The Great Irish Farm Book
Did you know there are 6.5 million cattle, cows and calves in Ireland? There’s also 4 million sheep and 100 million chicken, hens and turkeys. Think of the size of shed you’d need to keep them all in!
These facts and more trivia are included in The Great Irish Farm Book. Darragh McCullough’s book sheds a light on the history of farming but ensures much of the book is reserved for the future of Irish farming. It honours the days of old rusty tractors but paves the way for the current and future generations of tech-savvy farmers from all backgrounds and genders. This book not only pays respect to the hardship of farm life but also the variety of farmers and farming in Ireland.
The reader is treated to a multitude of topics such as the history of farming, the top-five farm tools and a farmer’s reliance on the Irish weather or as McCullough calls it, ‘The gospel according to the forecast!’. These topics will enthuse newcomers to farming and entertain readers who know all about farm life. Each chapter ensures the past and the future of the Irish farming is central to the narrative yet McCullough highlights the challenges – such as climate change, bio-diversity and robotics – that are taking centre stage as current issues in agricultural life.
Sally Caulwell’s striking retro illustration and cut-and-colour style matches the lively nature of farm life. McCullough’s passion for farming and his tenacity to strive forward to a new world of farming is evident on every page. This book sows the seeds of interest in farming and agriculture but also repays the reader with a bumper crop of facts, figures and images.
