Allotments / Community gardens Books

Book Synopsis In The Tiny But Mighty Farm, author Jill Ragan of YouTube’s Whispering Willow Farm teaches you how to turn a typical suburban backyard into a productive mini farm.Backyard mini farming is about regular people who live in regular houses turning all or part of their property into a productive, high-yielding mini farm. Unlike gardening, mini farming takes a very deliberate approach, with the main goal being to grow as much food as you can with as little land and as few resources as possible. Everything is done with planning and purpose, rather than as a hobby. Whether your property is one-tenth of an acre, one full acre, or somewhere in between, there are so many opportunities to grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs in creative and high-yielding ways.If concerns about food security and the rising cost of food have you feeling uneasy, or if you just want to play a bigger role in feeding your family and your community, starting a backyardTrade Review“The Tiny but Mighty Farm is a wonderful roadmap for gardeners and farmers of all types. Whether you are a hobby farmer, homesteader, or aspiring market gardener, Jill’s book is sure to inspire you to dream big. It will also equip you with the essential information needed to achieve those dreams. Small scale, sustainable farms are the answer to our broken food system, and this book shows you just how impactful they can be!” * Kim Doughty-McCannon, Bell Urban Farm * "I wish I would have had this book as a reference when I started flower farming 22 years ago. The principles of planning and implementing your dreams found in The Tiny but Mighty Farm are applicable to anything you want to cultivate as a small farm enterprise. Jill's passion for educating others about sustainable growing really shows in a writing style that is easy to understand and truly heartfelt.” * Steve Kaufer, Sunflower Steve Seed Co. *"The Tiny but Mighty Farm is a must read for anyone wanting to garden and be more self-sufficient. It is packed full of helpful tips, garden knowledge, and ways to cultivate a life well lived. There are also so many beautiful images and helpful charts to inspire your gardening journey. This book will be used in my home for many years to come" * Annette Thurmon, host of the Azure Farm podcast *“The Tiny but Mighty Farm will inspire you to dig deep, reflect, and create a life you are proud of. This is not just a book about growing food. You will gain an immense amount of knowledge, whether you are a first-time gardener or a long-time grower. It is also a book that is going to show you how to connect with your land and your community. I read it from front to back and felt moved the entire time.” * Mandi Pickering, Wild Oak Farms *“The Tiny but Mighty Farm has a beautiful, empowering way of inspiring us to not only learn more about gardening but to also evaluate our own aspirations and values. Jill encourages us to dream bigger while also giving us all of the tools and details to actually achieve our goals through everything she has learned. I know that this book will also inspire others as it has me - as a wife, mom, daughter, and farmer. I’ll definitely be sharing this book!” * Lindsey Gilbert, owner of Willow Tree Flower Market *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Tiny Farm Journey CHAPTER 1 Small-Farm Values CHAPTER 2 What Kind of Farmer and Gardener Do You Want To Be? CHAPTER 3 Grow With Purpose CHAPTER 4 Soil: The Health & Longevity of Your Farm CHAPTER 5 In-Ground, Raised Beds & Indoor Growing: Which is Right for You? CHAPTER 6 Growing From Seed CHAPTER 7 Tools & Efficient Systems to Grow On CHAPTER 8 How Structures, High Tunnels & Greenhouses Help CHAPTER 9 Growing for Community: Turning Your Tiny Farm into a Business Conclusion: Keep Dreamin’ Acknowledgments About the Author Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA guide on how to start your own community orchard - from getting support and tackling legal issues to organising working parties and selling produce. Since the 1950s we have lost 63 per cent of our orchards through development or neglect, and even though we have been able to grow 3,000 varieties of apple in England, almost 70 per cent of apples we buy are imported. Common Ground has worked to interest local communities in creating and saving orchards to provide fruit and nuts, havens for wildlife and places of beauty. The Community Orchards Handbook shows how to start your own Community Orchard, from getting support and tackling legal issues, to organising work, selling produce and enjoying the fruits of your work together. It gives suggestions on ‘apple mapping’ and saving local varieties, and practical advice on planting, harvesting and safeguarding your orchard. It also includes a comprehensive resources section and is full of examples of diverse Community Orchard projects across the UK.Trade ReviewAnyone thinking of establishing a community orchard would be foolish not to pay close attention to the points made, and will find helpful resources abound, both as website links within the text and in an appendix bursting with legal and policy documents, ideas for funding, sources of equipment, and contact details of national and local groups. * Smallholder *This new, revised edition has sections on how to get started with planning an orchard, gaining support, writing a consultation, talking leases and other legalities such as insurance, securing access, dealing with health and safety and organising work parties. * The Landsman *The new editiom reflects the increased interest in community food growing and will be invaluable help for communities and schools wanting to establish an orchard. * This Is Dorset *The idea of Community Orchards is so good, so obviously right, that I think it's fair to describe it as vital. It will bring so much benefit to so many, in such an upbeat and positive way. I can't wait to see it happen more and more widely. Congratulations to Common Ground for their inspirational leadership and whole hearted good sense. * Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall *Common Ground's Community Orchards Handbook is a rich and diverse eco-system in itself, at once practical and lyrical, with elegy and energy intertwined. It's a handbook to be revelled in as much as dipped into for the handy hints. * Jonathon Porritt *The Community Orchards Handbook sits within arm's reach of my desk, along with one or two other Common Ground publications. It is an indispensable and inspiring reference for anyone wanting to enrich the meaning of where they live and introduce biodiversity and delight into their locality. * Kevin McCloud, presenter of Grand Designs *This wonderful book is an invaluable source of information for anyone interested in community, locally-produced food, and preserving and planting orchards. It is a 'must' for anyone who cares about these things. * Rosie Sanders, artist and author of The Apple Book *This book is aimed at anyone who wants to establish a local community orchard. It is an infectious well-judged mix of the inspirational and the practical. If you are thinking of setting up a local community orchard, the first thing you should do is buy this book. * Richard Borrie, editor of www.orangepippin.com *Community Orchards Handbook is a delicious book. It argues that we need orchards around us not just because they reconnect us to culture, our sense of place and our history, and not just because they can boost our food security, but because they have a great potential for bringing us closer together, to form a focus point for community. A new social and cultural renaissance based on apples? Why not... * Rob Hopkins, Transition Towns Network *We used Common Ground's Community Orchards Handbook when we started The London Orchard Project, and it has proved invaluable ever since. It is a must-have for the aspiring orchard leader. * Carina Dunkerley & Rowena Ganguli, founders of The London Orchard Project *Common Ground has made thousands of people aware of the value of the local, the ordinary, the commonplace, and the everyday in their lives... It has renewed interest in the English apple and created a feast for it (Apple Day in October). For speaking to a part of our hearts that no one knew how to speak to before, Common Ground is the best green charity in these islands. * Michael McCarthy, The Indepedent *This book encourages and celebrates the community spirits, social health and wellbeing that can be generated by fruit trees and orchards. * Reforesting Scotland *Table of ContentsForeword 1. Orchards and Local Distinctiveness 2. What are Community Orchards? 3. The place of orchards in our landscape and culture 4. Some success stories: land and orchards saved as Community Orchards 5. Community Orchards – how to start 6. Finding out more 7. Planting a Community Orchard 8. Adopting an old orchard 9. Conserving and attracting wild life 10. What to do with the harvest 11. Celebration 12. Safeguarding your orchard 13. Orchard fruits and wild fruits Appendices 1) Choosing the right legal structure for your Community Orchard 2) Model Constitution, Draft Tenancy Agreement, Draft Donations Policy and Example Risk Assessment 3) Orchard groups and support organisations 4) National contacts

