Overview

How a midwestern family with no agriculture experience went from a few backyard chickens to a full-fledged farm-and discovered why local chicks are better When Lucie Amundsen had a rare night out with her husband, she never imagined what he'd tell her over dinner-that his dream was to quit his office job (with benefits!) and start a commercial-scale pasture-raised egg farm. His entire agricultural experience consisted of raising five backyard hens, none of whom had yet laid a single egg. To create this pastured poultry ranch, the couple scrambles to acquire nearly two thousand chickens-all named Lola. These hens, purchased commercially, arrive bereft of basic chicken-like instincts, such as the evening urge to roost. The newbie farmers also deal with their own shortcomings, making for a failed inspection and intense struggles to keep livestock alive (much less laying) during a brutal winter. But with a heavy dose of humor, they learn to negotiate the highly stressed no-man's-land known as middle agriculture. Amundsen sees firsthand how these mid-sized farms, situated between small-scale operations and mammoth factory farms, are vital to rebuilding America's local food system. With an unexpected passion for this dubious enterprise, Amundsen shares a messy, wry, and entirely educational story of the unforeseen payoffs (and frequent pitfalls) of one couple's ag adventure-and many, many hours spent wrangling chickens.

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9781504685825

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Reviews

The author's skepticism and her husband's optimism collide to create a laughable, empathetic tale of re-education for (wo)man and beast...Don't let Amundsen's self-deprecating humor fool you into taking this book lightly. In between capers, she makes a nuanced plea to respect local farms and the animals that populate them. -- Kirkus Reviews Lucie Amundsen's refreshingly honest account of starting a mid-sized farm will resonate with any business owner. She brings the perfect measure of levity to her tale, keeping the reader laughing during even the most tense moments of this true-to-life story. -- Anastasia Cole Plakias, author of The Farm on the Roof Witty and eye-opening, Locally Laid is a gem. I found myself rooting for this couple of lunatics who get into the egg business in the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of circumstances. Lucie B. Amundsen, aka Bird, is utterly uninhibited and quite hilarious. -- Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City As a 'remedial adult' with chickens, I heartily commend you to the words, wisdom, and knowledge of Lucie B. Amundsen, an author whose voice is as earthy as a chicken run, as goofy and bright as a pasture-raised egg yolk at sunrise, and as down-to-earth as barn boots in mud. -- Michael Perry, author of Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting [A] rollercoaster pastured-poultry farm start-up memoir. Locally Laid is a perfect example of why farm apprenticeships are so important. Seldom will nonfiction keep you from going to bed at night: Locally Laid will definitely keep you up! -- Joel Salatin, author of You Can Farm In this honest, chronological memoir, Amundsen shares her knowledge and wisdom as co-owner of Minnesota-based Locally Laid Egg Company...Her first-person narrative makes her experience as a business owner in this industry informative yet accessible while also including humor. -- Library Journal Narrator Kate Reading is excellent at capturing Amundsen's emotions...During the more technical passages, Reading slows the pace and reads with crisp enunciation, making the material easy to understand. -- AudioFile Written with candor, sarcasm, and humor, Locally Laid is, to pluck a phrase from the book, an immersion into 'a loud, flustery poultry tsunami.' It cures one of any residual romantic notions of playing farmer; makes one appreciate afresh how grueling and risky it is to operate a midsize family farm; and explains why their products are more expensive. -- NPR Locally Laid is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. With candor, humor, and a distinctly midwestern irreverence, Lucie B. Amundsen chronicles her family's earnest effort to bring some sanity back to the food system. -- Liz Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author I absolutely loved Locally Laid! Read it in two days and enjoyed every minute. Funny and informative. -- Sue Grafton, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Locally Laid is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. With candor, humor, and a distinctly midwestern irreverence, Lucie B. Amundsen chronicles her family's earnest effort to bring some sanity back to the food system. -- Liz Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author [A] rollercoaster pastured-poultry farm start-up memoir. Locally Laid is a perfect example of why farm apprenticeships are so important. Seldom will nonfiction keep you from going to bed at night: Locally Laid will definitely keep you up! -- Joel Salatin, author of You Can Farm As a 'remedial adult' with chickens, I heartily commend you to the words, wisdom, and knowledge of Lucie B. Amundsen, an author whose voice is as earthy as a chicken run, as goofy and bright as a pasture-raised egg yolk at sunrise, and as down-to-earth as barn boots in mud. -- Michael Perry, author of Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting I absolutely loved Locally Laid! Read it in two days and enjoyed every minute. Funny and informative. -- Sue Grafton, #1 New York Times bestselling author In this honest, chronological memoir, Amundsen shares her knowledge and wisdom as co-owner of Minnesota-based Locally Laid Egg Company...Her first-person narrative makes her experience as a business owner in this industry informative yet accessible while also including humor. -- Library Journal Lucie Amundsen's refreshingly honest account of starting a mid-sized farm will resonate with any business owner. She brings the perfect measure of levity to her tale, keeping the reader laughing during even the most tense moments of this true-to-life story. -- Anastasia Cole Plakias, author of The Farm on the Roof Narrator Kate Reading is excellent at capturing Amundsen's emotions...During the more technical passages, Reading slows the pace and reads with crisp enunciation, making the material easy to understand. -- AudioFile The author's skepticism and her husband's optimism collide to create a laughable, empathetic tale of re-education for (wo)man and beast...Don't let Amundsen's self-deprecating humor fool you into taking this book lightly. In between capers, she makes a nuanced plea to respect local farms and the animals that populate them. -- Kirkus Reviews Witty and eye-opening, Locally Laid is a gem. I found myself rooting for this couple of lunatics who get into the egg business in the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of circumstances. Lucie B. Amundsen, aka Bird, is utterly uninhibited and quite hilarious. -- Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City Written with candor, sarcasm, and humor, Locally Laid is, to pluck a phrase from the book, an immersion into 'a loud, flustery poultry tsunami.' It cures one of any residual romantic notions of playing farmer; makes one appreciate afresh how grueling and risky it is to operate a midsize family farm; and explains why their products are more expensive. -- NPR

Author Information

Lucie Amundsen is a writer, marketer, and reluctant farmer. She co--owns Locally Laid Egg Company, a farm that provides pasture--raised eggs in Minnesota, Iowa, and Indiana. Kate Reading is an Audie Award-winning narrator and has received dozens of Earphones Awards. She has been named by AudioFile magazine as a Voice of the Century, as well as the Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy in 2008 and 2009 and Best Voice in Biography & Culture in 2010. She is also a theater actor in the Washington, DC, area and has been a member of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company since 1987. Her work onstage has been recognized by the Helen Hayes Awards Society, among others.

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