I live about a half mile down the dirt road from where the Amundsen's had their first chicken pasture. I would drive by daily and wonder in delight at this unusual setup. My son's best friend helped do chicken chores back then so I feel connected to their story through reciprocity. I also, because their farm is local, buy their eggs and have started picking berries in their fields. Long disclaimer I guess. Anyway, this book was thoroughly entertaining and informative. I've flirted with the idea of farming or gardening on a larger scale and I appreciated the honesty about the brutal work and dedication it takes. I really enjoy reading about farm adventures so I don't have to actually do them myself. ( )

I read a book recently - "The Egg and I". This has some superficial similarities. Both women have husbands who decide that their dream is to have a chicken ranch. Both are fully involved in running that business. Both take a humorous look at their adventures. But "Locally Laid" is a more modern look and there is a great deal of discussion about Middle Agriculture and running a responsible business - as well as negotiating the best life for their family while still enabling the dream. ( )

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.The author was convinced by her husband that they should move from the city of Minneapolis to the Duluth area and start a chicken farm instead of working in paid jobs. It's a dream of many people to start their own business, and chicken farming might seem attractive if you've only seen a few hens scratching industriously in a small pen. However, this very informative, humorous account of their experiences as the owners of Locally Laid egg farm will probably cause most people to change their minds. I enjoyed it. ( )

Some people dream of plush jobs with large paychecks and little effort. The author’s husband dreamt of cage-free chickens and organic eggs. As the author will tell readers, it is very difficult to start your own business and the odds are greater when you are literally dealing with chicken brains. This is a story of how five back yards birds turned into a multi partner company producing fresh eggs in three Midwestern states in about four years. While I do not think readers will rush out to start their own little backyard chicken coops, I can see them looking at the cartons on their next trip to the grocery store to see if have access to “Locally Laid” eggs. ( )

I am interested in locavore issues, and read a fair amount of books similar to this one. That being said, the information about middle agriculture and food economics that is easily accessible and carefully tied in with the story of the Amundsens and Locally Laid, makes this book stand out from others in the genre. It is making me reevaluate how I spend my food dollars. Which I think is the point. ( )