'An amazing story of love, laughter and the challenges of living from the land ... Simon's self-sufficient rural life is an inspiration to us all' - Ben Fogle

Following a drunken misunderstanding Simon Dawson gave up his job in the city, moved to the wilds of Exmoor and became an accidental self-sufficient smallholder with an array of animals. But that was years ago now. Following up on his first book, PIGS IN CLOVER, this is the story of what happens when he suddenly realises that his life is changing all over again. He's not quite the spring chicken that he used to be: he is, horror of horrors, getting older.

With a cast of best friends (some more helpful than others) including Ziggy, a panicked soon-to-be father desperate to grow up, Garth, an annoying teenager, and a rather handsome pig called The General, a plan is hatched to help each other mature (or immature). Heartfelt discoveries and hilarious endeavours ensue as they work through their age-related angsts, all with a fair dose of pigs, chickens, lambs and animal madness along the way. This is Exmoor's uplifting laugh-out-loud antidote to middle age in the mud; a place where you truly realise that the sty's the limit!

James Herriot's 'All Creatures Great and Small' meets Stuart Maconie - funny, from the heart and utterly wonderful from start to finish. -- Jenny Selway * Daily Express on PIGS IN CLOVER *
Enchanting * Daily Mail on PIGS IN CLOVER *
It would be easy to read The Sty's the Limit as humour: there are laugh-out-loud moments and Dawson does have a talent for being able to see the funny side of just about any situation, but there's a surprisingly deep and thoughtful side to the book too. -- Sue Magee * The Bookbag.co.uk *

Simon Dawson gave up his job as an estate agent in London and moved to Exmoor with his wife Debbie over a decade ago. He runs courses on smallholding, butchery, food processing and nose-to-tail eating and came first for the South-West on TV's LOCAL FOOD HEROES in 2007. He is much in demand as a journalist and broadcaster, as well as being midwife and foster dad to countless pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, dogs and horses.

Follow Simon on Twitter @simondawson1