Writing
“Somehow, her words transform ordinary life in South Dakota into something enchanting.”
-Katie Hunhoff, South Dakota Magazine
My Books
Little Pasture on the Prairie
A Decade of Tales from a Western South Dakota Ranch
Accidental Rancher
‘Lambs in the Laundry Room’ and other stories from Perkins County
My Newest Book:
Little Pasture on the Prairie
A Decade of Tales from a Western South Dakota Ranch
Little Pasture on the Prairie celebrates ten years of Eliza Blue’s weekly newspaper column about life on a western South Dakota ranch, offering readers a selection of her essays spanning the last decade, from 2014 to the present. Journalist Christopher Vondracek provides a foreword contextualizing Eliza’s writing within the larger scope of the South Dakota literary landscape, and South Dakota poet laureate and rancher Bruce Roseland’s blurb on the back cover invites readers to grab a cup of coffee and sit down with this book as one would with an old, dear friend.
A transplant from Minnesota, Eliza Blue came to South Dakota searching for a life of fulfillment and inspiration, ultimately finding herself and so much more on her “little pasture on the prairie.” In Eliza’s words, “These stories of my adventures—and misadventures—and the joy of waking up every day to the majesty of life on the northern plains, are my heart, my soul, the last of my youth, the beginning of my older age, and my offering at the altar of what it means to be human and to lead a life of service. I hope reading these columns brings you some measure of the peace and connection I received in writing them.”
Praise for Little Pasture on the Prairie
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She speaks with a constituent’s power, a neighbor’s grace. She is no longer the accidental rancher. She is Eliza from out north of town. She is the mother, wife, and writer with a well of love in her words.
—Christopher Vondracek, Star Tribune
“
How to read this book: First, percolate a fresh pot of coffee, then set out a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies and sit down at your kitchen table. You’re about to have a good chat with the neighbor lady down the road, who is about to become your new best friend.
She will tell you a weave of stories about what it’s like to be a wanderer in search of what’s real, who, through fate and good fortune, finds the place where she was meant to arrive. All the feelings and lives, the humans and creatures found in this place are precious, and each one has their season.
These stories are tales of twenty-first century homesteading in the not-always-easygoing land of western South Dakota, where Eliza Blue found her heart, and where the many parts of herself could coexist. It is a land where the day-to-day chores of animal husbandry and shepherding young children go on not so much as endless hard-won progress but as endless possibilities, where the wonderful mess of a full life, full of animals and new life, is immersed in the rhythms of seasonal beginnings and endings. Her life is spent close to the land, connected to the sacred, the grace, and the joy of the little miracles of each day.
All of us should have this experience, yet few of us actually get to. As one of the lucky few who knows life on the plains and hills of South Dakota, I encourage you to turn the pages of this book and enjoy getting to know your new best friend, Eliza Blue. You, too, can learn the lessons and share the magic that ten years of homesteading earned her.
—Bruce Roseland, Poet Laureate of South Dakota
About:
Accidental Rancher
‘Lambs in the Laundry Room’ and other stories from Perkins County
When Eliza Blue first moved to northwestern South Dakota, she didn’t plan on staying long. After all, the singer/songwriter had spent most of her adulthood hopping from place to place. But then she fell in love with a Perkins County rancher — and the land, the wind, the livestock and the giant blue expanse of a West River sky.
Now the former urbanite tackles her daily duties on the ranch — bottle-feeding bum lambs, milking her dairy cow, Rita, and wrangling two young children — while somehow finding time to contemplate and write about life on the high plains. In Accidental Rancher, Blue shares a collection of these writings, bringing a new voice and a musician’s grace to the culture of rural America.
Recognition for Accidental Rancher
Meet An Accidental Rancher
Book Review by South Dakota Magazine: “She brings a musician’s grace. Her stories, like her songs, have a catchy way of grabbing attention.”
Pigeons: An Excerpt from Accidental Rancher
Book Excerpt by South Dakota Magazine: “The glimpses into Blue’s world are poignant and written with the uniquely lyrical perspective of a folk singer turned modern-day homesteader.”
Praise for Accidental Rancher
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As a fellow smallholder who raises sheep, milks her own cow and adores the beauty and grandeur of the Great Plains, I find Eliza’s book to be another coming home. It’s not just the stories she tells, but the way she tells them. I placed her book on the same shelf in my library with James Herriot and Ben K. Green for good reason—the three of them are the epitome of storytelling for me and authors whom inspire my own work.
—Heather Benson, Dalarna Farm
“
When Eliza Blue first came to South Dakota, she didn’t think she would stay long. She was a city girl, a suburban woman, and a successful folk musician with gigs and albums and fans. Why on earth would she plant roots in northwestern South Dakota (one of the most remote areas in the country) raising chickens and herding sheep?
Eliza’s new book is called Accidental Rancher. It’s published by South Dakota Magazine press. It’s a book that honors the work of ranching, life in South Dakota, and family. It’s a clear and frankly beautiful exploration of the delicate moments that make up our lives, from a toddler’s steps across a beat-up ranch house floor to how a menagerie of farm animals reflects our human selves in ways that both surprise and delight.
—Josh Haiar, South Dakota Public Broadcasting
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Having been raised in a small town, then traveling the country while living in big cities, I never dreamed I would find myself living my best life on 83 acres. With cows. Goats. Chickens. Dogs. Cats.
‘Accidental Rancher’ makes me feel so not alone with this feeling. This life was not my plan…but I am so grateful and blessed to be living it.
Eliza is so easy to relate to and her words bring such comfort to her stories. This is such a pleasant read, you can not help but smile or feel a sense of peace at the end of each story.
Take this book, find a little quiet spot, and hide from the world for a bit with this read. It is absolutely worth it.
—Carrie, Review via Amazon
My Column:
Little Pasture on the Prairie
“Little Pasture on the Prairie,” is a weekly column based on my experiences living and working on a cattle and sheep ranch on short grass prairie of the Northern Plains.
I’ve been compared to Laura Ingalls Wilder and E.B. White with a cowgirl slant, though I consider the poet Mary Oliver to be my biggest influence.
Current Distribution
The column is currently carried by 18 different media outlets, including the Black Hills Pioneer, Cattle Business Weekly, Farm & Dairy, and Daily Yonder, and has an ancillary audio version that has been broadcast on South Dakota Public Broadcasting and Prairie Public Broadcasting.
A Day in the Life of a Rancher
The column deals with themes related to rural living, and reads like a short story, capturing vignettes from the seasonal cycle of chores. After a decade spent touring as a folk-singer and fiddler based out of New York City, and then Minneapolis, I fell in love with a cowboy and made the crazy decision to put down roots on the western prairie and become a ranch wife. My inexperience, as well as my love for this life, lends itself to some colorful tales.
Work With Me
Want to carry the column in your publication? Use the link below to get in touch with me.
Collected Writings
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Lessons from the Cottonwoods
Image by Christian Begeman This week, the sandhill cranes passed over our ranch. Their distinct whirling coo and haphazard V formation are easy to recognize, and it always feels…
Articles & Features
New York Times Op/Ed:
“A Shortage of Steak? Yes, and Ranchers Knew It Was Coming”
Daily Yonder
Read my column featured in the Daily Yonder
The Guardian
‘We’ve been on fire watch for almost nine months’
Fresh Words Direct to Your Inbox!
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