Sustainable agriculture Books

Book Synopsis 'Dirt to Soil is the [regenerative farming] movements’s holy text' The Observer Author and farmer Gabe Brown, featured in the Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground ‘A regenerative no-till pioneer’ NBC News ‘Dirt to Soil confirms my belief that animals are part of the natural land. We need to reintegrate livestock and crops on our farms and ranches, and Gabe Brown shows us how to do it well.’ Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation Soil health pioneer Gabe Brown did not set out to write a book on no-till, regenerative agriculture but that was the end product of his research into a new method of farming that would bring back life to his farm, rather than taking away from it. As a series of weather-related crop disasters put the Brown family farm on the brink of financial ruin, Brown took the bold decision to cut costs by omitting the use of most pesticides, insecticides and synthetic fertilizers. This was the catalyst that led to Brown experimenting with regenerative agriculture, a method of farming that undid the damage of conventional agricultural practices. He switched to no-till planting, started planting diverse cover crops mixes and changed his grazing practices. In doing so, Brown transformed a degraded farm ecosystem into one full of life starting with the soil and working his way up, one plant and one animal at a time. The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over twenty years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil. Using these principles, Brown’s Ranch has grown several inches of new topsoil in only twenty years! The 5,000-acre ranch profitably produces a wide variety of cash crops and cover crops as well as grass-finished beef and lamb, pastured laying hens and pastured pork, all marketed directly to consumers. The future is regenerative, no-till, organic farming and Dirt to Soil is the perennial bestseller to start you on that journey, for the betterment of the food we consume and the state of our shared planet. Trade Review“Dirt to Soil confirms my belief that animals are part of the natural land. We need to reintegrate livestock and crops on our farms and ranches, and Gabe Brown shows us how to do it well.”—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation“Gabe Brown’s Dirt to Soil could not be more timely, as farmers are beginning to see an increase in costs of the fertilizers and many other inputs they rely on. Gabe provides us with his complete story of how he transitioned to a largely self-renewing and self-regulating (regenerative) farming system. Even though I have been an organic farmer for 40 years, I was amazed at how much I learned from reading Dirt to Soil. I highly recommend it to all farmers and food entrepreneurs, especially anyone interested in anticipating future changes and preparing for them in advance.”—Frederick Kirschenmann, distinguished fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture; author of Cultivating an Ecological Conscience“Restoring the productivity of agricultural land is one of the most urgent imperatives of our time. In this landmark book, Gabe Brown explains, step by step, how farmers and ranchers can transform lifeless dirt to healthy topsoil, offering a profound yet elegantly simple blueprint for reversing land degradation across the globe.”—Dr. Christine Jones, soil ecologist; founder of amazingcarbon.com“Civilization was made possible by agriculture developed over the centuries by ordinary people domesticating plants and animals using the emerging biological sciences. Today mainstream agriculture—dominated by monoculture cropping and confined animal feeding—is the most destructive industry ever to evolve. Based on chemistry and marketing of technology, current agricultural practices produce twenty times more dead, eroding soil than food, year after year. In this dangerous time, Gabe Brown’s book comes as a breath of fresh air, showing by example what any farmer who cares enough about the future can do by following sound ecological principles and using common sense and imagination.”—Allan Savory, president, Savory Institute“This book is a must read for anybody who thinks that the ‘Green Revolution’ has been a success. Gabe Brown provides a heartfelt personal account of his journey and awakening to a new perspective on the importance of soil biology and the urgent need for a return to regenerative integrated organic farming methods, not just to feed the world but also to save the ecosystem from imminent disaster.”—Stephanie Seneff, senior research scientist, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory“Dirt to Soil skillfully describes the learning process and rich rewards of perseverance in the conversion from yield-driven farm practices that degrade soils to the regeneration processes that provide pride, productivity, nutrition, health, and sustainability to the basic infrastructure of society—agriculture. The core values of stewardship Gabe Brown describes for managing the agricultural ecology are reinforced by science that links diverse components so they function together to benefit everyone and everything in the dynamic rejuvenation of soils. The principles are exemplified through firsthand experiences that not only explain what, why, and how things need to change, but also provide the motivation to start doing them. The book provides hope that nutrition and health can be guiding principles in food production for successive generations to displace the ‘Band-Aid’ interventions adopted by the past two generations that have resulted in serious, unintended negative consequences.”—Don M. Huber, emeritus professor of plant pathology, Purdue University“Gabe Brown’s dirt-to-soil story is an inspiring example of how land can flourish when a farmer tunes out the textbooks and chemical purveyors and starts listening to nature. Brown has become a folk hero in regenerative agriculture circles, and this book delivers his trademark candor and ability to cut through myth, jargon, and generations of bad advice to reveal essential dynamics of how farm ecosystems work. By keeping it real, this practical, spirited, and timely book can help spark an agricultural shift from conventional wisdom to common sense.”—Judith D. Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Planet and Water in Plain Sight“After hearing a presentation by Gabe Brown, many people picture Brown’s Ranch in North Dakota as some sort of Xanadu where nothing goes wrong. This book provides a realistic perspective on Gabe’s struggles in a challenging environment. Gabe and his family didn’t let the challenges defeat them; they viewed them as opportunities to learn and innovate. This determination has made Gabe one of the leaders in the movement to regenerate soils. He has also helped to push, pull, and drag science toward finding solutions to solve our current farm and food crises. Farmers and ranchers like Gabe Brown and the others whose stories are told in Dirt to Soil are addressing the critical need to develop resilient systems that provide abundant, nutrient-dense food on regenerated soils that efficiently cycle nutrients and water through diverse biological communities.”—Kris Nichols, PhD, soil microbiologist, KRIS Systems Education and Consultation“Gabe Brown’s story is a journey of hope and freedom for all those who care about food, health, and the earth. His passion to heal the land and serve others has shaken the foundations of the industrial agriculture model. The industrial agriculture complex is an insatiable furnace of consumption that devours soil, leaves farm families destitute, and impoverishes rural communities—ultimately destroying nations. Who would have thought that a North Dakota rancher would lead the regenerative agriculture revolution, a campaign that shows us a new way of growing nutritious food—food that is medicine and that nurtures and honors all of creation. Because of Gabe Brown, I have hope for the future of agriculture. Dirt to Soil is a must read!”—Ray Archuleta, “The Soil Guy,” retired USDA/NRCS soil health specialist“If you have interest in your health or saving the earth or eating food that tastes the way food should, you have heard a lot recently about regenerative farming. There are dozens (or hundreds) of self-proclaimed experts on the subject. Here is what I know: Gabe Brown is the Real Deal. He has done more than anyone to bridge the gap between research scientists and practicing farmers. His understanding of how to put the science of soil regeneration into practice is unsurpassed. Dirt to Soil should be required reading for every industrial farmer on the face of the earth.”—Will Harris, White Oak Pastures, Bluffton, Georgia“Dirt to Soil is the perfect title for this new book from Gabe Brown. It is an apt metaphor to describe the Brown family’s escape, through intelligence and determination, from their entrapment in an agricultural model that has failed economically, ecologically, and as a source of quality of life for the family. Their accomplishment stems from their realization that long-term success is possible only when all parts of the soil-plant-animal-wealth-human complex we call a farm/ranch are nurtured simultaneously. The Browns understand that agriculture must be about promoting life. It must be regenerative.”—Walt Davis, author of How to Not Go Broke Ranching“I can no longer drive by a farm without wanting to get out of the car and start planting cover crops. Dirt to Soil is an entertaining, illuminating read that will change the way people think about agriculture.”—Mark Schatzker, author of The Dorito Effect“There is growing awareness that industrialized agricultural methods are doing considerable damage to our soil, farms, and planet. The way we farm needs to change, and Dirt to Soil is about to transform the way agriculture is practiced around the world. This book is filled with excellent advice on how to farm by following Mother Nature’s guidance, seasoned with Gabe’s great sense of humor and humility.”—Colin Seis, agricultural management consultant; owner of Winona, New South Wales, Australia“Reading Dirt to Soil is like having a personal conversation with Gabe Brown about the changes he witnessed as he put regenerative practices into place on Brown’s Ranch. Most important is his clear message about capturing the value of his system by marketing directly to the consumer. In Gabe’s words, he ‘prefers to sign the back of the check, not the front.’”—Dwayne Beck, PhD, manager, Dakota Lakes Research Farm; professor of plant science, South Dakota State University“Civilization after civilization plowed itself out of prosperity by degrading the soil. Gabe Brown’s inspiring story shows why regenerative farming to rebuild healthy, fertile soil is not just an academic theory—it’s already been done on farms like his.”—David R. Montgomery, author of Dirt and Growing a Revolution“Dirt to Soil is an inspiration! Gabe Brown offers a proven model that will help other farmers improve their soils and our planet. More and more growers are starting to realize that they must be soil farmers first and foremost. Gabe helps us imagine what the health of our planet would look like and how the profitability of farms, both large and small, would improve if all of us shift the way we practice agriculture. His message to mimic nature rather than trying to fight against her resonates with everyone who cares about the quality of our food and our future.”—Todd Colehour, founder, Williams and Graham and Tribe Market

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Book SynopsisI don’t often share a resource in this way but when a gem of a resource like this crosses my path I have to let you all know about it. Huw Richards, author of Grow Food for Free Palmer’s book is full of recipes using locally sourced material to create mineral and biological extracts to feed plants. the Guardian Perfect for fans of Charles Dowding and Huw Richards! In The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments, experimental gardener and author Nigel Palmer provides practical, detailed instructions that are accessible to every grower who wants to achieve a truly sustainable garden ecosystem – all while enjoying better results at a fraction of the cost of commercial fertilisers. These recipes go beyond compost by allowing you to make your own biologically diverse inoculants and mineral-rich amendments using leaf mould, weeds, eggshells, bones and other common materials available for little or no cost. Recipes include: Extracting nutrients from plant residues using simple rainwater techniques Extracting minerals from bones and shells using vinegar Fermenting plant juices and fish Culturing indigenous microorganisms (IMO) Inspired by the work of many innovative traditional agricultural pioneers, especially Cho Ju-Young (founder of the Korean Natural Farming method), The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments also includes a primer on plant-soil interaction, instructions for conducting a soil test, and guidance on compost, mulching and so much more!Trade ReviewPublishers Weekly— "For the dedicated organic farmer, [this book] is a gold mine of astonishing methods and new possibilities for growing and maintaining a sustainable and truly organic garden.”“Nigel Palmer has come up with a terrific new ‘cookbook’ for the regenerative (and any other) gardener who desires to build and maintain soil and plant health. The easy-to-follow recipes are designed to satiate any plant’s appetite for the appropriate microbiology and nutrients. This guide to ‘using locally sourced materials to make mineral and biological extracts and ferments’ is to gardening what Julia Child’s classic guide is to cooking.”—Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Fungi and Teaming with Nutrients“Nigel Palmer’s new book is filled with fermentation methods for the garden. It’s an exciting new DIY resource for soil regeneration and plant health.”—Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation“In a world seemingly focused on the newest miracle from the chemist’s laboratory, it is refreshing to find a book that unveils the power of nature in gardening and equips savvy growers with proven tools and formulas to move their practices to a new level. Nigel Palmer makes the art and science of life-enhancing amendments accessible to gardeners everywhere.”—Fred Walters, ACRES U.S.A. magazine“The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments is a wonderful book, giving the reader new insight into regenerative horticulture at home—preserving the soil, enhancing biodiversity, and producing healthy food.”—Jake Fiennes, general manager of conservation, Holkham Estate“Attention, gardeners! The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments will instruct and inspire. Learn to make targeted mineral and biological garden amendments and sprays with this comprehensive and easy-to-understand manual. Nigel Palmer’s guide is a classic in the making!”—Sally Fallon Morell, president, Weston A. Price Foundation“Herbal brews and probiotics keep us in good stead . . . so why not the plants we grow for food and medicine as well? Nigel Palmer offers an enthusiastic exploration of fermented plant extracts and organism cultures to keep our gardens and orchards productive and healthy. Indigenous wisdom presented in a scientific light rocks! Making one’s own garden amendments not only saves money but is truly the most effective way to grow. Phytonutrients prime plant immunity and friendly microbes protect from disease. Heed this advice and become a savvier grower today.”—Michael Phillips, author of Mycorrhizal Planet and The Holistic Orchard“In The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments, Nigel Palmer offers a careful, thorough approach to creating abundance and health in and from the garden. The specifics of innovative and useful techniques, as well as the supporting concepts, are well presented for diligent gardeners to utilize. Nigel’s new garden model does a great service in moving forward our ability to feed ourselves in a cooperative effort with nature.”—Bryan O’Hara, author of No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture“Easy, affordable, and garden-tested amendment recipes to help grow nutrient-dense food? Yes, please! The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments made me wonder why I hadn’t started making my own amendments years ago. I was barely past chapter 2 before I started collecting egg and oyster shells to submerge in vinegar; comfrey and nettles were already fermenting by the end of chapter 3. Every gardener needs this knowledge!”—Chris Smith, author of The Whole Okra; director, The Utopian Seed Project“This book empowers readers to observe nature’s processes at work in the food garden, and to become aware of natural resources, such as weeds and leaf litter, that they can use to make their own mineral and biological amendments. Brilliant! Beautifully crafted by a first-rate teacher able to convey his in-depth understanding, passion, and knowledge, The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments will inspire many growers to embark on a never-ending journey of discovery; to grow nutrient-dense food by creating an abundance of healthy ecosystems in the garden.”—Matthew Adams, cofounder, Growing Real Food for Nutrition; former director, Good Gardeners Association

