The honey bee has lived in close association with human beings for millennia. Tragically, however, humanity's once intimate connection with this unique creature has been harmed by our increasingly utilitarian and exploitative dealings with the natural world. We are now in urgent need of re-establishing a deeper relationship, not just for the sake of the bees themselves but for the whole of nature - and of course for ourselves.Lorenzen - a true master beekeeper - provides numerous insights to enable a more fruitful engagement with the living world. Offering an enrichment of the knowledge and practice of beekeeping, he discusses the origins of the honey bee, its relationship to the floral kingdom, the digestion of the bee, the treatment of bee diseases as well as appropriate beekeeping techniques. He also develops subtle spiritual concepts such as the idea of the bee colony as an 'individuality' and 'group-soul', providing new depth and wisdom to our understanding of how bees live and work.This small book, a hidden gem that has never before appeared in English, is essential reading for anyone who cares about the future of the honey bee and the future of humanity.

Mutton is a great - as yet untold - story with its deep impact on the landscape, history and culture of these islands. This is its turning point. With current heightened public interest in traditional and wholesome meats, now is the time for a serious revival in the popularity of mutton. It once fed the nation and took pride of place on dining tables from peasants to royalty. With the backing of the Mutton Renaissance campaign, it is poised to make a comeback as its extraordinary health and environmental benefits are recognised. Bob Kennard addresses all the issues: what's a wether, mutton as a super-meat, mutton candles, mutton farming round the world, how sheep have shaped the landscape, mutton recipes, braxy ham, salt marsh mutton, butchery tips, lists of mutton breeds, directory of suppliers.

'Every essay in this book is magnificent... Mesmerizing.' New York Times 'How we interact with animals has preoccupied philosophers, poets, and naturalists for ages,' writes Susan Orlean. Since the age of six, when Orlean wrote and illustrated a book called Herbert the Near-Sighted Pigeon, she's been drawn to stories about how we live with animals, and how they abide by us. Now, in On Animals, she examines animal-human relationships through the compelling tales she has written over the course of her celebrated career. These stories consider a range of creatures - the household pets we dote on, the animals we raise to end up as meat on our plates, the creatures who could eat us for dinner, the various tamed and untamed animals we share our planet with who are central to human life. In her own backyard, Orlean discovers the delights of keeping chickens. In a different backyard, in New Jersey, she meets a woman who has twenty-three pet tigers - something none of her neighbours knew about until one of the tigers escapes. In Iceland, the world's most famous whale resists the efforts to set him free; in Morocco, the world's hardest-working donkeys find respite at a special clinic. We meet a show dog and a lost dog and a pigeon who knows exactly how to get home. Equal parts delightful and profound, enriched by Orlean's stylish prose and precise research, these stories celebrate the meaningful cross-species connections that grace our collective existence.

A lively, engaging introduction to the history of goats in Britain, and the recent renaissance of goat-related products. Ever wondered why a goat's eyes have rectangular pupils? Or what happened to Thor's goats each day after they finished pulling his thunderous chariot? Do goat's milk, cheese and meat represent more ethical food choices than cow and sheep products, and if so, can goat farming play an important role in humankind's future? Whether you're an aspiring smallholder, cheese fanatic or simply want to know more about our caprine companions, this guide introduces the fascinating history and folklore of goats and examines the development of goatkeeping in Britain, shedding light on one of our most intelligent, curious and mischievous domestic animals. It also explains the origins and features of the sixteen British goat breeds and the qualities of their products, and even has a few craft and recipe ideas for you to try.

Originally published in 1914 by the Tribune Press, Wolf Days in Pennsylvania preserves the fascinating history of Pennsylvania's lost wolves and their hunters, which was already becoming the stuff of folklore and myth during Shoemaker's lifetime at the turn of the twentieth century. With his characteristic penchant for juicy narrative and a naturalist's enthusiasm and respect for the animal, Shoemaker details the decline of the wolf in Pennsylvania during the westward progress of the state's settlement by whites, as its population dwindled over the course of the nineteenth century. He narrates stories of memorable chases and narrow escapes, and the hunters' bravery in their attempts to protect themselves and their communities. The book contains testimony gathered by the author, accompanied by interviews with some of the state's great wolf hunters and rare period photographs of the hunters and their prey.

This is a practical and comprehensive everything-you-need-to-know guide to chicken breeds for anyone who keeps chickens, is considering keeping chickens or aspires to keep chickens. Comprehensive content features over 70 breeds which reveals how, as well as being useful, chickens are interesting and colourful characters. This guide includes essential practical information on feeding, housing and welfare as well as easy-to-use keys to selecting the most suitable breeds. Chickens make great pets - they are low maintenance living on the scraps that you throw away, and are easy-going, plus they thrive in small urban areas and backyards.

The last U.S. Army mules were formally mustered out of the service in December 1956, ending 125 years of military reliance on the virtues of this singular animal. Much less glamorous than the cavalryman's horse, the Army pack mule was a good deal more important: from the Mexican War through World War II, mules were an indispensable adjunct to army movement. The author has exhaustively researched the ubiquitous yet nearly invisible army mule. Through his work we learn a great deal about military procurement, transport, and supply, the bedrock on which military mobility rests.

'A love story, a meditation on meat eating, on farming animals, on the relations between man and beast. Yallop writes with great tenderness' Daily Telegraph On her fortieth birthday Jacqueline Yallop built a pig sty in rural south-west France. She and her husband Ed had decided to turn their Aveyron cottage and garden into a small holding. They bought two pigs - Big and Little - to rear and slaughter. The locals were full of advice, and with just a small amount of plastic poles and metallic string and some new Wellington boots, they were off. They will cultivate the land. They will raise, then kill and eat their pigs. Or so they keep telling themselves. Because the reality is so very different from the romantic dreams of two stubborn English writers . . .

In A Field Guide to Cows, John Pukite provides all the facts?so even the novice can identify and get to know America?s fifty-two breeds of cattle. Every entry in this entertaining yet completely usable book features an illustration that highlights each breed?s most easily identifiable traits, such as coloration pattern and body shape. The book includes a checklist of breeds so the die-hard cow watcher can keep track of sightings, a list of essential garb and gear for cow watching, a glossary of terms, a listing of breeder associations, and more. Fascinating cow trivia is interspersed throughout. Informative, amazing, and amusing, A Field Guide to Cows is the indispensable companion for would-be cow tippers, farmers, city folk, agriculturalists, interstate drivers, 4-H?ers, vacationing families, and everyone who likes to moo at cows.
Cow Facts
There are approximately 350 squirts in a gallon of milk
Old cows in India have their own nursing homes
From 1866 to 1895 cowboys drove about 10,000,000 cattle out of Texas

The history of a cultural landscape This copiously illustrated standard work deals for the first time with all indigenous farm animals of the Alpine arc. The author spent two years travelling around the various Alpine regions, seeking out the original distribution areas and talking with breeders. The reader follows him to visit the last herding dogs native to Eastern Tyrol and Savoy, Evolene cattle - the smallest Alpine cattle - in the Valais, Provencal donkeys, the last of the black Alpine pigs and the rare blue goats of Tyrol. Extensive maps, a detailed history of the former wide variety of Alpine farm animals, interesting facts about conservation status and the history of breeding round off this survey of how the region has been shaped over 7,000 years by mankind and his domestic animals.