Shannon and Toby are left to look after the farm for a couple of hours while their parents go into town. A long drought has made life on the farm very difficult, and they have had to sell the sheep. At least they have been able to keep the horses. Suddenly, Shannon realises she might not have shut the gate to the horsea paddock this morning. Before she can check, a fire breaks out on the farm. Help is on the way, but Shannon wants to rescue the horses. This might be the one time when leaving a gate open on a farm is a good thing!

The Complete Illustrated Guide to Farming is a comprehensive, one-stop encyclopedic guide for the beginning farmer, hobby farmer, and small-scale family farmer. Are you interested in the country lifestyle or becoming more self-reliant? Do you think about someday raising livestock or growing crops? If you’re ready to make these thoughts a reality, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Farming is the perfect place to start. Farming experts Philip Hasheider and Samantha Johnson explain farming from start to finish: build your own fence, repair your own machinery, and know what to look for when you’re buying a tractor. Instead of buying a book on each subject area, you need just this one, which condenses the most important and relevant information on every aspect of running a farm into a single handy volume. And unlike other books, it’s designed specifically for the owner of a working farm. This practical illustrated guide provides hard-won expert advice on raising livestock and growing crops, making repairs, harvesting and butchering, managing a woodlot, and more. It’s everything you need to know to establish and maintain your farm.

A shaped book with soft and colorful felt pages to explore.

Horses munch on hay, piggies roll in the mud and dogs herd the cattle. Spend the day with the farm animals in this beloved barnyard book. Includes bookplate for personalization.