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Book SynopsisPrinciples and farm-tested practices for no-dig market gardening–for healthier, more productive soil! From the host of the popular The No-Till Market Garden Podcast – heard around the world with nearly one million downloads! Discovering how to meet the soil’s needs is the key task for every market gardener. In this comprehensive guide, Farmer Jesse Frost shares all he has learned through experience and experimentation with no-till practices on his home farm and from interviews and visits with highly successful market gardeners in his role as host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast. The Living Soil Handbook is centred around the three basic principles of no-dig market gardening: Disturb the soil as little as possible Keep it covered as much as possible Keep it planted as much as possible. Farmer Jesse then guides readers in applying those principles to their own garden environment, with their own materials, to meet their own goals. Beginning with an exploration of the importance of photosynthesis to living soil, Jesse provides in-depth information on: Turning over beds Using compost and mulch Path management Incorporating biology, maintaining fertility Cover cropping Diversifying plantings through intercropping Production methods for seven major crops Throughout, the book emphasises practical information on all the best tools and practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around maximising soil health. Farmer Jesse does not believe that growers should anguish over what does and does not qualify as “no-dig.” If you are using a tool to promote soil life and biology, that’s the goal. The Living Soil Handbook blends the idea of meeting the soil’s needs with the realities of making a living as a professional grower, no matter where you live.Trade Review“Over my years practicing no-till market gardening, I’ve come to truly appreciate listening to The No-Till Market Garden Podcast and Farmer Jesse’s exploration of no-till systems. Now, this research is inked into Jesse’s very well-written and valuable guide, The Living Soil Handbook. This book is a gold mine filled with tips, tricks, and effective practices you can apply to your crop itineraries. I advise any grower to follow Jesse’s mantra: A no-till system is not a dogma, it’s a direction.”—Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener“The best way to produce healthier soils, fight climate change, and reduce work all at the same time is to disturb the soil less. The Living Soil Handbook shows growers how to do just that. I highly recommend this practical and beautifully designed book.”—Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables“In this wonderful new book, Jesse Frost offers a clear and friendly explanation of why and how you can grow successfully when your methods are fully in tune with nature’s processes. Beautifully illustrated by Jesse’s wife, Hannah Crabtree, The Living Soil Handbook provides a full range of experience-based advice to aspiring growers and gardeners on major topics such as soil fertility and mulches as well as small but important details like bed and path width. Jesse values practicality over dogma, and keeps it achievable: ‘Disturb the soil as little as possible.’”—Charles Dowding, creator of Charles Dowding’s No-Dig Gardening Course“The Living Soil Handbook is a must-read for growers who want to achieve the long-held organic objective of feeding crops by feeding the soil. It goes beyond the mechanics of no-till to explain why it’s important to keep the soil ‘as undisturbed, as well covered, and as fully planted as possible.’ With the understanding of why to do these things, growers can customize their soil care systems for any region. Whether or not your goal is to go completely no-till, Jesse Frost’s book is a great companion to help you figure out how to ‘disturb the soil as little as you possibly can in your context.’ With an emphasis on understanding soil ecosystems, this book allows growers to improvise their own solutions rooted in soil health.”—Andrew Mefferd, editor, Growing for Market magazine; author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook and The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution“Jesse Frost’s The Living Soil Handbook is a terrific, practical application of the no-till principles for which he and his No-Till Market Garden Podcast have become known and respected. Disturbing the soil as little as possible—even when managing garden paths, for example—is one theme of this book about letting the living soil live and how to do so. Beautifully illustrated, this is a great read full of useful advice that will perfect your growing game.”—Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Fungi“The Living Soil Handbook is a must-have resource for those who wish to reduce or eliminate tillage, build soil biology, intensify production, and create a more ecological, regenerative, and successful farm. Farmer Jesse integrates the experiences of a multitude of farmers and his years of research with pertinent soil science in this easy-to-read guide to help grow more resilient farms in the face of climate chaos. It all goes back to the soil and building life!”—Elizabeth and Paul Kaiser, founders and farmers, Singing Frogs Farm“As a lifelong farmer who is skeptical of absolute practices and catchphrases like ‘no-till,’ I’m happy to say that Jesse Frost has done an excellent job of compiling resources and information to explain the tenets of healthy living soil. With a skillful, personable writing style, Jesse offers effective farming techniques and provides a compelling case to disturb the soil as little as possible as well as to keep it planted and covered as much as possible. The Living Soil Handbook is a great read for beginning and seasoned farmers alike.”—Clara Coleman, owner and operator, Four Season Farm; creator of #RealFarmerCare“Jesse Frost has made an invaluable addition to the nascent library of no-till market garden manuals. If you want to grow vegetables without tillage, read this book closely and reference it often. Like crops growing from a vibrant soil food web, Jesse’s insights pull from interactions with innovative no-till growers across the United States and beyond—and bear fruit worth savoring. Jesse has synthesized this incredible diversity into a comprehensive manual that takes no-till to a deeper level. I learned something new on almost every page. A magnificent union of information gathering and first-person know-how, The Living Soil Handbook is a must-read for every soil caretaker.”—Daniel Mays, author of The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm“While no-till growing has been popular for amateur gardeners for some time, it is only more recently that commercial growers have embraced its potential. The Living Soil Handbook is beautifully clear, making both the complexity of soil biology and the technical crop detail engaging and accessible. Jesse Frost demonstrates the benefits of using no till methods and he also takes us through, in some detail, the range of methods possible at different scales. He is no starry-eyed evangelist though. He explores his failures as well as what has worked well, and points out areas where more research and trials are needed, for instance in successful crop termination. Though this book is aimed at the ecological market gardener, anyone with an interest in growing vegetables with the minimal impact on their soil will thoroughly enjoy and learn from Jesse’s sound advice.”—Ben Raskin, head of horticulture and agroforestry, Soil Association; author of The Woodchip Handbook“The Living Soil Handbook speaks to Jesse Frost’s experimental and inquisitive nature whilst seeking out practical and reliable solutions. Garnering wisdom from growers in many regions, as well as from his own experience, Jesse delves deep into what I consider an optimal approach to annual vegetable production. This book explores the pioneering no-dig market gardening system with deep woodchip pathways that I have established at Ridgedale, along with many other complementary approaches for achieving the same outcomes: thriving soil biology, practical workflows, and abundant harvests. It proves once again that it is our pattern-thinking that is important, and that we have a multitude of solutions at our disposal. We are microbe farmers, after all, and this book is a great addition to the literature to help you achieve beautiful and bountiful results.”—Richard Perkins, author of Regenerative Agriculture and Ridgedale Farm BuildsPublishers Weekly— "[A] practical, informative debut. . . .Gardeners interested in sustainable agriculture will find this a great place to start."Booklist Starred Review— "Author Frost offers a comprehensive, science-based, sympathetic, wholly practical guide to soil building, that most critical factor in vegetable gardening for market growers and home gardeners alike. A gift to any vegetable plot that will keep on giving."

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Book SynopsisThe go-to guide on mushroom farming and cultivation! This is a reference book for the next generation of DIY mycologists. Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation A clear, comprehensive guide that is a gift to amateur as well as professional mushroom growers. Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden In Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation, professional mushroom grower and biologist Tradd Cotter shares the results of his groundbreaking research gives, giving readers an A to Z guide for cultivating mushrooms – from sourcing laboratory equipment at low cost to starting cultures and spawn generation - without chemical or electrical input. Readers will learn: How to cultivate morels indoors and outdoors Indispensable descriptions of 25+ different genus of mushrooms Training mycelium to respond to specific contaminants Perpetuating spawn on cardboard without the use of electricity Preparing tinctures, powders and mushroom-infused honey Making an antibacterial mushroom cutting board How to grow mushrooms on your old denim jeans! Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation is aimed towards readers wanting to grow mushrooms without the use of pesticides, and the author takes this “organic” drive one step further by introducing an entirely new way of thinking – looking at the potential to grow mushrooms on just about anything, anywhere and by anyone.Trade ReviewLibrary Journal- "Microbiologist Cotter came to mushroom farming in his 20s and quickly became hooked. He shares his enthusiasm for the practice in this wide-ranging book, which covers topics of interest for the beginning hobbyist to the market farmer. Starting with general information about the mushroom life cycle and growing techniques, it progresses into innovative applications for mushrooms and educational ideas using fungi, and then gets into advanced systems. The title concludes with a guide to specific mushrooms and methods for growing them indoors and outdoors. Highlights of innovative techniques include growing media and guerilla urban mushroom producing. More advanced and experimental projects are fascinating, such as the potential for mushroom farming on a space ship and advice on ways to cultivate morels. Emphasized throughout are low-cost and sustainable methods, with several features on how to grow mushrooms without electricity and in disaster areas. Cotter describes the “mushroom rescue modules” he imagines being shipped to disaster relief areas that can provide food, mosquito control, and water purification. ­VERDICT Because this title covers a lot of ground it will be extremely useful for mushroom farming enthusiasts at any level.”Booklist- "Mushrooms 'are part of Nature’s decomposers and constructors, the agent of habitat renewal,' Cotter tells us. And mycoremediation is the use of mushrooms to create an effective biomass that can break down environmental and industrial pollutants. A microbiologist, mycologist, and organic gardener, Cotter takes a holistic approach, mindful of the mushroom’s life cycle and ecological role, in this challenging guide to the indoor and outdoor cultivation of edible mushroom varieties. He also provides information on medicinal, industrial, and ecologically remedial applications. His in-depth exploration extends beyond cultivation to 'healing the people and the planet.' The book’s four sections cover the fundamentals of mushroom cultivation; innovative applications and projects, including alcoholic beverages; advanced techniques and research, including mycoremediation; and detailed descriptions of selected mushrooms. With plenty of photographs and other illustrations and comprehensive back matter, including glossary, bibliography, list of resources and suppliers, and index, Cotter’s advanced how-to is best for those seeking serious mycological knowledge.”Publishers Weekly- "This comprehensive introduction to growing and utilizing fungi has something for all mushroom-inclined readers, be they individuals curious about growing edible fungi in their backyards or basements, prospective mushroom farmers setting up large growing systems, educators from kindergarten to college levels, or innovators experimenting with eco-friendly materials. In addition to providing step-by-step directions for growing mushrooms, the book foodies, amateur scientists, and activists with esoteric and advanced applications for them, such as mushroom-infused beers; 'mushroom modules' that can be used for food, water filtration, or insect control in disaster relief; and mushrooms that can be “trained” to break down specific contaminants. Both practical and passionate, Cotter offers extensive and detailed information about mushroom biology, propagation, and remediation for novices. This refreshing take goes beyond typical how-tos, which only provide rote directions and absolute answers. He has equal interest in encouraging budding mycologists, mushroom growers, and mycoremediators to observe, experiment, and add to the knowledge of this mysterious burgeoning field.”“Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation is a guide and inspiration for new and experienced mushroom cultivators alike. Tradd Cotter has done a great job of combining the complexity of mushroom cultivation with the intuitive simplicity of ‘small steps.’ Highly recommended for fungophiles as a great read and reference!” --Jim Gibson, past president, Colorado Mycological Society“Tradd Cotter has written a clear, comprehensive guide that is a gift to amateur as well as professional mushroom growers. The pages are enlivened by Cotter’s enthusiasm for the many possibilities that fungi offer, and his obvious familiarity with growing these marvelous creatures—not just theoretical knowledge—makes the book particularly valuable. This book opens the doors wide to a diverse and fascinating fungal world.”--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture“Mushroom cultivation should be playing a much bigger role in our gardens and farms. Tradd Cotter’s Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation provides low-cost, easily accessible techniques for growing mushrooms indoors and outdoors, from home to commercial scale.”--Eric Toensmeier, author of Paradise Lot and Perennial Vegetables“This is a reference book for the next generation of DIY mycologists. It is a great practical guide to mushroom cultivation, starting with basic concepts and building from there to mycoremediation and experimental strain development. Tradd Cotter is a man with a mission, who has done and thought about all this a lot; he has learned to explain it with great clarity and in a simple and well-organized manner.”--Sandor Ellix Katz, fermentation revivalist and author of The Art of Fermentation and Wild Fermentation“Finally, an accessible resource covering a wide variety of mushroom-cultivation approaches. Tradd Cotter’s book fills an enormous need—I’ve been wishing for a resource like this for a long time. This is the kind of book I’ll keep nearby and will turn to often over the years. Any farmer or gardener who wishes to garner food or medicine value from wood needs to understand and cultivate mushrooms. And this is the best all-around manual I’ve seen.”--Ben Falk, author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead“Tradd Cotter has done a wonderful job sharing his practical experience in a well-organized way with illustrations that clearly underline the topics. Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation is an invaluable resource for teaching students about mushroom cultivation.”--Peter Oei, author of Mushroom Cultivation, director of horticulture innovation at InnovatieNetwerk, Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, and founder of MeattheMushroom.nl and spore.nl.“Wow! Tradd Cotter is a genius of organic mushroom production. His step-by-step instructions and beautiful photography make this a must-have book.”--Robert Rogers, author of The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichens of North America