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Book SynopsisThis updated edition of Straw Bale Gardens Complete is the only book you need to get started with the revolutionary gardening method that has taken the world by storm. Written by Joel Karsten, the originator of Straw Bale Gardening, this exciting update contains detailed, start-to-finish instructions for growing vegetables in straw anywhere, plus many new ideas and projects, including how to set up a greenhouse for less than $100 that allows you to start seeds on top of heat-generating straw bale benches. Whatever your gardening challenge, Straw Bale Gardening holds the solution. Have a small or unusual space? Straw Bale Gardening is perfect for urban, rooftop, and balcony gardens. Contaminated soil? Planting in straw bales eliminates the problem. Are you inundated by weeds? With straw bales, there is no weeding. The advantages of growing a Straw Bale Garden go on and on:

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Book SynopsisThe First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables is an essential tool for newbie gardeners, handing them all the practical and inspirational know-how they need to grow a fruitful garden, even if it's their very first time sinking a seed into the soil. Trade Review"Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout in full color photography...the ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, school, and community library Gardening & Horticulture instructional reference collections." * Midwest Book Review *“… answers every question from where to put the garden to how to prepare soil to deciding which veggies to plant.” * CNN Underscored *"Sowards welcomes new gardeners to growing vegetables with a cheerful voice and a can-do attitude." -- Heather Prince * American Gardener *"Sowards is also a gifted writer. Her words bring the many acts and facts of gardening to life and illustrate her principles as vividly as her photographs." * Provincetown Independent *'a useful and inspiring guide for those at the beginning of the veg-growing journey.' * Countryfile Magazine *Table of Contents1 Welcome to the Classroom 2 The Foundation—What Every Garden Needs to Succeed 3 Creating Your Garden 4 Growing with the Seasons 5 The Need for Seed . . .or Not 6 Grow Something Lovely—Designing a Captivating Space 7 The Nitty-Gritty of Garden Management 8 Making the Harvest CONCLUSION Grow on, Gardener About the Author Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisFour-Season Food Gardening hands you all the know-how you need to make growing food 365 days a year your new superpower! Unlike most other vegetable gardening books on the market, this one approaches the subject through the lens of what you can grow during each of the four seasons, even if you live in a cold climate. Using season-extension techniques, such as cold frames, mini hoop houses, and thick mulches, combined with a thoughtful mixture of annual and perennial crops, you’ll discover that eating from your backyard through all 12 months is possible. With a hearty dose of enthusiasm and expertise, author Misilla dela Llana of YouTube’s Learn to Grow channel presents this season-by-season guide to growing edible plants, covering everything from what tasks and what crops are best for each harvesting season to step-by-step DIY projects for structures and methods <Trade Review"There are abundant tips about how to sow, harvest and protect your crops. You will feel prepared to start gardening your food after reading dela Llana's guide." -- Dorvall Bedford * Washington Gardener *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION SECTION 1 GETTING STARTED WITH THE BASICS CHAPTER 1 Planning Your Garden CHAPTER 2 Soil and Fertility CHAPTER 3 Extending the Season SECTION 2 SEASON BY SEASON IN THE GARDEN CHAPTER 4 Spring CHAPTER 5 Summer CHAPTER 6 Fall CHAPTER 7 Winter PROFILES OF FAVORITE CROPS ABOUT THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INDEX

