The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland

Product Information

It can be a bitter cupful to swallow, even for those who understand some of the ecological cost of our modern ways of agriculture and science and intensive farming practices. Most people don’t even see the changes to our entire ecosystem these “progressive” practices have wrought in less than a single generation. The decimation of animal habitat and species and the equal decimation of plant variety and habitat. As we read The Wood through the eyes of a Master Woodsman so we read The Running Hare through the eyes of a skilled Farmer and Landsman bringing forth a wealth of sacred knowledge that will serve us well into the future. Our food is full of flavour, created and served by chefs who love what they do. We believe that great tastes should be at the heart of every meal, and we strive to bring you a menu that reflects the preferences of the whole family. From traditional roasts, to more modern options, healthy eaters to vegetarians, there’s plenty on our menu to satisfy everyone. Description: A close up and intimate natural history by John Lewis-Stempel. By taking an abandoned field close to his farm, he observes in minute detail the behaviour of plants, birds and animals that are being displaced by agribusiness. In telling the story of one field, he tells the story of our countryside, our language, our religion and our food. But in transforming one field, he creates a haven for one particular animal close to his heart - the brown hare. In terms of how to best work with the land and Nature, we are in safe hands. The author is knowledgable, wise and experienced in this regard, representing the human-hand needed to tend and enhance natural environments where Nature is free to thrive without interference.

He describes beautifully the changing of the seasons and the habits of animals such as the hares that make their home in his field. The book is a superb piece of nature writing." (Ian Critchley Sunday Times) In The Running Hare he 'borrows' a field to experiment growing corn along with wildflowers - the idea is to see how this old fashioned idea of doing things impacts on the wildlife of the area. Modern farming is all about yield, but Lewis-Stempel spells out loud and clear (often with statistics) the terrible effect this is having on our animals, birds and flowers. The farmers next door to his field are known as The Chemical Brothers for a reason! Englightening and stylish...Readers who enjoyed the author’s last book, Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field, will find much in the same vein here: a mix of agricultural history, rural lore, topographical description and childhood memories. I learned a good deal.... Lewis-Stempel is a fine stylist, adroitly conjuring scenes in which “medieval mist hangs in the trees” or “frost clenches the ground”..." (Sara Wheeler Observer) Nothing beats a classic British Carvery. Ours is served fresh and features succulent slow-cooked meats, home-made Yorkies & veg that changes to suit the season!The critically acclaimed celebration of English wildlife and the bestselling natural history title of 2016, SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2017. A stirring rural fantasia...Lewis-Stempel's heart and mind are absolutely in the right place. I salute him and I adored his appreciation of the quirky detail." ( The Times) Find sources: "John Lewis-Stempel"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( April 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) His latest work, La Vie, (2023) describes his experience in 'la France profonde'. [7] Personal life [ edit ] Joyfully this does not prevent or spoil John's efforts to turn his newly acquired 'Flinders' field into a glorious and abundant wheatfield enjoyed by birds, wild animals, wildlife, wildflowers, wild herbs and all that comes with a worm-filled rich soil and the care of someone who understands the needs of the land and how to nurture it through the seasons.

Having so enjoyed a year in the life of The Wood by John Lewis-Stempel (reviewed here on Goodreads), I was even more absorbed by 'The Running Hare' which shares the story of a barren field transformed into a sanctuary for Nature and a golden sea of wheat - sown and scattered using the traditional tools and methods of the old farming ways. A close up and intimate natural history by John Lewis-Stempel. By taking an abandoned field close to his farm, he observes in minute detail the behaviour of plants, birds and animals that are being displaced by agribusiness. In telling the story of one field, he tells the story of our countryside, our language, our religion and our food. But in transforming one field, he creates a haven for one particular animal close to his heart - the brown hare. He describes beautifully the changing of the seasons and the habits of animals such as the hares that make their home in his field. The book is a superb piece of nature writing." He describes beautifully the changing of the seasons and the habits of animals such as the hares that make their home in his field. The book is a superb piece of nature writing. Ian Critchley, Sunday Times

Lewis-Stempel is a fourth-generation farmer gifted with an extraordinary ability to write prose that soars and sings, like a skylark over unspoiled fields. This wonderful book (a worthy follow-up to his brilliant Meadowland) is a hymn in praise of enlightened farming methods which reject lethal chemicals and allow insects, birds and flowers to thrive, as once they did. I love books that share stories of working with the land using traditional farming methods that take us closer to the natural world and all that thrive there. This is healthy work that engages and benefits our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional beings, and whole-being. These stories and insights provide invaluable knowledge and a rich resource of information for anyone with a desire to work in harmony with the land. I did also learn quite a lot from this book; he includes a lot of agricultural history, pastoral poetry, snippets of folk songs, myths and rural legends, as well as offering startling figures about the declining wildlife in the UK. Here are some things I enjoyed learning: That the wildflower speedwell can lie dormant int he soil for up to 20 years, and then germinate. The folklore around it is that it does literally 'speed you well', and travellers in years gone by would sew it into the linings of their coats as a charm for their journey.

Englightening and stylish [...] Readers who enjoyed the author's last book, Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field, will find much in the same vein here: a mix of agricultural history, rural lore, topographical description and childhood memories. I learned a good deal [...] Lewis-Stempel is a fine stylist, adroitly conjuring scenes in which "medieval mist hangs in the trees" or "frost clenches the ground" [...] "Traditional ploughland is disappearing. Seven cornfield flowers have become extinct in the last twenty years. Once abundant, the corn bunting and the lapwing are on the Red List. The corncrake is all but extinct in England. And the hare is running for its life. In a way, this book reads like a love letter to the English countryside, and one field in particular. There is a heady mix of agricultural history, rural folklore, geography, childhood memories and an odd grab-bag of facts. For example, in an aside on the joys of ploughing by hand, we learn that the ploughman’s lunch was an invention by the British Cheese Bureau in the 1950s to increase the sales of cheese! Shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Society White Horse Bookshop Prize 2016. John Lewis-Stempel was winner of the Thwaites Wainwright Prize 2015 for MEADOWLAND. However, this book brings with it much hope; that old traditions never die and can be resurrected amongst our polluted rolling hills. It is confirmation that Nature is a miraculous living being in her own right and that she will flourish when we take the trouble to learn her ways and how to work with her through the seasons.

One field, naturally sown and tended, attracted wildlife to it that were completely absent from the surrounding agri-cultured, chemically-induced fields. Hares, red-legged partridges, rabbits, pheasant, many different birds and insects were all drawn to Flinders, a field that the author tended with love and farmed with old methods rather than spraying with chemicals. Amongst the wheat, he sowed an abundance of wildflowers, horrifying neighbouring farmers who termed them ‘weeds’. Agriculture has decimated British nature so I admire anyone who makes an effort to reverse the process, even in a small way. A very enjoyable read, quite interesting to see the life and regeneration of a field into an arable one and how the species of birds and insects thrives, along with the hares. The Running Hare is just the most sumptuously gorgeous book. John Lewis-Stempel is simply the best of the many outstanding nature writers we have today. His forte is writing in great detail about very small areas - by concentrating our minds on the detail he expands our knowledge and view of the world around us.

This level of understanding and appreciation for the lives and tendencies of our fellow wild creatures raises the bar and shows us that it's always a relationship of give and take, with us - the humans - using our minds to comprehend how things are and how we can consciously make the best contribution for the highest good of everyone (and everything).