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Book SynopsisA practical, systems-based approach for a more sustainable farming operation "Ben Hartman has revolutionized his methods, cut down his work hours dramatically, and shrunk the size of his farm, all while making a better income."—Civil Eats To many people today, using the words “factory” and “farm” in the same sentence is nothing short of sacrilege. In many cases, though, the same sound business practices apply whether you are producing cars or carrots. Author Ben Hartman and other young farmers are increasingly finding that incorporating the best new ideas from business into their farming can drastically cut their wastes and increase their profits, making their farms more environmentally and economically sustainable. By explaining the lean system for identifying and eliminating waste and introducing efficiency in every aspect of the farm operation, The Lean Farm makes the case that small-scale farming can be an attractive career option for young people who are interested in growing food for their community. Working smarter, not harder, also prevents the kind of burnout that start-up farmers often encounter in the face of long, hard, backbreaking labor. Lean principles grew out of the Japanese automotive industry, but they are now being followed on progressive farms around the world. Using examples from his own family’s one-acre community-supported farm in Indiana, Hartman clearly instructs other small farmers in how to incorporate lean practices in each step of their production chain, from starting a farm and harvesting crops to training employees and selling goods. Inside The Lean Farm you'll discover how to apply lean practices like: Every Tool In Its Place Ten Types of Farm Waste Establish Pull, Don't Push Limits of Lean Lean for More Profit and much more! While the intended audience for this book is small-scale farmers who are part of the growing local food movement, Hartman’s prescriptions for high-value, low-cost production apply to farms and businesses of almost any size or scale that hope to harness the power of lean in their production processes. Ben Hartman was named a "Grist 50! Fixer" "The Lean Farm should be dissected, digested, and discussed—then applied—on every single farm: big or small, wholesale or retail, livestock or produce. It would make all farms more profitable, productive, and pleasurable.”—Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface FarmTrade ReviewBooklist- "The concept of ‘lean' manufacturing originally began during the 1980s in Japanese auto factories, such as those owned by Toyota, and it embraces a work ethic of eliminating as much waste as possible to give consumers the best value for their purchase. Using his own Clay Bottom Farm in Indiana as a proving ground, Hartman adapted this lean philosophy to support a thriving business, growing and selling enough specialty produce to support himself and his wife by harvesting only a single acre of land. In this lucidly written, well-organized guidebook, Hartman lays out the fundamentals of lean farming for any grower hoping to follow his example, from limiting materials and transportation needs to more efficiently using staff member talents. Along with many useful charts and photos, Hartman includes 10 case studies from his own farm, illustrating how trimming away unneeded practices led to big production gains. Although Hartman’s target audience here is organic, small-scale growers, anyone involved in a larger agribusiness owned operation will find his advice remarkably useful and ultimately very profitable.” “Ben Hartman is diversified farming's Dean of Lean. He walks the talk, sharing insights on how lean principles helped his farm and how they can help yours. ‘Lean’ is the epitome of efficiency, an essential ingredient of any successful farm.”--Richard Wiswall, author of The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook“With lean principles, what’s good for the farm is even better for the farmer. As we invite new farmers back to the land, into vacant lots, and onto rooftops, we have to give them the tools for success and the ability to sustain. ‘Lean farming’ won’t leave you trying to turn a farm into an automotive factory, but you will get a whiff of what it means when the rubber hits the road.”--Philip Ackerman-Leist, author of Rebuilding the Foodshed “Farming is not just a business, but it's still a business, and Hartman's application of Toyota's efficiency principles to the farm is nothing short of profound. As I read this fantastic book, my mind literally skipped from procedure to place on our farm with new ideas on how to create efficiencies. The Lean Farm should be dissected, digested, and discussed--then applied--on every single farm: big or small, wholesale or retail, livestock or produce. It would make all farms more profitable, productive, and pleasurable.”--Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farm, author of You Can Farm and Folks, This Ain't Normal“Anyone who thinks lean is only for a factory should read this book. Ben Hartman, with simple but eloquent prose and delightful figures and photos, demonstrates how all aspects of lean can apply to farming, a process of growing and selling living things. The mysterious uniqueness of farming under constantly changing conditions became clear as Ben learned to understand his customers and his value streams to increase value and eliminate waste. And lean reinforced, rather then replaced, the strong social values of the Hartman farm.”--Jeffrey Liker, author of The Toyota Way“Farmers are good at farming—it is what they enjoy doing! At the same time, planning, organizing, and working out everything most efficiently is often not done as easily. The Lean Farm will help us all easily increase flow, production, and income. It is a treasure trove of possibilities without the need for increased investment!”--John Jeavons, author of How to Grow More Vegetables, executive director of Ecology Action, and developer of sustainable, biologically intensive mini-farming“If you want to see, right now, what food farming will look like in the coming years, this is the book for you. Using the kind of super-efficiency that new-age manufacturing has perfected, author Ben Hartman describes, in great detail and with superb illustrations, how he and his wife reduced their farm size from three acres to one and still make a decent living on it.”--Gene Logsdon, author, The Contrary Farmer"We give every new employee a copy of Ben’s writing to study. Adopting lean principles has been critical for bringing organization, focus, and harmony to our 100-acre fully diversified vegetable farm. ‘A place for every thing, and every thing in its place’ is a refrain we repeat over and over."--Pete Johnson, organic farmer and owner of Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury, Vermont“Clay Bottom Farm is a gem of a place in northern Indiana, where we are repeatedly told that you need a thousand acres to make a living as a farmer. Ben Hartman and his wife Rachel disprove this ‘conventional wisdom’ every day by managing a thriving farm business, not on a thousand acres, but on just one. In The Lean Farm, Ben explains how their elegant approach can be applied by anyone. His writing, like his farm, is clean, well organized, and easy to follow—but his ideas are revolutionary. The Lean Farm is one of the most original and innovative books on food and farming to come out in the last decade.”--Steve Hallett, Professor of Horticulture, Purdue University, and author of Life without Oil and The Efficiency Trap

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Book SynopsisOne-Straw Revolutionary represents the first commentary on the work of the late Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka (1913 – 2008), widely considered to be natural farming’s most influential practitioner. Mr. Fukuoka is perhaps most known for his bestselling book The One-Straw Revolution (1978), a manifesto on the importance of no-till agriculture, which was at the time of publication a radical challenge to the global systems that supply the world’s food, and still inspires readers today. Larry Korn, who apprenticed with Mr. Fukuoka in Japan at the time, translated the manuscript and brought it to the United States, knowing it would change the conversation about food forever. The One-Straw Revolution, edited by Korn and Wendell Berry, was an immediate international success, and established Mr. Fukuoka as a leading voice in the fight against conventional industrial agriculture. In this new book, through his own personal narrative, Larry Korn distills his experience of more than thirty-five years of study with Mr. Fukuoka, living and working on his farm on Shikoku Island, and traveling with Mr. Fukuoka to the United States on two six-week visits. One-Straw Revolutionary is the first book to look deeply at natural farming and intimately discuss the philosophy and work of Mr. Fukuoka. In addition to giving his personal thoughts about natural farming, Korn broadens the discussion by pointing out natural farming’s kinship with the ways of indigenous cultures and traditional Japanese farming. At the same time, he clearly distinguishes natural farming from other forms of agriculture, including scientific and organic agriculture and permaculture. Korn also clarifies commonly held misconceptions about natural farming in ways Western readers can readily understand. And he explains how natural farming can be used practically in areas other than agriculture, including personal growth and development. The book follows the author on his travels from one back-to-the-land commune to another in the countryside of 1970s Japan, a journey that eventually led him to Mr. Fukuoka’s natural farm. Korn’s description of his time there, as well as traveling with Mr. Fukuoka during his visits to the United States, offers a rare, inside look at Mr. Fukuoka’s life. Readers will delight in this personal insight into one of the world’s leading agricultural thinkers.Trade ReviewCHOICE- "This book brings fascinating insight and perspective to the contributions of Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008), the founder of the worldwide natural farming movement. Written by a former student and farm intern of Fukuoka, it recounts his life and work, and documents the author's own travels in Japan and early experiences working on Fukuoka's farm in the 1970s. It goes on to discuss natural farming techniques using Fukuoka's farm as a case study, and describes the writing and publication of The One Straw Revolution (1975) and the resultant rise in international interest in natural farming. As it compares natural farming with indigenous farming, traditional Japanese agriculture, permaculture, and modern-day organic farming, the direction of the book changes from memory and reflection to an oversimplified discussion of agricultural theory. As a memoir it is compelling.”“Larry Korn shines a light on the path that Fukuoka discovered integrating indigenous agriculture with a deep reverence for the land and natural processes. Many revolutions of the sun later, it is clear that the continued illumination of this path is necessary to bring about a stewardship culture of soil, plant, animal, and human. We are fortunate to have a torch bearer in Korn who embodies the words of Taoist sage, Lao T’zu, ‘what you do is what you are.’”--Don Tipping, founder of Seven Seeds Farm and Siskiyou Seeds“This mind-opening book will provide the proper contextual knowledge and understanding on how nature works for any practitioner involved in farming, ranching, ecosystem restoration, or natural-resource management.”--Ray Archuleta, conservation agronomist, Natural Resources Conservation Service“Larry Korn virtually brings Masanobu Fukuoka back to life in One-Straw Revolutionary by highlighting his experience of more than thirty-five years of study with Mr. Fukuoka. Here we not only get a new look at Mr. Fukuoka’s natural farming but also his life in general. For those who have or have not read the insightful The One-Straw Revolution, I highly recommend this delightful book about one of the world’s great agricultural thinkers.”--John P. Reganold, Regents Professor of Soil Science & Agroecology at Washington State University“One-Straw Revolutionary is a profound sharing of the essential philosophy of natural farming translated through the friendship between Larry Korn and Masanobu Fukuoka. Larry’s engaging story offers wise insights into authentic practices that honor the community of all life. I deeply resonate with both the author’s perspectives and Fukuoka’s clear understanding of a revolutionary pathway for creating abundance by honoring the natural patterns of our earth.”--Katrina Blair, author of The Wild Wisdom of Weeds“In One-Straw Revolutionary, Larry Korn revisits his experiences with Masanobu Fukuoka, one of the most important thinkers in agricultural history. This book is a sort of sequel to Mr. Fukuoka’s The One-Straw Revolution, clarifying and amplifying that book and then going on to reveal Mr. Korn’s own intriguing contributions to the new social and agricultural order.”--Gene Logsdon, author of Gene Everlasting and A Sanctuary of Trees “I still think The One-Straw Revolution is the best book Rodale ever published, and we can thank Larry Korn for bringing it to us. Larry’s deep insight into Fukuoka-san’s Zen-like approach to farming threw a new light on the organic method of farming and gardening for me, as I was then an editor of Organic Gardening magazine. Through Larry, I was able to see that the question is not, ‘What can I do next?’ but rather, ‘What can I stop doing without diminishing the results?’ This impulse toward simplicity is the master’s great gift to the world, carried forth into the world by Larry Korn.”—Jeff Cox, author of twenty books, including the best-selling From Vines to Wines and the James Beard Foundation-nominated The Organic Cook’s Bible, and former managing editor of Organic Gardening magazine

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Book SynopsisChoice Reviews, Outstanding Academic Title Techniques and systems for processing food scraps, manure, yard debris, paper, and more Turning waste into wealth sounds too good to be true, but many worm farmers are finding that vermicomposting is a reliable way to do just that. Vermicast—a biologically active, nutrient-rich mix of earthworm castings and decomposed organic matter—sells for $400 or more per cubic yard. Compare that to regular compost, sold at about $30 a cubic yard, and you’ll see why vermicomposting has taken root in most countries and on every continent but Antarctica. Vermicomposting is also one of the best sustainable solutions for organic waste management. Vermicomposting manure and crop wastes on farms improves crop yields while reducing demand for off-farm inputs. Vermicast has higher nutrient levels and lower soluble salt content than regular compost, and it improves soil aeration, porosity, and water retention. Plus, vermicast suppresses plant diseases and insect attacks. Municipalities, businesses, community gardens, schools, and universities can set up vermicomposting operations to process food residuals and other waste materials. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook details the ins and outs of vermicomposting for mid- to large-scale operations, including how to recycle organic materials ranging from food wastes and yard trimmings to manure and shredded office paper. Vermicomposting expert Rhonda Sherman shares what she has learned over twenty-five years working with commercial worm growers and researchers around the world. Her profiles of successful worm growers across the United States and from New Zealand to the Middle East and Europe describe their proven methods and systems. This book digs into all the details, including: Choosing the right production system Regulatory issues and developing a business and marketing plan Finding and managing feedstocks Pre-composting: why and how to do it Monitoring an active worm bed Harvesting, screening, testing, packaging, and storing vermicast Markets for earthworms and vermicast Food security: how vermicast benefits soils and plants Keys to success: avoiding common pitfalls From livestock farms and restaurants to colleges, military bases, and prisons, Sherman details why and how commercial-scale vermicomposting is a fast-growing, sustainable solution for organic waste management. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is the first and only authoritative how-to guide that goes beyond small-scale operations and demystifies the science and logistics of the fascinating process that is vermicomposting.Trade ReviewChoice Reviews— “The real value of this work is the applicability of the national and international information brought together in one resource for use by vermicompost operators.”Library Journal— "Sherman offers an important addition to the literature on vermiculture and vermicomposting with an eyes-wide-open approach to planning, starting, and managing a viable commercial-scale operation that steers clear of hype while weighing both the risks and rewards of the venture."Booklist— "Vermiculture, the process of using worms to turn organic food waste into compost, has been around for decades but has been growing in popularity. Vermicompost or vermicast, the product of vermiculture, makes a rich, organic soil amendment or growth medium which has been shown to increase yields, reduce the damage caused by some diseases and pests, and help repair damage to degraded soil. This book covers everything one would want to know about vermiculture, from how it works to designing a harvesting system and laying out postharvest practices. Sherman also profiles a range of worm-farming examples from throughout the U.S. and around the world, including details such as the size of the operation and its setting, the cost of setup, the amount of food waste processed, and the span of time the process takes. While written for use in a mid- or large-scale setting, much of the information here about earthworm biology and living conditions will also be beneficial for smaller-scale use by home gardeners.”“In my 24 years in the worm business, I have read and sold many books about worms. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is the most comprehensive and detailed collection of information on vermicomposting I have encountered. Rhonda Sherman provides clear instructions and guidance on everything a beginner needs to know to start up and successfully maintain a worm business, from type of beds and feedstocks to how to feed, harvest, package, ship, and much more. Experienced farmers will find plenty of excellent tips and ideas to improve their businesses, too. Well done, Rhonda!”—Mark Purser, co-owner, The Worm Farm, Durham, California“My very first business venture as a child was a worm farm, which failed horribly. Had I had Rhonda Sherman’s mentorship, I can only imagine the worm empire I’d have today. With The Worm Farmer’s Handbook as a guide, anyone can learn the science and art of raising worms.”—Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos; author of Delivering Happiness“Rhonda Sherman masters the art of communicating the technical and biological minutia critical to successful worm farming in a personable and easy-to-understand manner. The case studies in The Worm Farmer’s Handbook bring vermicomposting alive! This book is the next best thing to being on an actual worm farm tour. Kudos!”—Nora Goldstein, editor, BioCycle magazine“Rhonda Sherman’s book has arrived on the scene at just the right time, as vermiculture technology is gaining momentum in research and industry. The book combines Sherman’s hands-on experience with detailed descriptions of current practices and comprehensive documentation of research findings, making it a vital reference for worm farming practitioners and enthusiasts.”—Norman Q. Arancon, PhD, associate professor of horticulture, University of Hawaii at Hilo“The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is a must-read for anyone interested in vermicomposting or vermiculture. With a candid voice, Rhonda Sherman explains the pitfalls and opportunities of worm farming based on her decades of experience. Chock full of tips for replication and lessons learned from model enterprises, the book’s chapters span not only the globe but a plethora of systems and sizes.”—Brenda Platt, director, Composting for Community Project, Institute for Local Self-Reliance“With The Worm Farmer’s Handbook, Rhonda Sherman delivers the first concise book of its kind: The A through Z of vermicomposting for commercial and community-scale enterprises.”—Frank Franciosi, executive director, US Composting Council“Rhonda Sherman sheds light on the mysterious world of worms and provides valuable insight into the worm composting industry. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is my new first stop for practical, trustworthy vermicomposting information.”—James McSweeney, author of Community-Scale Composting Systems“Rhonda Sherman’s comprehensive new manual covers everything about creating a vermiculture business, from writing a business plan, marketing, and the care and feeding of worms to choosing a system that works for you. I wish her book had been available when I bought my worm farm 25 years ago! For over 20 years I have believed that vermiculture has the potential to revolutionize agriculture. The Worm Farmer’s Handbook can help that revolution go forward, and I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in vermiculture.”—Jack Chambers, president, TerraVesco“Before reading this book, I made a mental note of topics that I felt would be included, such as history, how-to, underlying science, pitfalls and benefits, and economics. I was not disappointed—these topics and so much more are fully covered and written about in a very readable manner. This book will prove useful to academics and students at every educational level, practitioners of all types, and anyone with an enquiring mind. In an ever-growing field, The Worm Farmer’s Handbook is set to be the must-have guide and is a very welcome addition to earthworm literature.”—Kevin R. Butt, PhD, director, Earthworm Research Group, University of Central Lancashire“With global topsoil depletion reaching alarming levels, this thorough, informed, detailed, and concise manual could not be more timely. Worm farming presents unprecedented hope and enterprising opportunities that are being adopted in every corner of the world. All food security activists, healthy soil advocates, farmers, and educators should read The Worm Farmer’s Handbook. Thank you, Rhonda—this book is a highly useful gift to us all. The world needs more worm farmers!”—Anna de la Vega, director, The Urban Worm Community Interest Company

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Book Synopsis“I love your ideas, but I only have a few acres. How do I do this at my scale?” Success with domestic livestock does not require large land bases. Joel Salatin and his family’s Polyface Farm in Virginia lead the world in animal-friendly and ecologically authentic, commercial, pasture-based livestock production. In Polyface Micro he adapts the ideas and protocols to small holdings (including apartments)! Homesteaders can increase production, enjoy healthy animals, and create aesthetically and aromatically pleasant livestock systems. Whether you’re a new or seasoned homesteader, you’ll find tips and inspiration as Joel coaches you toward success and abundance.