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Book SynopsisSupercharge your food garden while reducing your workload with over 80 detailed solutions, techniques, and methods that resolve some of gardening’s most common challenges. Illustrated with gorgeous photographs of inspiring gardens, projects in process, and tempting homegrown vegetables, and authored by Resh Gala, a professional kitchen garden designer, Vegetable Gardening Made Easy is filled with valuable advice every food gardener can use. No matter the size of your garden or your experience level, backyard veggie gardeners like you can use the practical information found inside to grow a more productive (and beautiful!) edible garden.Discover an abundance of useful tidbits on everything from designing the garden and starting from seed to maximizing production, managing pests naturally, and preserving the harvest. Organized in a stylish and easy-to-use format that prevents overwhelm, each

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Book Synopsis You can grow a thriving vegetable garden with confidence—just follow the easy and accessible instruction in Vegetable Gardening for Beginners.The pride of biting into your first homegrown tomato of the season is unmatched, and even for experienced gardeners, the joy of eating and sharing something that you planted and nurtured never gets old. This abridged and affordable version of The Beginner’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening gives you the confidence, knowledge, and skills to reap the rewards of gardening on whatever level you decide to invest in—from two containers on a porch to multiple raised beds. The instruction allows you to scale down or up and is relevant to gardening wherever you are in the world.This beginner’s guide gives you all the information and tips you need to decide:  What kind of garden you want What types of vegetables you want to plant What va

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Book SynopsisShawna Coronado, one of America’s most creative gardeners, gives you her library of clever gardening tricks in 101 Organic Gardening Hacks.If you ask garden author Shawna Coronado what a hack is, she might just wave her hand toward her own back yard. She could be pointing at the garden bench she created from leftover wood posts and a few cinder blocks, or the rows of wine bottles buried soldier-style along a winding pathway, or even the garden soil itself, which is blended by hand from an organic soil recipe she devised.In 101 Organic Garden Hacks you’ll find the top tips, tricks, and solutions Shawna has dreamed up in her career as one of America’s most creative gardeners. Some are practical timesavers; others offer clever ways to upcycle everyday items in your garden.One characteristic every hack shares is that they are completely organic and unfailingly environmentally friendly. Divided into a dozen different categories for easy reference, each hack is accompanied by a clear photo that shows you exactly how to complete it. If you are looking for resourceful ways to improve your garden and promote green living values right at home, you'll love paging through this fascinating, eye-catching book.Trade Review"...an irrepressible gardening evangelist" * HoustonChronicle.com *

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Book Synopsis“For vegetable gardening in the Bay Area, Golden Gate Gardening is indispensable—if you buy one gardening book, this is the one.”--Michael PollanThis fully revised 30th Anniversary edition of the ultimate food gardening bible for Central and Northern Californians includes updates that address changes in climate, crop availability and sources, and pest management strategies, and includes expanded help for inland, hot summer gardeners.The gardening guide is beloved by both new and experienced gardeners for its friendly, practical advice on how to grow fresh produce all year long. Expert author Pam Peirce shows how to use the unique local conditions of climate, soil, and rainfall to grow both common and unusual vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, cut flowers, and fruit from trees and shrubs including berries, citrus and avocados for your kitchen garden.This encyclopedic guide covers all the bases, including what to plant in every season, how to select varieties, assess a microclimate, organize a garden, manage pests and weeds safely and effectively, attract beneficial creatures, conserve water, improve soil, make compost, harvest wisely, and garden in containers. It includes delicious, seasonal garden-to-table recipes and an essay on learning to eat from a garden. Charts, sidebars, illustrations, maps, resource lists, and cross references make it easy for readers to find the information they need.This vegetable gardening book will especially help readers in the San Francisco Bay Area and in California coastal areas from Humboldt County south to San Luis Obispo, as well as those in nearby mild-winter inland climates (including Alameda, San Mateo, Marin, Santa Clara, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties).Trade Review"A tremendous amount of solid information about what you can grow in various microclimates, how to plan your garden, how and when to start seeds, how to evaluate and amend soil, and how to deal with weeds, pests, and diseases."—Sunset"I cannot imagine growing and gardening without the insipration and wisdom of this fine book."—Wendy Johnson, organic gardening educator and author of Gardening at the Dragon's Gate "[Peirce's] writing is authoritative and her enthusiasm infectious."—Pacific Horticulture

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