of how fragile our food distribution and production processes are。 It would not take very much to make feeding your family impossible if manufacturing or distributing of food became disrupted。 It is time for us to return to a more wholistic approach to farming where a good deal of our food is grown and produced locally while more unique food is imported from other areas。As Rebanks explains， it will be necessary to balance productivity focused farming and using old farming practices。 We need agriculture diversity。 We have to many people on the planet to completely throw away the new practices we have discovered。 Instead we need to figure out how to meld the practices。As consumers we need to recognize that if we want to have sustainable farming practices and animals that are raised more ethically we will have to begin to pay more for our food。He closes his discussion with some brilliant opened ended ways that farmers and governments can work towards a more healthy nature conscience way of farming。 His plan comes from a man with a family farm who is down in the trenches working daily as a farmer。 Not as a politician， government official， farming conglomerate， or conservationist。 Of all the people qualified to create a plan for progress forward he would be a great starting point as he is currently living this life。 His ideas involve a lot of cooperation and a realization of the current practices and old practices。 He wants policies that will help to meld the two and not expecting all farms to look alike。 It is a surprisingly elegant and useful idea。 As an American， I would hope that America begins to recognize these very concepts and take steps now to create a different system。 Rating and TriggersPG- It did have some animal deaths and animal births。 Some Language mostly centered in the end of the book when it seems the author has lost his patience with the worlds lack of understanding and their disregard for the health of the land。 。。。more

Leila ，

The author， son and grandson of farmers， witnessed dramatic changes in agricultural practices in the Lake District area。 His story shows us how he learned to farm， how he and his family and friends struggled through the changes wrought by globalization and the pressure for cheap food， and how he gradually adopted sustainable practices （despite the fact that they are uneconomical）。 I found the writing a bit uneven， especially toward the end of the book， but it is mostly lyrical， impassioned， and The author， son and grandson of farmers， witnessed dramatic changes in agricultural practices in the Lake District area。 His story shows us how he learned to farm， how he and his family and friends struggled through the changes wrought by globalization and the pressure for cheap food， and how he gradually adopted sustainable practices （despite the fact that they are uneconomical）。 I found the writing a bit uneven， especially toward the end of the book， but it is mostly lyrical， impassioned， and very interesting。 One of the most enjoyable and thought-provoking books I read this summer。 。。。more

Ann ，

Powerful description of the many challenges faced by farmers today， as well as a sweet memoir of the farming experiences of his youth。 Great book！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Pastoral Song

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Pastoral Song&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Pastoral Song&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0