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Book SynopsisGrow your own gorgeous flowers that fill your house with scent. Look after the planet by reducing your blooms' air miles.Trade ReviewWith such a friendly writing style, it is easy to imagine cutting your home-grown blooms in the morning and delivering them to the local florist, with the author at your side. [...] For those who want to grow cut flowers simply for pleasure and to fill their home with blooms, this book is also essential reading. * RHS The Garden *Georgie Newbery gives sound and cheery advice on growing, displaying and - if that is your bag - selling [flowers] in The Flower Farmer's Year. * The Sunday Times *The Flower Farmer's Year gives advice targeted to our mild, dark-in-winter climate, and also gives practical advice on both preparing flowers for sale, and most importantly of all perhaps, how to actually sell them! * The Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm *A real treat for anyone who love to grow flowers for business or pleasure. * All That Women Want *It's the sort of book that will make you want to jack in your day job and start growing sweet peas, dahlias and roses for a living. * The Bath Magazine *Whether you're an amateur gardener or aspiring artisanal florist the book won't be read just once, with its wealth of invaluable information and beautiful pictures you'll find yourself returning to Georgie's blooming corner of Somerset again and again. * RandBConsultants *There's something magical about fresh flowers and this stunningly presented book can't help but captivate the novice and experienced grower alike. * Organic Farmer *Artisan flower farmer Newbery brings horticultural and agricultural logic to the process of farming flowers—planning, planting, growing, harvesting, and then arranging them—in a way that surprises and enlightens. * Publisher's Weekly *I love this book – it’s a beautiful yet practical and accessible guide that will help you transform whatever sized patch you have into an abundant oasis of flowers. -- Gardener, food writer and broadcaster, Mark DiaconoGeorgie has written an inspiring book for anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to grow flowers on a commercial scale. -- Constance Craig Smith * The Daily Mail Weekend Magazine *If you’re thinking of setting yourself up as a flower farmer, you’ll find Georgie’s book indispensable. And if you’d simply like to grow flowers for pleasure, then I’m sure you’ll really enjoy the book too. Plus it would make a great Christmas present…! -- Rona Wheeldon * Flowerona.com *This coffee table book is both beautiful and practical, with more than 200 pages of well-written and wonderfully illustrated advice and inspiration. A must for the flower lover in your life! * Countryside Magazine *Whether you are actually planning to flog a few flowers or just want decent, straightforward advice on creating a cutting garden for your own use, this book is an excellent choice. -- Naomi Slade * Berks and Bucks Life *Table of ContentsForeword by James Alexander-Sinclair Introduction: Why grow cut flowers? 1. Getting started 2. Annuals 3. Biennials 4. Perennials 5. Bulbs & corms 6. Shrubs 7. Roses 8. Dahlias 9. Sweet peas 10. Herbs 11. Wildflowers 12. Cutting, conditioning & presenting cut flowers 13. Hedgerow Christmas 14. Starting a cut-flower business 15. Where to sell 16. Marketing & social media Afterword Appendix 1: The flower farmer’s year planner Appendix 2: Plant names Resources Index

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Book SynopsisAt Clay Bottom Farm, author Ben Hartman and staff practice kaizen, or continuous improvement, cutting out more waste—of time, labor, space, money, and more—every year and aligning their organic production more tightly with customer demand. Applied alongside other lean principles originally developed by the Japanese auto industry, the end result has been increased profits and less work. In this field-guide companion to his award-winning first book, The Lean Farm, Hartman shows market vegetable growers in even more detail how Clay Bottom Farm implements lean thinking in every area of their work, including using kanbans, or replacement signals, to maximize land use; germination chambers to reduce defect waste; and right-sized machinery to save money and labor and increase efficiency. From finding land and assessing infrastructure needs to selling perfect produce at the farmers market, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables digs deeper into specific, tested methods for waste-free farming that not only help farmers become more successful but make the work more enjoyable. These methods include: Using Japanese paper pot transplanters Building your own germinating chambers Leaning up your greenhouse Making and applying simple composts Using lean techniques for pest and weed control Creating Heijunka, or load-leveling calendars for efficient planning Farming is not static, and improvement requires constant change. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables offers strategies for farmers to stay flexible and profitable even in the face of changing weather and markets. Much more than a simple exercise in cost-cutting, lean farming is about growing better, not cheaper, food—the food your customers want.Trade Review“Ben Hartman and I share similar approaches to growing vegetables; we both run highly productive farms using efficient techniques and well-designed space and procedures. With this book, however, I believe Ben has taken our craft to new levels with fresh ideas and different strategies. The information here provides incredible value for any small-scale farmer seeking a compact, yet profitable farm model. I highly recommend this book.”—Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener“All revolutions require a leap in consciousness plus a set of daily practices to sustain and gain the full benefits of the new consciousness. Ben Hartman is that rare person who could describe the lean farming revolution (in The Lean Farm) and then provide proven practices from his own farm in his new book, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables, to help fellow revolutionaries grow good food in a lean way for the long term. Together these volumes describe all you need to know for a sustainable lean revolution on your farm. The rest is up to you.”—Jim Womack, founder and senior advisor, Lean Enterprise Institute“This manual of growing follows the lean principles of Ben and Rachel’s farm, its pages are jam-packed with useful advice for efficient organic growing. ‘Lean’ is a great paradigm for directing your time and energy into a fully effective approach, whether in a large garden or small farm. I was fascinated to read all the examples of seeding, planting, and harvesting, and the gorgeous photos show the high productiveness of these methods.”—Charles Dowding, coauthor of No Dig Organic Home & Garden “Everyone strives for efficiency in vegetable farming, but Ben Hartman has actually achieved it. In his lean farming books, he provides a clear-headed approach to achieving efficiency of space, time, and resources. Every vegetable farmer who wants to be profitable and enjoy the farming life would do well to read these books closely.”—Lynn Byczynski, author of Market Farming Success and The Flower Farmer“Ben Hartman is a true innovator for the small farm. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables takes the lean techniques from his first book even further with new innovations and greater detail. I have been eagerly awaiting this addendum so that I can start trying these practices on my farm. This book is a must for any market grower who wants to push the boundaries of profitability while finding life balance at the same time.”—Curtis Stone, author of The Urban Farmer“Ben Hartman clearly illustrates how the continual process of lean thinking can benefit every farm. From targeted market planning driven by what customers truly value, to effective and efficient production from planning through harvest, and ultimately to putting money into your bank account, this book is full of practical and inventive ideas that will help your farm prosper.”—Richard Wiswall, author of The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook “This is a great book on the methods that make Clay Bottom Farm a successful compact farm, explaining the thinking behind those methods. Ben gives clear, detailed descriptions of the day-to-day systems, and further illustrates the concepts he first laid out in The Lean Farm. This companion, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables, reveals a refined system that makes a great jumping off point for any aspiring grower, and gives seasoned growers ideas for how to improve their own systems.”—Josh Volk, author of Compact Farms“Another gem from Ben Hartman. The Lean Farm introduced a dynamic new way of thinking about small farm businesses, pointing us in the right direction. Now, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables gives us the detail, specifics, and tricks of the trade that show us how to execute lean strategies on a small farm. Ben is a key entrepreneur in diverse, sustainable, small farm agriculture, and is emerging as the Midwest’s heir apparent to Eliot Coleman. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables is an indispensable resource for all small farmers, new or experienced, young or old.”—Steve Hallett, professor of horticulture, Purdue University; author of The Efficiency Trap; coauthor of Life without Oil“Applications of lean principles to a new arena are often confusing and shallow. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables is clear and deep. This book is based on real-world experience, drawing on lean principles to develop a radically new approach to farming that gets you more for less.”—Jeffrey Liker, author of The Toyota Way“I’m an impatient reader but always make time for Ben’s writings. Every time I found myself wondering about a nugget of detail in The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables it would appear within the next paragraph or two. This book fully explores production details that most authors skim over, and in vegetable production—as in any craft—details matter.”—Pete Johnson, founder, Pete’s Greens, Craftsbury, Vermont “If you liked The Lean Farm, you’ll love The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables. Ben’s first book was the big picture of what lean principles are and how they can be used to make farms more efficient. This book focuses in for the close-up, with specific examples of how to apply lean principles to vegetable farming and case studies from the author’s own farm experience. Ben’s discussion of kaizen, the practice of continuous improvement, reminds us we can all be more efficient. Read this book with last season in mind and you’ll be inspired with ideas of how to streamline next season. After reading this I have more than a few lean ideas I’m going to apply on my own farm.”—Andrew Mefferd, author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook

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Book SynopsisFossil fuels and livestock grazing are often targeted as major culprits behind climate change and desertification. But Allan Savory, cofounder of the Savory Institute, begs to differ. The bigger problem, he warns, is our mismanagement of resources. Livestock grazing is not the problem, it's how we graze livestock. If we don't change the way we approach land management, irreparable harm from climate change could continue long after we replace fossil fuels with environmentally benign energy sources. Holistic management is a systems-thinking approach for managing resources developed by Savory decades ago after observing the devastation of desertification in his native Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Properly managed livestock are key to restoring the world's grassland soils, the major sink for atmospheric carbon, and minimizing the most damaging impacts on humans and the natural world.This book updates Savory's paradigm-changing vision for reversing desertification, stemming the loss of biodiversity, eliminating fundamental causes 'of' human impoverishment throughout the world, and climate change. Reorganised chapters make it easier for readers to understand the framework for Holistic Management and the four key insights that underlie it. New colour photographs Showcase before-and-after examples of land restored by livestock. This long-anticipated new edition is written for new generations of farmers, eco- and social entrepreneurs, and development professionals working to address global environmental and social degradation. It offers new hope that a sustainable future for humankind and the world we depend on is within reach.

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Book Synopsis“Ben Hartman is a true innovator for the small farm.”—Curtis Stone, author of The Urban Farmer It’s time to think big about small farms. Award-winning author and “green leader” (Grist) Ben Hartman shares practical how-to tips, personal stories, and surprising examples of cutting-edge farmers and innovators around the world to show us how. In the early 1970s, US Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz infamously commanded farmers to “get big or get out.” In The Lean Micro Farm, author Ben Hartman rejects that disastrous suggestion and instead takes up the charge of the late agrarian thinker Gene Logsdon: “Get small and stay in.” Taking inspiration from the groundbreaking ideas of E. F. Schumacher and Mahatma Gandhi, The Lean Micro Farm shows how small, hyperlocal farms can be both ecologically and economically superior to industrial-scale operations geared toward export and commodity markets. The Lean Micro Farm details the author’s remarkable journey to downsize his farm from one acre to a third of an acre in an effort to prioritize family and community over work, all without taking a pay cut. In addition, Hartman profiles six innovative farmers from across the globe who embody this “get small” mindset. These pioneering farmers show all of us a path toward resilience in the face of supply chain disruption, globalization, and climate change. They model a gentler, more ecological approach to farming that produces less waste and uses less plastic, petroleum, and fertilizer. Like his previous two books, The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables, Hartman’s The Lean Micro Farm doesn’t just explain why smaller is better, it shows readers exactly how it can be done with step-by-step guides on how to turn a profit from a tiny, but productive, parcel of farmland. Readers will find not just philosophical justifications for a minimalist approach to agriculture but also actionable information for starting your own profitable micro farm, including: A description of the “deep mulch” method for building fertility Instructions on two-step bed flipping to increase production on a small footprint A guide for choosing essential tools and technologies “with a human face” An easy-to-follow process for making your micro farm lean and efficient A detailed plan for selling $20,000 worth of produce from your backyard It’s time, Hartman makes clear, to pivot to a new kind of farming—one that builds upon ancestral knowledge, nourishes communities, and puts human joy, not technology, at its center. “Hartman has revolutionized his methods, cut down his work hours dramatically, and shrunk the size of his farm, all while making a better income.”—Civil EatsTrade Review“Oftentimes, the desire in farming is to open up more land, grow more crops, and get bigger. In The Lean Micro Farm, Ben Hartman doesn’t just illuminate the enormous potential in getting small—for communities, for the environment, for the profitability of farms—he lays out a roadmap for how to achieve it. “As Ben eloquently demonstrates, small doesn’t mean less, small can just as easily mean more. Small can mean better. Small can mean, in the immortal words of economist E. F. Schumacher, beautiful. More importantly, when the desire is to grow more and earn more, sometimes getting smaller is actually the answer. “I was delighted and a bit terrified to pick up Ben Hartman’s new book, because every time I read something Ben wrote, significant portions of my farm change. And The Lean Micro Farm is no exception. Chapter by chapter you see the ways in which shrinking their farm has led Ben and his wife Rachel to a happier, healthier, more sustainable, more localized farm without risking income. Each section is filled with examples and strategies for how they got small and what it looks like in practice. It’s well-written, thought-provoking, and potentially life-altering. I immediately found myself penciling out ways to make our farm smaller. “So fair warning, this book will change your farm.” —Jesse Frost, author of The Living Soil Handbook“The Lean Micro Farm is a game changer for farming and food production. With well-thought-out principles and innovative techniques for planning and maintaining profitable tiny farms, Ben Hartman opens the door to a future of micro farms everywhere, rather than fewer and fewer large farms in rural locations only. This easy-to-read book is full of time-saving and ecologically sustainable techniques, such as flipping beds of both short and tall-growing crops with minimal soil disturbance so that multiple crops can be grown well each year in a small space. Ben’s tested methods can be applied to gardens and homesteads as well as small farms. Thank you, Ben, for bringing the ideas of my hero, E. F. Schumacher, into the 21st century and showing that they are as relevant as they were when his book, Small Is Beautiful, was first published!” —Helen Atthowe, Woodleaf Farm, Montana; author of The Ecological Farm“Ben is a shining example of the powerful ideas and efficient methods he describes. He has a way of making things simple and a simple way of explaining them! Small is beautiful and small makes sense, now more than ever. Ben’s one third of an acre is understandable, achievable, and hugely productive of nutritious food. It’s my pleasure to learn more about and endorse his approach. Here’s to health with Hartman.” —Charles Dowding, author of No Dig Gardening, No Dig Cookbook, and No Dig Children's Gardening Book“We urgently need to be experimenting with new ways of producing food locally, keeping an eye on future uncertainties, present realities, and past wisdom. Few have done so with more thoughtfulness and rigorous practicality than Ben Hartman, as showcased in this excellent book. I wish its treasure trove of hard-earned insight had been available when I was starting my own small market garden. It’s sure to help a new generation of small-scale growers hit the ground running.” —Chris Smaje, author of Saying NO to a Farm-Free Future“In the field, Ben never zags. The crops are in perfect alignment. Zagging would be wasteful motion. However, in a world that’s obsessed with scaling, whether the business is technology or ‘never-enough farming,’ Ben has zagged by getting small. For the sake of his family and community, Ben simply wants to live better and work less. Don’t we all? In this book, he explains how to achieve that goal by getting small with lean thinking. In other words, he explains how the philosophy of ‘just enough’ is a zag we should all consider putting into practice.” —Josh Howell, president and executive team leader, Lean Enterprise Institute“I am immensely grateful to have come across this book and its older siblings—they have helped us so much on our farm. The mindset of doing better instead of growing more is the best advice a young farmer can receive. In this new book you will be immersed in the ideas of great thinkers like Schumacher, Pareto, Gandhi, as well as Japanese philosophy, while also receiving concrete steps to be productive and profitable. Clay Bottom Farm is the most productive small farm we have visited, measured in income by square meter, and we are still trying to catch up.” —Francisco Vio, Huerto Cuatro Estaciones, Aysén, Chile

