Little Farm in the Foothills Series

When two Boomers flee the city for a slower, simpler, and more serene lifestyle, they discover that simplicity can get awfully complicated… and life becomes anything but serene. In this award-winning, true-life tale for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages, Little Farm in the Foothills follows a midlife couple's pursuit of the "new" Great American Dream—living closer to the land—as they start growing their own organic food, living more simply, and  transforming  an old clearcut into a little homestead. The Little Farm in the Foothills series now includes the sequel, Book 2, Little Farm Homegrown: A Memoir of Food-Growing, Midlife, and Self-Reliance on a Small Homestead and Book 3, Little Farm in the Garden: A Practical Mini-Guide for Raising Selected Fruits and Vegetables Homestead-Style!   Here's more about Book 1: When Susan and her husband John first came up with the idea of having a country place, they were settled into a comfortable home in the city, happily raising vegetables in the back yard. Being experienced gardeners, they figured that relocating would be no big deal—they'd expand the garden a little, have a bit more peace and quiet. So they bought 10 acres in the middle of the woods and prepared to pretty much transfer that comfortable town life to the new property. But this modest plan becomes an adventure that is more life-changing than they could have ever imagined. And Susan and John discover that making your dreams come true can be full of disappointments...and setbacks. Once the couple moved to their little homestead, there was so much to this new life they never faced before—breaking ground by hand and wildlife predation of their first crops. Along with a tight budget and many roadblocks along the way, they must also cope with unexpected adversity like isolation, infrastructure failures, and extreme weather--but ultimately, they discover a happy ending. Little Farm in the Foothills is not a memoir about farming…it's a warmhearted story of making a dream come true. As Susan writes of their Foothills home, "it's not a farm, it's not even a 'farmette,' but it's the dream of a farm." Praise for Little Farm in the Foothills: "The Browne's foray into slower living...is an enjoyable read.  Their delightful, yet very real, experiences in making the big leap toward their dreams make for a humorous and charming book."  —Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh "A delightful account."  —The Bellingham Herald About the Author: Susan Colleen Browne weaves her love of Ireland and her passion for country living into her Village of Ballydara series, novels and stories of love, friendship and family set in the Irish countryside. She's also the author of an award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, as well as the Morgan Carey fantasy-adventure series for tweens. A communitiy college creative writing instructor, Susan also teaches a homestead-style gardening class and runs a mini-farm in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest, USA. When not writing, Susan is wrangling chickens, tending vegetable beds, and dreaming up new Irish stories!  

After two city-bred Boomers weather their first, tumultuous year on their rural backyard farm, the couple foresees smooth sailing for the future…only to discover their homesteading journey has only begun. In this lively true story, lifelong city people Susan and her husband John dedicate themselves to living their dream: creating a self-sufficient lifestyle in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest.   Transforming an old clear cut into a working homestead, the midlife couple must figure out how to raise chickens, grow food organically, and live in sync with the natural world...and what to do when they must battle nature instead.    The sequel to Susan's award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, Little Farm Homegrown is full of practical tips for food gardening and country living--and you'll also discover ways to pursue self-reliance while keeping your sense of humor. Ultimately, though, Little Farm Homegrown is a heartfelt tale of the ongoing joys and challenges of living closer to the land.   Like the first Little Farm in the Foothills memoir, Little Farm Homegrown is a warmhearted tale for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages!   About the Author:  Susan Colleen Browne is a graduate of the College of the Environment, Western Washington University. She weaves her love of Ireland and her passion for country living into her Village of Ballydara series, novels and stories of love, friendship and family set in the Irish countryside. Susan is also the author of the Little Farm in the Foothills series, as well as the Morgan Carey fantasy-adventure series for tweens. A community college instructor, Susan runs a little homestead with her husband John in the Pacific Northwest, USA.   When Susan isn't wrangling chickens or tending vegetable beds, she's working on her next Little Farm book or Irish novel!   Praise for Little Farm in the Foothills, Book 1: "The Browne's foray into slower living…is an enjoyable read.  Their delightful, yet very real, experiences in making the big leap toward their dreams make for a humorous and charming book."  —Washington State Librarian Jan Walsh

Do you want to grow your own food? From the author of the award-winning Little Farm in the Foothills homesteading memoir comes a friendly, down-to-earth little guide for starting and maintaining a thriving food garden. In Little Farm in the Garden, Susan Colleen Browne shares the evolution of her own homestead garden with warmth and humor. Whether you're starting with a pot, a small plot, or dedicated garden beds, she covers how to begin growing your own food with basic nut-and-bolts like selecting crops, raising food without chemicals, and creating healthy soil.   If you've read Susan's Little Farm memoirs, this booklet can be a handy addition to the homesteading experiences she's shared in her books. But this also works as a stand-alone manual for simple ways to approach creating your own food supply, focusing on easy-to-grow vegetables, herbs, and fruit, and building a balanced garden for the long-term.    In uncertain times, producing your own food supply can give you confidence in the future—and as gardening fans know, a sense of pleasure and accomplishment. Wherever you are in your gardening journey, Little Farm in the Garden offers a lively, heartfelt approach for gardeners, nature-lovers, and dreamers of all ages!   New Book, #4 of the Series! Little Farm in the Henhouse: A True-Life Tale of Hen-Keeping Homestead Style is now on Pre-Order... It's the story of the joys and challenges of keeping a backyard flock of laying hens--with tips and techniques for healthy, happy chickens! If you like fiction with a gardening theme, you might look at Susan's novel, The Galway Girls—the story has some intriguing tie-ins with her real-life experiences in Book 2 of the Little Farm series, Little Farm Homegrown!   About the Author:   Susan Colleen Browne is a graduate of the College of the Environment, Western Washington University. An avid gardener, she weaves her love of Ireland and her passion for country living into her Village of Ballydara series. Susan is also the author of an award-winning memoir, Little Farm in the Foothills, and the sequel, Little Farm Homegrown.  A community college gardening instructor, she runs a little homestead with her husband John in the Pacific Northwest, USA.  When Susan isn't wrangling chickens or tending vegetable beds, she's working on her next Irish novel or homesteading book!

Little Farm in the Henhouse brings you the joys and challenges of keeping a backyard flock of laying hens--with tips and techniques for healthy, happy chickens! This engaging memoir of nature, wildlife, and most of all, chicken-caring, follows a midlife couple's hen adventures in the Foothills of the Cascade Mountains. When city girl Susan moves out to the country to start a homestead, getting a few hens seems like a great idea. Problem: what little she knew about farm animals was what she read in books. Still, Susan and her husband John are big on self-reliance, so they forge ahead with their plan for keeping chickens...despite the learning curve. And what an eye-opener it is! Once they bring six pullets to their wooded acreage, on the fly, Susan and John must figure out chicken care, habits, and especially chicken protection. In this 4th book of the Little Farm homesteading series, you'll discover the magic of different chicken personalities, and the teachable moments of raising hens in the middle of the woods. Whether you already have a flock of "girls" or or thinking of getting one, you'll discover lots of practical tips and best practices for keeping chickens healthy and content--and a whole lot of what not to do! Yet caring for hens in a remote area is not all sweetness and light... Along with many joys, Susan and John experience many sorrows as well. Yet in these irresistible chicken tales, you may discover that hens don't simply provide eggs--they may give you a deeper appreciation for all living creatures.    Susan Colleen Browne is the author of the award-winning Little Farm in the Foothills, and the sequel, Little Farm Homegrown, as well as the popular gardening manual, Little Farm in the Garden. She also pens the Village of Ballydara series, warmhearted fiction set in the Irish countryside. When not in the garden, Susan is working on her latest Irish novel!