Stronger Than Dirt: How One Urban Couple Grew a Business, a Family, and a New Way of Life from the Ground Up

by Christopher Losee and Kim Schaye

Kim and Chris battle mulch, bugs, dirt, and snow, as well as their own inexperience, to launch Silverpetals Farm. Now, seven years and one successful business later, they wouldn't trade their new life for anything. For gardeners of every description, Stronger Than Dirt is joyous reading. 16 photos.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 060980975X
• ISBN13: 9780609809754
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA)
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I read it and loved it

I picked this book up at the library over the summer when I was looking for a gardening book. I wasn't looking for a STORY about gardening but after starting the book, I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting their journey was. A young couple wants to start a new business that is very different from what they are use to. I am actually thinking of looking for it again (at the library) just to re-read it. It was almost a step by step guide to starting up a family farming business.

Beyond Gardening

What a fun book! Stronger than Dirt is a funny, fun, interesting look into the world of farming -- through formerly non-farmers' eyes. Told in a "he says, she says" format, you're able to see both sides of a funny -- and true -- story. Ms. Schaye's descriptions of the heat, sweat, labor, and truly beautiful countryside contrast with Mr. Losee's idealistic, optimistic, and realistic descriptions of the -- heat, sweat, and labor -- that went into starting their farm in Upstate New York. Their "truthful" and "no-holds-barred" writing style lets you feel their pains, triumphs, and successes almost first-hand. Even though my thumb is beyond black and I am not really into gardening, I enjoyed this book for the unusual and charming story that it is. I found myself laughing with their humor, and wincing with their setbacks, and I loved hearing about their families' reactions.