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisLiving With The Earth is a three volume series bringing together years of hands-on organic growing experience and research from the world-renowned Bec Hellouin Farm in France. In 2006, Perrine and Charles Herve-Gruyer set out on a mission to discover a new form of agriculture that provides organic crops, creates healthy soil and brings meaningful employment to the local community. A combination of biointensive methods and permaculture design, which they have named 'ecoculture', and backed by scientific research, has resulted in a highly abundant market garden that sequesters carbon and frees up land for Nature. This beautifully illustrated, comprehensive first volume shows you how natural systems work, and explains how a wide range of simple and effective techniques can create ecologically diverse gardens or highly productive farms. The in-depth chapters on weather patterns, soil types and ecosystem services, give the reader a sound understanding of the environment they are growing in. The book covers everything you need to design a farm and implement a high-yielding food system from scratch, from understanding permaculture and its tools to the full design process, using the successful systems at Bec Hellouin as examples. Chapters on composting, mulching, fertilisers, green manures and working with beneficial microorganisms offer the reader a selection of tools for creating healthy soil within the farm ecosystem. This is a unique, groundbreaking book for gardeners, homesteaders, farmers, agronomists and permaculture designers.Trade Review"Goodness, this book sings! Living With The Earth braids ecological farming, scientific rigor and ancient wisdom with all the practicalities of a manual that actually helps you do the work. The immense beauty of this book, with its lyrical writing, photos and illustrations, pulls you into the world of miracles ... our world tended with loving hands in a simple, effective and regenerative way. This is ecological farming at its best." Erik Ohlsen, Author of The Regenerative Landscaper

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Book SynopsisA gathering of information and source of inspiration for homesteaders everywhere. With over thirty-five years of combined experience, homesteaders Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn have taught thousands of people across the globe how to garden, preserve food, tend backyard chickens, cook from scratch, and care for their families with natural homemade alternatives. Now, their homesteading knowledge and instruction can be found in one place with Small-Scale Homesteading. In this sustainable guide, learn how to grow your own food, tap maple trees to make gallons of homemade syrup, successfully raise a small flock of laying hens, and more. Other topics include: The benefits of small-scale homesteading and its local impacts Soil health and composting Keeping chickens Planning a vegetable garden using annuals and perennials DIY recipes and projects for the home and garden Seed saving and planting tips Handmade candles, soaps, lotions, and cleaning solutions Companion and succession planting How to extend your growing season Explanation of approved food preservation methods and supplied needed Maple sugaring And so much more! Merging insight from two homesteaders proves to be twice the fun and reminds us that working together is always better. Trade Review"From integrated pest management and companion planting, to setting up a chicken coop that will keep a flock safe and happy, to homemade natural lotions and salves, Small-Scale Homesteading provides anyone eager to be a bit more self-sufficient and take control of what's going into (and onto!) their bodies a road map for success. Broken down into easily digestible sections conveyed in a friendly, conversational manner, this book is a must for aspiring homesteaders."—Lisa Steele, author of Fresh Eggs Daily and 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks "Cultivating a relationship with your food is more important than ever, and doing so in a small space or urban setting never felt so approachable!"—Crystal Schmidt, creator of Whole-Fed Homestead and author of Freeze Fresh "This knowledgeable guide is chock-full of practical advice for homesteaders, small farmers, or anyone interested in doing more for themselves."―Rodney Wilson, senior editor at Hobby Farms "This book is the inspiration you need for embracing the homestead lifestyle without acreage. The authors’ love of gardening shines through as they share techniques for making the most of limited space, proving that small-scale food production is possible, even when you have space restraints. They also delve into other methods of finding good quality, locally grown food, helping you bring your meals closer to home. Chapters on tapping for maple syrup, keeping chickens, and food preservation round out the book, highlighting many facets of homesteading that can be tackled no matter where you live.”―Kris Bordessa, author of Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living "Experienced homesteaders Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn have created a guide packed with authoritative advice and practical projects that anyone can tackle at home, whether their property is rural or urban."—Rebecca Martin, technical editor at Mother Earth News "Small-Scale Homesteading is an absolutely indispensable guide for anyone wanting to maximize their success in the garden and beyond. In a clear, concise style, it offers comprehensive solutions, smart strategies, beautiful photos, and the warm voices of the authors sharing their ambitious homesteading adventures in compact urban settings. Sustainable home growing has never been explained better."—Cynthya Porter, editor at Northern Gardener magazine "Small-Scale Homesteading is a must for noncommerical growers, from urbanites to hobby farmers. Be it planting, composting, or permaculture, this beautiful book provides much needed advice and solutions for getting the most out of flower, herb, and vegetable gardens."—Roger Sipe, group editor at Hobby Farms "If you are thinking of growing your homesteading skills, you could not find more encouraging guides than Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn. In Small Scale Homesteading, they offer a smorgasbord of ideas, how-tos, and inspiration for creating a more sustainable and fruitful home, no matter the size of your yard. A great guide and a wonderful gift for budding homesteaders."—Mary Lahr Schier, author of The Northern Gardener "In the almost thirteen years I have been running an urban farm store I have never seen a book quite as much up our alley as this one. Inspiring and informative pictures, practical advice, DIY projects, and recipes are all presented in a warm, accessible style. From backyard chicken keeping (our fave!) to maple tapping (another fave!) to seed starting to food preservation, this is small-scale homesteading gold."—Audrey Matson, owner of Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply

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Book SynopsisPart lyrical nature writing, part storytelling, part solid scientific evidence, part scholarly research, part memoir, the book is an elegant manifesto, an urgent call to stop trashing the Earth and start healing it. the Guardian Perfect for readers of Wilding, Dirt to Soil and English Pastoral! Call of the Reed Warbler is a clarion call for the global transformation of agriculture, and an in-depth look at the visionary farmers who are revolutionising the way we grow, eat, and think about food. Using his personal experience as a touchstone, starting as a chemical-dependent farmer with dead soils, he recounts his journey carefully regenerating a 2000-hectare property to a state of natural health. Massy lays out the facts behind industrial agriculture and the global profit-obsessed corporations driving it. With evocative stories, he shows how other innovative and courageous farmers are finding a new way. It’s not too late to regenerate the earth. Call of the Reed Warbler offers a path forward for the future of our food, our planet and our health. Charles Massy has written a definitive masterpiece that takes its place along with the writings of Aldo Leopold, Wendell Berry, Masanobu Fukuoka, Humberto Maturana, and Michael Pollan. No work has more brilliantly defined regenerative agriculture... Paul HawkenTrade ReviewBooklist— "In the last few decades, a growing movement toward pesticide and GMO-free farming practices has been blossoming throughout the world as a counterbalance to corporate-driven agribusinesses. Piggybacking on terms like sustainability and permaculture, veteran sheepherder and author Massy refers to these environmentally friendly methods as “regenerative agriculture,” and he offers inspiring testimony here on how he and many of his fellow food-growing Australians have transformed their farmlands by respecting the native ecosystems that surround them. In three richly informative sections, Massy recounts the background story of how aboriginal sustainable land use eventually gave way to what he calls mechanical agriculture practices; demonstrates how balancing five landscape functions, such as solar energy and water cycles, can revitalize the soil; and gives abundant examples of Aussie farmers, including himself, using these practices with great success….[Massy’s] message about the dire need for sustainability is one that all readers concerned about food and the environment should closely heed." Kirkus Reviews— "An Australian sheepherder and range specialist looks at his home's biotic communities and how to improve their health with a more thoughtful kind of agriculture. Arachnophobes take note: There's a reason you want to see a lot of spiders in the tall grass, for, as Massy (Breaking the Sheep's Back, 2011, etc.) instructs, it means that good things are happening. 'To sustain millions of spiders,' he writes, 'there must be a corresponding diversity in the food chain, and healthy landscape function above and below ground.' Such a healthy landscape, argues the author in considerable detail, cannot come about through what he calls the 'more-on' approach to agriculture, piling chemicals atop increasingly unproductive soil, but instead is the result of a ‘regenerative' agriculture that necessarily happens at a small scale. The larger scale is what modern agronomists insist is needed in order to feed a growing world population, but at a cost that may be too great. As Massy observes, a livestock grower will always seek to save the herd before saving the range, no matter how shortsighted that strategy may be in the end. The author's prose can be arid and technical at times, as when he writes, 'at a global level, non-regeneratively grazed livestock emissions are a huge source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.' At others, he sounds like a modern butterflies-are-free avatar of Charles Reich: 'an Emergent mind combines elements of the previous Organic and Mechanical minds, but its true difference is an openness to the ongoing processes of emergence and self-organization.' The circularity aside, Massy's book is a useful small-is-beautiful argument for appropriate-level farming that people can do without massive machines or petrochemical inputs. Though less elegant than Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson, he certainly falls into their camp, and their readers will want to know Massy's work as well. A solid case for taking better care of the ground on which we stand."“Part lyrical nature writing, part storytelling, part solid scientific evidence, part scholarly research, part memoir, [this] book is an elegant manifesto, an urgent call to stop trashing the Earth and start healing it.”—The Guardian“Charles Massy has written a definitive masterpiece that takes its place along with the writings of Aldo Leopold, Wendell Berry, Masanobu Fukuoka, Humberto Maturana, and Michael Pollan. No work has more brilliantly defined regenerative agriculture and the breadth of its restorative impact upon human health, biodiversity, climate, and ecological intelligence. There is profound insight here, realized by thirty-five years of farming on the ancient, fragile soils of the Australian continent, discernment expressed with exquisite clarity, seasoned wisdom, and some breathtaking prose of poetic elegance. I believe it takes its place as the single most important book on agriculture today, one that will become a classic text.”—Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest; editor of Drawdown“I first met Charles Massy in 2015 when he visited the ranch of the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe. Building on the work of many people, Massy has now written a compelling and comprehensive book on the importance of management being holistic—and how that will ultimately lead to a regenerative agriculture capable of restoring even the most degraded ecosystems and marginalized land in any climate and at any scale. He has done this with wonderful stories that take us on a journey of ecological literacy, supported by evocative insights into landscapes, science, and practical farming and living. Call of the Reed Warbler is a massive accomplishment and contribution to our collective work of building a new agriculture, a new Earth, and renewed human society and health.”—Allan Savory, president of the Savory Institute“This book will change the way you think about food, farming, and the place of humans on the planet. Introducing us to leaders of the regenerative agriculture movement, Massy offers real hope that we may yet fashion a society that gives more than it takes.”—Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil Underground; lecturer, School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University“Conceptually rich and filled with examples of diverse innovators, Call of the Reed Warbler is the most comprehensive and engaging book I’ve read on regenerative agriculture. Charlie Massy contends humans have morphed from an ‘Organic mind’ into a ‘Mechanical mind,’ which is now evolving into an ‘Emergent mind’—a change in consciousness that embraces self-organizing processes. He shows how the minds of the innovators in his book were opened to three key processes: First, they began to understand how landscapes function, how ecological system work, and how they are indivisibly connected. Second, they got out of the way to let nature repair, self-organize, and regenerate these functions. Third, they had the humility to ‘listen to their land,’ change, and continue to learn with that same openness. Massy concludes we can heal Earth, but only by transforming ourselves and our connections with the landscapes and communities in which we live. This book is a thoughtful step in that direction.”—Fred Provenza, professor emeritus, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University; author of Nourishment“Charles Massy is a leader in the regenerative agriculture movement in Australia with a message of hope for everyone. Using his arid homeland as a touchstone, Massy thoughtfully counterbalances the damage done by industrial agriculture to our land and our prospects with evocative examples from around the world of a hopeful way forward. His beliefs are grounded in practical experience, his vision clear, and his words inspiring. Call of the Reed Warbler is a must-read!”—Courtney White, author of Grass, Soil, Hope“Call of the Reed Warbler not only heralds the sound of an ecosystem functioning but also of a world awakening to regenerative agriculture. Charlie Massy is Australia’s equivalent to Thoreau and Leopold and a practical regenerative farmer to boot. I can’t think of anyone better equipped to pen a book like this, and to do so with such scholarship, integrity, and rollicking prose is a credit to Charlie and those whose journey he’s portrayed. Easily my ‘Book of the Year.’”—Darren J. Doherty, founder, Regrarians Limited

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Book SynopsisBeyond organic-- a practical guide to nutrient-dense food.Trade ReviewThis practical step-by-step guide shows all is not lost as Steve Solomon shows us the link between healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people. - Sandra Barrera, The Daily Breeze If you garden, no matter if you're an omnivore, vegetarian, or carnivore I think this book is a good read., blogger, Throwback at Trapp Creek The nutrient density of the crops we grow and the remineralization of our soils have been almost constantly on our minds and usually on the tips of our tongues. Our biggest inspiration has come from reading Steve Solomen's new book The Intelligent Gardener. - Shannon Jones and Bryan Dyck, bloggers, Broadfork Farm Any agriculture or home gardening library will find this an accesible, popular lend. James Cox, Midwest Book ReviewTable of Contents Acknowledgments Preface - Erica Reinheimer Introduction Chapter 1: Why Nutrient-Dense Food? Chapter 2: History from a Nutritional Viewpoint Chapter 3: The Shit Method of Agriculture (SaMOA) Chapter 4: Complete Organic Fertilizer Chapter 5: Remineralization Chapter 6: Le Batterie de Cuisine Chapter 7: The Soil Prescription Chapter 8: Soils with Excesses Chapter 9: Compost Chapter 10: Epilogue Appendices Index About the Author

