GORDONSVILLE, Va. — When Audrey Levatino first bought her 23-acre farm near Gordonsville, she didn’t expect to work the land herself. Now, as the owner of a cut-flower business and a menagerie, she drives tractors, repairs fences, cleans her chimney and wrangles black snakes – a far cry from the studious life of an urban English teacher that she lived before.

Now, in Woman-Powered Farm, Levatino has written a how-to especially for women who wish to begin a farm or venture onto an independent rural homestead. She wrote the book to help women like herself who wished to make a change in lifestyle but didn’t think they could.

“Much of the time it was women coming up to me at the farmers’ market or at events and saying how much they’d like to do what I am doing. Also, as I grew more involved with other farmers in my community, I was so impressed with all that the women were doing, their stories, and how they managed their farms,” Levatino told Farm World.

She includes many of these women’s stories in her book, as well as her own humorous stories of lost (and recovered) donkeys and the lost (and unrecovered) life of her first rooster, which she memorialized in her farm’s name, Ted’s Last Stand.

Levatino also details steps to using equipment, such as a chainsaw and tractor, fixing a flat tire and maintaining a well and septic tank – all important skills to have before even beginning a farm, she writes. Step-by-step photos are often included.

Many other topics, such as how to choose a farm business, the right fencing or the best business card, are covered, as well. Coming on the heels of Women’s History Month in March, the book is also a tribute to the past and present contributions of women on the farm.

“As long as there have been farms and homesteads, there have been women farmers. It’s only natural, when considering the endeavor of farming or even a weekend homestead, to think about the rural women who came before us … While we want to break new ground (figuratively and literally), we also want a path to follow,” Levatino writes in the opening pages of her book.

She also appreciates the work of all farmers who plowed first, without all the benefits of modern equipment and easily assessable information.

“I hope that this book is recognized, in part, as a tribute to all farmers. I am stepping onto the path of farming at a very receptive and exciting time, but that path wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for the hard work and years of experience that have kept farming viable and interesting,” she explained.

This is not Levatino’s first foray into farm how-to books. She and her husband, Michael Levatino, co-wrote The Joy of Hobby Farming, which was well-received, in 2011. She gained much of her farm know-how from books and in talking to other farmers in her neighborhood. She urges new farmers to cultivate a network of support as well as they do their own gardens.

“My first couple of years were definitely a trial-and-error experience. I like to try to work things out for myself, and a small kitchen garden is a great way to learn about soil, plants, bugs and whether or not you’ll actually enjoy working with the dirt,” Levatino said.

“As I grew more serious in my gardening endeavors, I took workshops and classes, and, most helpful, sought the advice of experienced farmers.”

The Levatinos actually moved from one coast to the other in pursuit of more space at a price they could afford. Despite the many changes, Levatino said for her the transition from English-teaching urban life in California to farming in Virginia was natural.

“I definitely felt the draw of the ‘pastoral,’ the idea of getting back to the garden that permeates much of literature, especially the 20th century American literature that I taught for several years (Emerson, Whitman, Thoreau, Hawthorne),” Levatino said.

Upon purchasing the undeveloped farm, she said the land drew her closer to it. Though she had a teaching job at first, she eventually quit that and eight years ago began a successful specialty-cut flower business that caters to weddings and florists.

“We had the land, and the more time I spent working in the garden and spending time with the animals and in the woods, the harder it was to be away from it,” Levatino said.

Woman-Powered Farm will be available for purchase by May, and pre-orders are available online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.