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Book Synopsis"Practical, well written, and comprehensive. . . . Read this book cover to cover, or keep it handy as a reference for all aspects of goat care."—Sarah Flack, author of The Art and Science of Grazing This one-of-a-kind guide will empower even novice goat owners, offering expert guidance on maintaining a healthy herd—whether they are dairy, meat, fiber, or pet goats Goats have provided humankind with essential products for centuries; indeed, they bear the noble distinction of being the first domesticated farm animal. From providing milk and meat for sustenance and fiber and hides for clothing and shelter to carrying packs and clearing brush, there isn’t much that goats cannot do. Managing goats successfully requires an understanding of how nature designed them to thrive, including nutritional and psychological needs, as well as how to identify a problem and intercede before it’s too late. For more than a decade, Gianaclis Caldwell and her family have operated Pholia Farm Creamery, an off-grid, raw milk goat cheese dairy. In Holistic Goat Care, Caldwell offers readers a comprehensive guide to maintaining a healthy herd of goats, whether they are dairy goats, meat goats, fiber goats, or pet goats. Holistic Goat Care will empower even novice goat owners to confidently diagnose and treat most of the ailments that goats might experience. For the experienced goat farmer, the book offers a depth of insight and approaches to treatment not found in any other book. Caldwell places special emphasis throughout on holistic, natural, and alternative approaches to caring for goats, including information on: Handling and managing goats using their natural instincts as an asset Developing good farm management practices such as appropriate housing and fencing systems and manure and mortality management Making feeding decisions based on understanding goats’ ruminant digestive system and their evolutionary needs Growing forage and garden crops as feed and utilizing wild browse Troubleshooting health problems based on assessing symptoms Implementing advanced health procedures such as pain control, fecal testing, and transplanting rumen microbes from healthy to sick goats Diagnosing, treating, and preventing more than 75 common goat ailments Whether your herd is two or two hundred, this first-of-its-kind, comprehensive book will help you keep your goats healthy, safe, and productive and give you a deep and enjoyable insight into the wondrous creature that is the goat.Trade Review“In Holistic Goat Care, Gianaclis Caldwell demonstrates that modern, practical, holistic, small-farm methods are the true state of the art. Her unique understanding of goat care—connecting science, real-world farming, and the healing arts—comes alive through her clear and inspiring writing. This much-needed book gifts goat owners with a ready, reliable reference for whatever nature sends their way.”—Fred Walters, editor, Acres U.S.A. magazine“Holistic Goat Care is a rare and refreshing synergy of commonsense goat lore and sound holistic principles—worthy of a place in every goat owner’s library. I am impressed with the book’s layout, as well as the content.”—Richard J. Holliday, DVM, holistic veterinarian; coauthor of A Holistic Vet’s Prescription for a Healthy Herd“Holistic Goat Care is practical, well written, and comprehensive. Giancalis Caldwell covers everything from browse to barns, breeding to birthing, vitamins to vaccination, and parasites to pizzle rot, in an easy-to-read format. The book reflects both her hands-on experience with goats and her extensive knowledge of their physiological needs and their sometimes idiosyncratic behavior. The examples of goat farms in various climates and countries make the information broadly applicable to many regions. With a light touch of humor and a hearty helping of practical advice, Gianaclis shares her depth of knowledge and her appreciation of the role and value of goats in agriculture both currently and historically. Read this book cover to cover, or keep it handy as a reference for all aspects of goat care.”—Sarah Flack, author of The Art and Science of Grazing“The next best thing to learning about goat keeping through years of experience is to read Holistic Goat Care. Gianaclis Caldwell not only provides all the essential details, she frankly describes unhappy events along with successes, to save readers the anguish of making similar mistakes and to demonstrate that sometimes bad things happen even to the most conscientious goat keeper. Rather than dictating a single rigid approach to holistic goat management, Caldwell offers numerous natural and alternative options to help you develop practices that best suit your goals and your herd’s specific needs.”—Gail Damerow, author of The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals“Holistic Goat Care is far and away the most complete guide to goat keeping I’ve ever seen. Gianaclis Caldwell handles basic care and advanced subjects, such as on-farm necropsies, cud transplants, and scur removal, with equal aplomb. Whether you have two goats or two hundred, you need this book!”—Sue Weaver, author of The Backyard Goat“I wish this book had been around when I started raising goats. Gianaclis Caldwell has a friendly, clear style of writing that makes a huge subject much less daunting. I highly recommend that beginners read Holistic Goat Care before starting out on their own goat adventure. Experienced goat owners will definitely find this book a useful reference as well. As a firm believer in providing holistic and humane care for all my animals, I am pleased to finally find a book that covers this slant for goats.”—Molly Nolte, founder, Molly’s Herbals and FiasCoFarm.com“Holistic Goat Care is an excellent resource for raising healthy goats. Gianaclis Caldwell stresses the importance of preventative medicine, which is a critical aspect of raising goats. The information in this well-written book will be very beneficial for beginners, agriculture-oriented students, veterinary students, and veterinarians. The author stresses the importance of early recognition of conditions and diseases. She also discusses treatment through conventional medicine and alternative or integrative medicine, as well as the use of complementary therapies such as herbal and homeopathic if needed. All sixteen chapters are very informative, and the text is referenced to excellent resources in goat medicine. I believe this book will be an excellent source of information in raising goats.”—Lionel J. Dawson, BVSc, MS, DACT, professor, Center of Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University

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Book SynopsisAn accessible and comprehensive guide, filled with everything you need to set up your own mini-farm and live more self-sufficiently.With the help of this handy book, you can grow all the fruit and vegetables your family needs, raise animals for meat and eggs, keep fish and bees, and even produce firewood on a plot of land of just one acre or less all alongside your work and family life.Whether you have a garden, a paddock or perhaps the corner of a field, Sally Morgan guides you through various useful topics, including growing fruit and vegetables throughout the year, producing fish with aquaponics, and keeping livestock poultry, pigs, sheep and goats. There is also helpful information on how to layout your plot, including fencing, poly tunnels or greenhouses, and tips on managing soil fertility. This updated edition also includes a chapter on coping with extreme weather conditions.Filled with practical advice, Living on One Acre or Less is essential reading for anyone Trade ReviewA good, comprehensive, all-round guide for anyone who aspires to the good life. * Kate Humble, TV presenter and smallholding owner *The book is rich with content and full of wonderful inspiration. I can’t wait to get out into my small garden, to help my family move towards self-reliance. * Kate Blincoe, nature journalist and author of The No-Nonsense Guide to Green Parenting *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part One: Design & groundwork 1. Planning your plot 2. Soil matters 3. Soil fertility & crop rotations Part Two: Growing produce 4. The vegetable & flower garden 5. An abundance of fruit 6. Tree crops & forest gardens Part Three: Keeping livestock 7. Poultry for eggs & meat 8. Pigs for meat 9. Including sheep or goats 10. Aquaponics 11. Beekeeping 12. Coping with extreme weather Appendix: Livestock regulations & good practice Resources Index

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Book SynopsisNow with a revolutionary new “Climate Battery” design for near-net-zero heating and cooling "Jerome Osentowski is a master of simple, elegantly frugal, eminently practical indoor gardens."—Amory Lovins In this groundbreaking book, Jerome Osentowski, one of North America’s most accomplished permaculture designers, presents a wholly new approach to a very old horticultural subject. In The Forest Garden Greenhouse, he shows how bringing the forest garden indoors is not only possible, but doable on unlikely terrain and in cold climates, using near-net-zero technology. Different from other books on greenhouse design and management, this book advocates for an indoor agriculture using permaculture design concepts—integration, multi-functions, perennials, and polycultures—that take season extension into new and important territory. Chapters Include: Expanding the Possible with Season Extension The History and Mechanics of the Climate Battery Considerations for Building Your Own Greenhouse Several Off-site Case Studies And much more! Osentowski, director and founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI) incorporates deep, holistic permaculture design with practical common sense. His greenhouse designs, which can range from the backyard homesteader to commercial greenhouses, are completely ecological and use a simple design that traps hot and cold air and regulates it for best possible use. With detailed design drawings, photos, and profiles of successful greenhouse projects on all scales, this inspirational manual will considerably change the conversation about greenhouse design.Trade ReviewPublishers Weekly- "Osentowski shows how building and maintaining a Mediterranean or tropical greenhouse full of figs, lemons, papayas, and bananas can be both affordable and practical. Drawing on his 30 years of experimentation and teaching in the harsh, dry mountain environment of his Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute, he offers lush descriptions of his five greenhouses and in-depth, layered advice on designing and constructing a balmy winter retreat. His method uses a 'climate battery’ consisting of tubes buried underground to collect and hold warm air from the greenhouse, which then recirculate it when the temperature cools, backed up in the coldest days with a pellet or wood stove that can simultaneously heat an attached sauna. Osentowski admits that he prefers a hands-on method of teaching, and his written tours through greenhouses are sometimes hard to follow. Novices may be intimidated by the lack of step-by-step, formulaic instruction. But more experienced gardeners, builders, and tinkerers, and even intrepid beginners willing to carefully observe, compute, and ponder, will find this readable guide jam-packed with enough information and inspiration to help them attempt their own indoor paradises.”“A grand master of American permaculture, Jerome Osentowski has pioneered school gardens, high-altitude/high-nutrient cropping, bio-islands for organic golf course management, and heritage fruit trees for the mountain West. Of them all, the forest garden greenhouse is the most impressive. A marvel of integration between humans, the built environment, and the natural world, the greenhouse, in a world of climate calamity, will prove indispensable for both home comfort and food production. The Forest Garden Greenhouse surpasses all others on the subject for technical innovation and practical design.”--Peter Bane, author of The Permaculture Handbook: Garden Farming for Town and Country, board member, Permaculture Institute of North America, and former publisher and editor, Permaculture Activist magazine“In 1997 I had the privilege of visiting Jerome Osentowski’s forest garden in Basalt, Colorado. There is no doubt that Jerome learns from nature with enthusiasm and is one of the few with the capacity to translate his observations into a garden that feeds people—and dreams. The Forest Garden Greenhouse not only makes you wonder how you could achieve forest gardens at home and in your community, but it also makes you take action without delay! There is a sense of urgency that we transform our resource use; with wisdom gained from experience, Jerome shows us how we can do just that.”--Gunter Pauli, author of The Blue Economy“This revolutionary book captures what Jerome Osentowski has learned in decades of building and tending his high-altitude food forest and extensive permaculture site. Jerome’s climate battery is a brilliant idea deserving a broad audience. It brings greenhouse technology into the twenty-first century using simple, appropriate materials. The Forest Garden Greenhouse clearly and elegantly describes the greenhouse, the garden, and the evolution of Jerome’s deep wisdom and creativity. This is much more than a greenhouse book; it’s a manifesto and guidebook showing how permaculture can help us live regenerative lives.”--Toby Hemenway, author of The Permaculture City and Gaia’s Garden“Jerome Osentowski is a master of simple, elegantly frugal, eminently practical indoor gardens that can grow lots of almost anything almost anywhere by not treating soil like dirt. His recipe for rich sheet-mulched soil has so far produced 58 passive-solar banana crops (and over 100 other kinds of higher plants including Bornean tropicals) in my own super-insulated passive-solar home near Aspen. Now The Forest Garden Greenhouse lucidly shares Jerome’s deep, versatile, and ever-evolving experience. Read, learn, apply, improve, spread, enjoy!”--Amory B. Lovins, cofounder and chief scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute“Living in a cold climate is no excuse for not growing your own tropical fruits and year-round vegetables. The Forest Garden Greenhouse teaches how to harvest not just food but year-round temperateness, based on the real-world experience of a seasoned greenhouse designer and manager. After my last visit to Jerome’s greenhouse, I came home to Massachusetts and we built a subtropical greenhouse. Once you read his book, you will want to, too!”--Eric Toensmeier, author of The Carbon Farming Solution and Perennial Vegetables

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Book SynopsisThird-generation syrup makers Alison and Steven Anderson show you how to collect sap using a tree-friendly tubing system and then cook, package, and even market your own syrup. With expert advice for first-time bottlers, the Andersons share their passion with a contagious excitement that is as inspiring as a bowl of sugar on snow.

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Book SynopsisThe illustrated guide to profitable, vibrant and sustainable permaculture-based market gardeningTrade ReviewBringing permaculture's holistic thinking to the problems of market farming, Zach Loeks has done this burgeoning economic sector a world of good with his pithy words and lovely drawings. Not a book about carrots, but one in which vegetables, children, customers, trees, vision, and earthworms shape a matrix of success. Business planning was never before this colorful, soulful, or needed for the times. ---Peter Bane, author, The Permaculture Handbook. A commendable permaculture guide. If you're serious about generating a livelihood in partnership with the land, this book is your compass. Zach Loeks details an approach to informed ecological decision-making so close to my own work I can be sure this book will improve agricultural landscapes and lives. ---Jason Gerhardt, permaculture designer, Real Earth Design A legacy of grateful land is surely a memorial that can capture both our imagination and our physical effort. Such a sacred mission deserves the level of thought Zach beckons us to pursue. Engaging in this discovery and planning process is worth the effort, and Zach gives us another tool to engage more strategically. Now get out paper, pencil, ruler, and graph paper. It's that simple, and that rewarding. ---Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm There are few books that delight the senses, satisfy the scientific itch and leave the inner environmentalist contented. I'm indebted to Zach for his work, not only for my own education, but for the many clients that seek a tome of collected wisdom as they embark into their own farming dreams. ---Javan K. Bernakevitch, B. Comn, All Points Land Design Zack strikes me as the guy you want to spend a week on your property. Not just for his company, but to access his wealth of knowledge and experience in learning to understand the natural systems at work in any given landscape. The Permaculture Market Garden is playful in approach yet completely pragmatic in reasoning and methodology and should be seen as the permaculturist's guide to placemaking through Homesteading. This chewy tome of goodness will help you assess the ecology, geological history and potential future of the land you live on and work with. A wonderful guidebook to help anyone- with land big or small -- to thrive not just survive, in tandem with their natural environment. ---Sharon Kallis, author, Common ThreadsTable of Contents Introduction 1 Farm Ecosystem EARTH SYSTEMS AND NATURAL SCIENCE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 2 Whole Farm Mapping WHY MAP YOUR FARM? 3 Holistic Planning DEFINING THE WHOLE AND MAKING A HOLISTIC GOAL HOLISTIC BUDGETING FOR PROFIT RESILIENCE GUILD ENTERPRISE PRODUCTION 4 Design Management WHY DESIGN? DESIGN MANAGEMENT 5 Our Permabed System THE PERMABED SYSTEM PERMABED PRINCIPLES LAYOUT AND LAND PREPARATION ORGANIZED GARDEN PATTERNING GUILD CROP PRODUCTION GUILD CROP DESIGNS PERMA INVESTMENT Conclusion Glossary Resources Index About the Author About New Society Publishers

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Book Synopsis The Permaculture Earthworks Handbook covers the functions, design, and construction of nine types of earthworks to maximize water availability in any climate. It's a practical guide for landscape designers, permaculturists, and landowners seeking to maximize food production and ecosystem resiliency at the lowest cost and impact. Table of Contents Introduction 1. The State of Water The Colorado The Aral Talupula Worldwide Spread of deserts War and conflict Where there is hope Just add water! References 2. A Look at the Past Petra References 3. How Water Moves in the Environment The hydrological cycle The path of water Hydrology 101 The layout of landscapes References 4. Designing for the Whole Environment Permaculture and sustainability The design process Permaculture strategies Source to sink Reading the land The potential for overharvesting Permitting and legal restrictions Working with crews References 5. Elements of Design and Implementation Rain volumes Climate effects Temperate climates Tropical climates Coral atolls Drylands Decoupling catchments The path of water Soil Slope stability Finding contour Laser level Farmer's level Builder's level Water level A-Frame LIDAR Mapping Determining slope Earthmoving machines Types of machines Bulldozers Excavators Loaders Backhoes Compactors Safety Topsoil and erosion References 6. Water Storage Techniques Ponds Cisterns Dams References 7. Interception Techniques Swales Case Study: The Green Tree Foundation swales project Bench terraces Land imprinters Trees Spate irrigation Diversion drains References 8. Applying Permaculture Strategies Goal setting, planning, adjusting Zone planning Sector planning Stacking functions and functional connectivity Variations in structure and shape Flow Efficiency Where to start Case Study: Circle Organic ridge point dam References 9. Cautions The dynamics of slides The role of water Sensitive clays Landslide triggers Post-slide treatment What went wrong at Aberfan? References Appendices 1. Calculating Areas and Volumes 2. Calculating Runoff Volumes 3. Finding Slopes and Heights 4. Swale Spacing 5. Terracing 6. Costing Earthworks Index About the Author About New Society Publishers

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Book SynopsisAn urgent demand for a People's Green New Deal, foregrounding global agricultural transformation and climate justice for the Global SouthTrade Review'Hands-down the best book yet on the Green New Deal. Courageous, bold, refreshing - Ajl pushes the horizons of progressive thought and envisions an ecosocialist transition that is rooted in principles of global justice' -- Jason Hickel, author of 'Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World''An amazing text, truly inspirational. There are few books in which nearly every sentence is urgent and quotable, but this is one. Lucid and profound, it assembles the elements that are necessary for an actual political program of survival and renewal' -- Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of 'An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States' (Beacon Press, 2014)'You cannot purchase your way out of climate change the same way you cannot pick a 'Green New Deal' brand that suits your personal preferences. Anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism are not by-gone projects, they're very much alive in the Global South. Left climate movements in the North would be better served by following their example as well as reading this critical work' -- Nick Estes, author of 'Our History Is the Future: Standing Rock versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance' (Verso, 2019)‘Ajl guides us with an authority steeped in scholarship but also with panache. If you really want to learn what'll be necessary for our species to survive climate apocalypse, read this book. You'll then know the ways by which humanity's very fate can be won’ -- Rob Wallace, author of 'Dead Epidemiologists: On the Origins of COVID-19' (Monthly Review Press, 2020)'Anyone wanting to understand the limitations of the Green New Deal, and how it is being employed as a tool to rationalize Green Capitalism, and sanitize its advance within the capitalist system must read this critical work' -- Kali Akuno, Executive Director of Cooperation Jackson"In this urgent book, Max Ajl poses the question “What would visions for sustainability in Global North look like if they were anti-imperial, reparative, socialist and agroecological?” The answer, he argues, looks radically different from – and more liberating than - the Green New Deals on the table today" -- Raj Patel, co-author of 'A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet' (Verso, 2020)'An exceedingly important and powerful book, a uniquely comprehensive report about climate change, its politics and injustices' -- Judith Deutsch, ‘Counterpunch’‘A bracing and thought-provoking call for those of us in the Global North to reconsider how we fight for social and climate justice’ -- ‘ROAR’‘A refreshing and rich scholarly alternative to how an ideal green new deal should be imagined … an exquisite sketch of ideal avenues towards eco-socialism’ -- ‘Developing Economics’‘Provides a comprehensive survey of the nuanced issues a red-green alliance must confront and resolve’ -- ‘System Change not Climate Change’'An exceedingly important and powerful book, a uniquely comprehensive report about climate change, its politics and injustices'. -- ‘Socialist Project’‘A magnificent work that should be at the top of reading lists for anyone remotely concerned about the climate crisis' -- ‘Canadian Dimension’Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part I: Capitalist Green Transitions 1. Green Transition - or Fortress Eco-Nationalism? 2. Change Without Change: Eco-Modernism 3. Energy Use, Degrowth, and the Green New Deal 4. Green Social Democracy or Eco-Socialism? Part II: A People's Green New Deal 5. The World We Wish to See 6. A Planet of Fields 7. Green Anti-Imperialism and the National Question Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisCreate a thriving garden or allotment that works in harmony with nature and will flourish in the face of ever-changing environmental conditions.InThe Resilient Garden and Allotment Handbook, expert organic gardener Sally Morgan shares a wide range of ecological concepts from permaculture, regenerative gardening, agroecology and more to boost your garden's biodiversity and enrich your soil. This must-have guide will help you: Build your soil so it's full of healthy organic matter and protect it through no-dig practices,composting, cover crops and mulching Increase resilience through productive plant combinations and polyculture Create wildlife-friendly habitats utilising walls and fences, log piles, water features and wild corners Choose the right plants toattract pollinatorsand plant defenders Combat disease and keep pests at bayusing natural predators, companion planting and trap and barrier crops

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Book Synopsis‘I never knew how fascinating a book about herding and grazing could be… This book is remarkable.’ Joanna Lumley ‘Ilse’s deep understanding of herding cultures, and their relationship with the land and life itself, is both moving and revelatory… I loved this book.’ Isabella Tree, author of Wilding ‘Ilse Köhler-Rollefson emerges as a voice worth listening to in this fascinating book about traditional herding culture.’ Country Life Hoofprints on the Land is a fascinating, original and lyrical description of the working partnerships between people and animals that are based on profound respect and relationships that, with the land itself, are founded not on exploitation but reciprocity. Ilse draws on her experience of living with the Raika camel herding community in India for the past 30 years to show how herding cultures tend their flocks in harmony with the land and in partnership with their animals. Nomadic livestock herding is the most ancient and natural means of keeping livestock, yet through colonisation and modernisation, these pioneers have been pushed to the edges of society and their methods have been dismissed as old fashioned and out of touch. Hoofprints on the Land debunks the myth that animal-free agriculture is the only way forward for a healthy planet, and reflects on how we can work with animals to regenerate the landscape. As Ilse writes: ‘Herding is therapy, not just for the planet, but also for our souls.’Trade Review'Grazing done right can improve biodiversity and regenerate pastureland. You will gain many insights into how to improve land from Hoofprints on the Land.' Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation‘Ilse’s deep understanding of herding cultures, and their relationship with the land and life itself, is both moving and revelatory. Pastoralism, she shows us brilliantly, is not a marginal issue but a symbiotic partnership between animals, humans and ecosystems that should be at the heart of our efforts to heal the planet. I loved this book.’ Isabella Tree, author of Wilding‘Ilse Köhler-Rollefson’s Hoofprints on the Land reminds us that animals are not objects to be manipulated in factory farms. They are not a “technology” to be pushed to obsolescence and extinction in the new rush for making fake milk, fake cheese and fake meat. Ilse shows how animals are sentient beings, subjects not objects, members of our families. Animals should never have been put in factory farms. Factory farms violate the rights of animals and contribute to pollution, including climate change. Ilse shows that free-range animals and animals in pastoral cultures are a solution to climate change that factory farming has contributed to. She shows us how the highest love for animals is respecting them as family, living with them in a loving, caring relationship, as she does in the desert of Rajasthan.’ Vandana Shiva, author of Terra Viva‘I never knew how fascinating a book about herding and grazing could be, never understood how vital is the part that pastoralists play concerning the health of the planet and its grazing animals. But I have drunk the delicious camel milk in Ilse Köhler-Rollefson’s dairy, and am a convert to everything she espouses. This book is remarkable: scholarly, accessible and hugely important.’ Joanna Lumley‘A beautiful, deeply thoughtful and intelligent book that completely reframes the fraught discussion around the role of animals in our food system. Every reader will not only learn a great deal but will also see the world in a new and better light.’ Nicolette Hahn Niman, author of Defending Beef‘Entirely timely, unique and massively thought provoking. It raises a whole host of intriguing issues which often, in my view, although identified as pertinent to the Southern Hemisphere, have clear and painful parallels in the north. I am not sure that many involved with limited appreciations of how livestock farming works will realise these synergies. But they should be illuminated and understood. Ilse’s depth of knowledge of subject is splendid.’ Derek Gow, author of Bringing Back the Beaver‘Inspiration for western agriculture as an extension of the ever-growing interest in regenerative agriculture, Hoofprints on the Land opens our minds to the important role nomadic herding could play in securing the future of people in dry lands, while also playing a vital role in environmental management. For most of us farming in temperate climes, nomadism may seem an irrelevance, a nostalgia from bygone ages; Hoofprints on the Land helps us to understand how misguided these impressions are. Thank you, Ilse, for opening this world to us!’ Helen Browning, chief executive, Soil Association‘A must-read for anyone who cares about the Earth. Hoofprints on the Land is a powerful story of hope, sharing a way of producing food that gives back more than it takes away from nature and humanity combined. Ilse has a skilful way of blending scientific research with observations and personal stories to illustrate how the relationship between people and livestock can be a true force for good. A genuinely inspirational book – I absolutely devoured it.’ Lynn Cassells, coauthor of Our Wild Farming Life‘In Hoofprints on the Land, Ilse Köhler-Rollefson shows us how, since prehistory, grazing animals literally knit together the world’s biosphere—its soil, earth, and air—and how traditional herding cultures today, often impoverished and overlooked, might still save the planet. This is a passionate, important book, a must-read for anyone interested in ecology or food or our future coexistence with wild and domestic animals.’ Brad Kessler, author of Goat Song‘A provocative and thoughtful meditation on the necessity of distinguishing between industrialised farming and traditional methods of pastoralism when discussing food security and the future of agriculture. Transhumance has been around since the beginning of animal domestication and works within established ecosystems, putting in more than it takes out. There is wisdom in age-old practices of animal herding that deserve to be preserved and protected.’ Dr Ross Barnett, author of The Missing Lynx‘Pastoralists care for the Earth, provide a flood of protein resources, and maintain cultures of enormous depth. All of this is stunningly clear from the story of the Raika camel herders of Rajasthan, told by one of their closest allies and most thoughtful observers. This wonderfully documented book shows that herding is a twenty-first-century technology for sustainability.’ Paul Robbins, dean, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison‘All of us who are concerned and worried about pastoralists and traditional livestock herders and their role in our world simply have to read this book by Ilse Köhler-Rollefson – and soon. Those of us who are unconcerned or unaware of how intertwined our world is with theirs, simply have to read this book – even sooner.’ P. Sainath, author of Everybody Loves a Good Drought‘For centuries, the Raika communities have lived in harmony with nature, in the course of which they have developed some of India’s most vibrant oral and folk traditions. Ilse Köhler-Rollefson’s work to revive the Raika community’s traditions and document the “Raika way of life” is an important contribution to India’s civilisational message to the world. Having worked with the Raika community for many decades, I believe their worldview, traditions and way of regenerative and sustainable livestock rearing show the world an important way forward in dealing with many challenges that we face today, especially in the area of climate change.’ William Nanda Bissell, executive vice chairman, Fabindia Limited ‘“We women pastoralists want our children, and our children’s children, to have the tools and the opportunities they need to adapt to the realities of the modern world while retaining their traditional cultural legacies and lifestyles”, the women pastoralists declared during the Global Gathering of Women Pastoralist held in Meera, Gujarat in 2010. In her book, Ilse vividly testimonies the energy of this unique gathering that voiced women pastoralists and their vision for the future generations for youth to have a double curriculum – their traditional rich heritage and modern tools. It is the seventh-generation principle of Indigenous peoples that for millennia has promoted true sustainability, of which the women are the custodians.’ Antonella Cordone, senior technical specialist, Nutrition and Social Inclusion, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)'I took away a deeper understanding of how the knowledge of both herding and grazing is in such great peril . . . Hoofprints made me appreciate even more deeply the incredible knowledge of those managing working lands and what vital work this is.' Holistic Management International

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Book SynopsisThis book walks you through the orchards and the trees that make this drink and guides you through perry's great heartlands.

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Book SynopsisThe Ecological Farm is a breakthrough resource for ecological fruit and vegetable growers at every scale who want to go beyond organic. Through a unique ecosystem-balancing approach focusing on reduced tillage, minimising farm and garden inputs and pest control, you’ll learn how to build higher soil quality and fertility by using fewer harmful inputs. Farmer, consultant, and educator Helen Atthowe (along with her late husband, Carl Rosato) have decades of farming experience which is shared in this essential book. They guide readers on how to reduce or eliminate the use of outside inputs of fertiliser or pesticides – even those that are commonly used on certified organic orchards and market gardens. With clear, easy to action language and colour photography, charts, and graphs throughout, The Ecological Farm emphasizes the importance of managing the details of an entire growing system over the full life of an enterprise. The Ecological Farm features a crop-by-crop guide to growing more than 25 of the most popular and profitable vegetables and fruits, including specific management advice for dealing with pests and diseases. You’ll also learn how to: design a system that establishes a year-round root-in-soil system for microbial health strengthen the “immune system” of a farm or garden supply crop needs using only on-farm inputs such as cover crops and living mulch maximise the presence of beneficial insects and microbes minimise ecological impact in dealing with insect pest and disease problems The Ecological Farm makes complex, sometimes messy, ecological concepts and practices understandable to all growers, and makes healthy farming, in which nature is invited to participate, possible.Trade Review“For forty years, Helen Atthowe has followed a relentless calling to combine her deep understanding of ecological systems with her love of farming. Now, she shares the best of her insights and methods in The Ecological Farm. This classic volume will guide all of us as we learn to farm in harmony with an ecosystem and to become obedient to the whole rather than being distracted by the urge to tinker with the parts.” —Wes Jackson, cofounder and president emeritus, The Land Institute“Helen Atthowe’s book takes ecological farming to the next level. It is packed with useful, field-tested, innovative techniques for farming more gently without sacrificing productivity. Atthowe effectively makes the case that, with a nature-based and minimalist approach, farmers can achieve more by doing—and spending—less. This is the future of farming. I highly recommend this book.” —Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables“Helen Atthowe has a rare gift: She knows how to listen to scientists, but she speaks ‘farmer.’ Her knowledge comes from observation and practice as if decades matter, not just seasons. Helen applies her intuitive ideas to complex whole-systems organic agriculture, with a special focus on growing the fertility of the soil. Most importantly Helen engages in her work with a sense of joy and celebration. She’s a born teacher who retains her sense of wonder that there is so much more to learn. Oh, and I think Helen must never sleep. The depth of the material she presents in The Ecological Farm and the citations she offers in support of her work is beyond my own comprehension!” —Bob Scowcroft, cofounder, Organic Farming Research Foundation; board member, Nell Newman Foundation“In The Ecological Farm, Helen Atthowe shares the practical knowledge she acquired over many years through experimentation on her own low-input, high-output ecological farm. Her book makes an exceptional and timely contribution to addressing interconnected global crises for which hands-on solutions are badly needed. Helen’s work will also be invaluable to smallholder producers who wish to transition to ecologically based, sustainable, and profitable organic production systems, also known as organic Conservation Agriculture.” —Dr. Amir Kassam, visiting professor, School of Agriculture Policy and Development, University of Reading, UK; former senior technical officer, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization; editor, Advances in Conservation Agriculture, volumes 1–3“The story of Helen Atthowe’s farming journey has stuck with me for many years, and now being able to hold it, savor it, and dive into the many nerdy details is an absolute gift. The combination of decades of experience and loads of data make her book incomparable: It is well researched, well written, and endlessly idea provoking. There are a thousand ‘Ah-Ha!’ moments, with each section offering a new applicable insight or concept for improving or understanding soil health. The Ecological Farm will teach you how to rebuild soil, minimize tillage, grow your own garden fertility, improve ecology, and much more. Quite frankly, Helen’s book belongs on the shelf of every serious grower.” —Jesse Frost, author of The Living Soil Handbook“Helen Atthowe employs her high skill set and shares the full depth and length of her experience in The Ecological Farm. The ecology she describes is beautiful to look at and a powerful tool for maintaining balance on the farm or in a garden. Helen guides readers through many methods, backed up by decades of results.” —Charles Dowding, author of Charles Dowding’s No Dig Gardening“Helen Atthowe is a rare, knowledgeable grower of both vegetable and fruit crops, one who also knows insects, plant diseases, and soil science. She is one of those people who never stop searching for better, Earth-friendly ways of growing food. In The Ecological Farm, Helen takes us on her journey into deep organics. Read this book, then keep it on your essential reference shelf next to Eliot Coleman, Michael Phillips, JM Fortier, Ruth Stout, and Louis Bromfield. Refer to it often. Use it to launch your own deep ecology journey.” —Brian Caldwell, organic farmer; National Organic Standards Board member; former field manager and researcher, Cornell Organic Cropping Systems Project“The Ecological Farm beautifully articulates the principles of holistic growing. Drawing on her wealth of practical experience, research, and years of observation, Helen Atthowe has distilled the infinite biological complexity of a farming system into some relatively simple principles. There’s plenty of soil and plant science in there for us geeks but also a wealth of technical detail and cultivation tips for soil health and individual crops. This book is essential reading for anyone starting a new growing enterprise, but even the most experienced farmers and gardeners will find something new.” —Ben Raskin, head of horticulture and agroforestry, The Soil Association; author of The Woodchip Handbook and Zero-Waste Gardening“I think about my farm’s fertility program nearly every day, and the tenets that Helen Atthowe lays out in The Ecological Farm are spot on. We can grow our own nitrogen and build the carbon resources of our soil without resorting to energy-intensive and expensive off-farm inputs. Farm ecosystems should be net producers of energy and nutrients, and Helen spells out pragmatic ways that a farm can simultaneously sponsor its own fertility, be productive, and build ecosystem health.” —Steve Ela, owner, Ela Family Farms; former chair, National Organic Standards Board“For farmers and gardeners wanting to go beyond the basic standards of certified organic farming and the superficial platitudes of ‘sustainable methods,’ Helen Atthowe’s book is a breath of fresh air. Over decades of experimenting with crop systems, she and her late husband Carl Rosato have pioneered new ways of thinking about crops, weeds, pests, and soils that challenge many of our assumptions regarding carbon/nitrogen ratios and the use of compost, animal manures, and imported soil amendments in general. “I have grown skeptical of academic experts with their analytical, reductionist approach to food and soil issues. Atthowe has an advanced degree and has worked as an extension agent, but despite that, she has an impressively holistic view of things organic. While not strictly no-till, she has devised strategies to greatly minimize disturbance of the soil community and encourage helpful pollinators and predators. She has lots of answers, yet I’m reassured that she frequently comments: ‘I'm still working on that.’” —Will Bonsall, author, Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical Self-Reliant Gardening“The Ecological Farm offers much for beginning and experienced farmers as well as gardeners. Helen eloquently summarizes her deep ecological farming experience and knowledge as well as insights gained from her partnership with Carl Rosato, providing practical examples of how farmers can work with nature to support diverse ecologies both below and above ground. She explains the evolution of her understanding of the relationships among plants, microbes, the soil, and insects, and how to manage them ecologically in an agricultural system. It’s both a great read and excellent reference book!” —Rex Dufour, senior fellow, National Center for Appropriate Technology“Drawing on decades of experience as a farmer and researcher, Helen Atthowe has developed an agroecological approach to growing organic food that is science-based, practical, and adaptable to site-specific conditions. Moving beyond input substitution, she offers a roadmap to minimum-input, soil- and Earth-friendly organic production that gardeners, homesteaders, and USDA-certified organic farmers can easily implement and adapt to their locale. This volume belongs on the bookshelf of all who seek to make a living in mutualistic partnership with the land.” —Mark Schonbeck, research associate, Organic Farming Research Foundation“With the concepts she lays out in The Ecological Farm, Helen Atthowe gifts us with a practical and scalable approach to cultivation that produces nutrient-dense food with an absolute minimum of external inputs. Full of stories and wisdom gathered from 40 years of hands-on growing, this book is a rare synthesis of careful scientific research, long-term observation, and deep intuition developed through decades of listening to the land.” —Alan Booker, executive director, Institute of Integrated Regenerative Design“In The Ecological Farm, Helen Atthowe shares decades of hard-learned lessons and keen observations. She is an inveterate tinkerer, experimenter, and researcher and has refined her organic production through the years. Atthowe has an immense respect for the role of biodiversity in the soil system. A fungi advocate, she guides the reader to reduce soil disturbance and feed the soil carbon. She writes as both a teacher and learner—as she tells readers, ‘I am still learning.’ Luckily she has taken a break from learning to share her accumulated knowledge and tips. While ‘more is better’ is often the strategy in our agriculture, Atthowe provides evidence and inspiration for selective and judicious management strategies to enhance your ecological farm.” —Dr. Douglas Collins, extension specialist and soil scientist, Washington State University“This inspiring book from Helen Atthowe demystifies some of nature’s critical interactions, helping farmers and others work with and support our natural world.” —Jo Ann Baumgartner, executive director, Wild Farm Alliance"Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, The Ecological Farm is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and agricultural college Organic/Ecological Farming collections." —Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisWith in-depth information on electric fencing, watering, and husbandry for ruminants, poultry, and pigs, plus butchering, dairying, and more “If we work hard, we sleep well.” Twenty years ago, when authors Shawn and Beth Dougherty purchased the land they would come to name the Sow’s Ear, the state of Ohio designated it “not suitable for agriculture.” Today, their family raises and grows 90% of their own food. Such self-sufficiency is largely the result of basing their farming practices around intensive pasture management. Pioneered by such luminaries as Allan Savory, Greg Judy, and Joel Salatin, the tenets of holistic grazing—employed mostly by larger-scale commercial operations—have been adapted by the Doughertys to fit their family’s needs. In The Independent Farmstead, The Sow’s Ear model for regenerating the land and growing food—“the best you ever tasted”—is elucidated for others to use and build upon. In witty and welcoming style, The Independent Farmstead covers everything from choosing a species of ruminant and incorporating it into a grass-based system to innovative electric fencing and watering systems, to what to do with all of the milk, meat, and, yes, manure that the self-sustaining farm produces. Within these pages, the Doughertys discuss how to: Find and improve poor, waste, or abused land and develop its natural water resources; Select and purchase the appropriate ruminant for regenerating your farmstead; Apply fencing strategies and pasture management basics; Implement basic, uncomplicated food processing, including large and small animal butchering and cheese making; and Integrate grass, gardens, and livestock to minimize or eliminate the need for off-farm inputs. As the Doughertys write, more and more people today are feeling “the desire for clean, affordable food, unmodified, unprocessed, and unmedicated and the security of local food sourcing for ourselves and our children.” The Independent Farmstead is a must-have resource for those who count themselves as part of this movement: both new and prospective farmers and homesteaders, and those who are interested in switching to grass-based systems. Best of all it’s the kind of rare how-to book that the authors themselves view not as a compendium of one-size-fits-all instructions but as “the beginning of a conversation,” one that is utterly informative, sincere, and inspiring.Trade ReviewChoice- “Literature about small, independent farms might be divided into books that focus broadly on sustainable farming and those that constitute a how-to guide. Here Shawn Dougherty and Beth Dougherty (both have been farmers for several decades) offer a whimsical fusion of practical application and agrarian philosophy to great effect. Unlike most monographs on the subject, this volume begins with the assertion that plant life, pasture, and forage (in particular) form the core of an effective small farmstead. From this foundation, the Dougherty’s discuss practical aspects of forage, including water, grasses, and fencing, as well as the dynamics of intensive rotational processes. A good portion of the book is devoted to leveraging forage using livestock, particularly ruminants. Their clear favorite is the dairy cow, although they do discuss the virtues of sheep, goats, and swine—but little on beef. The latter part of the work discusses the harvesting of meat and milk and the appropriate use of by-products. The book’s entertaining approach is tempered by a realistic view of the mindset required to productively nurture and incorporate the rigors of an independent farmstead into one’s lifestyle. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.” Booklist- "As mortifying and implausible as creating one’s own self-sustaining farmstead might sound to most city folk, the Doughertys, who embarked on their own farmstead 20 years ago, make the venture entirely feasible—even ennobling in the face of climate change—on as little as a half-acre of land. In a conversational style that is both welcoming and reality-based, the authors offer a big-picture plan—selecting property, sourcing water, building soil, choosing ruminants (chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, or cattle)—that is fully supported by a level of detail both practical and comforting to anyone new to the idea. Some examples: milking techniques for cows and goats, what grasses or fencing to consider for which animals, slaughtering techniques, watering tanks, and using paddocks for livestock. Highly recommended for libraries where such farmsteads are even remotely possible.”Library Journal, Starred Review- "Husband and wife Shawn and Beth ­Dougherty have written about the 'self-sustaining' grass-based farming movement on their blog, ­onecowrevolution.wordpress.com. Their first book, a well-organized overview of managing a diversified ‘farmstead,' takes the concept of backyard hobby farming to the next level. Drawing on their 20 years of experience on the Sow’s Ear Farm in eastern Ohio, the Doughertys offer practical know-how on a variety of farming topics, with photos and philosophical considerations of their methods. Although not exhaustive on any given issue, there is enough information for most readers to get started with confidence. They encourage readers to adopt holistic and creative problem-solving techniques. Oft-ignored subjects such as seasonal rhythms and interpersonal dynamics—the 'people aspect' of the farm ecosystem—are addressed. Easily navigable sections let readers skim as needed, but the conversational style lends a cohesive narrative. With a compelling foreword by holistic farmer Joel Salatin, this is right at home on a workbench or bedside table. VERDICT A solid choice for those embarking on a serious animal-based hobby or enterprise, aspiring homesteaders, and sustainable farmers who already have basic knowledge of animal husbandry and agriculture. The authors’ blog provides a nice supplement; for more introductory guides, try Carleen Madigan’s 'Backyard Homestead' books.”Modern Farmer- "Shawn and Beth Dougherty divulge how they used intensive pasture management to transform 24 seemingly uncultivable Ohio acres into a thriving livestock and vegetable operation capable of feeding their family of 10. Expect clear-eyed advice on rotational grazing methods, improving soil fertility, and much more." “With grace and grit, Shawn and Beth show you how to cultivate and care for an often overlooked but integrally important part of our food chain—grass—as well as the diverse livestock that transform pasture into the most wholesome foods on earth.”--David Asher, author of The Art of Natural Cheesemaking“Shawn and Beth cover a broad range of topics in this readable and user-friendly book. They manage to touch on most of the essential information a small-scale farmer needs to graze a cow and make cheese, feed the waste milk to the pigs and make bacon, and practice sustainable land use and animal husbandry along the way.”--Sarah Flack, author of The Art and Science of Grazing “Playing off its title, this informative, companionable book could be called The Interdependent Farmstead: It notes how a successful operation relies on interactions among animals, soil, grass, sunlight, and community as well as human ingenuity and, invariably, humor. The book’s wisdom is that building on these synergies helps one realize the potential of any given piece of land.”--Judith D. Schwartz, author of Cows Save the Planet and Water In Plain Sight“In The Independent Farmstead, Shawn and Beth Dougherty have rooted a wealth of practical and useful farming information in the fertile soil of social and economic reality and timeless ecological wisdom. Their farm is a grass-based homestead, and their personal story is compelling, but their insights are important for beginning or experienced farmers of any type or scale who don’t yet know—or have forgotten—what real farming is about.”--John Ikerd, professor emeritus of agricultural economics, University of Missouri

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Book Synopsis Produce your own milk, cheese, meat, fiber, fertilizer, and more Incorporating dairy goats into a diversified homestead can be the key to greater self-sufficiency. Responding to questions and concerns from readers from all over North America and beyond, this fully revised and expanded edition of Raising Goats Naturally will help readers work with nature to raise dairy goats to produce milk, cheese, meat, fertilizer, leather, fiber, and soap all without relying on drugs or following the factory farm model. By observing your own animals closely and educating yourself about their specific needs, you can create an individualized plan for keeping them healthy and maximizing their productivity. This unique, fully-illustrated guide will teach you to help your herd thrive with: Breed-specific descriptions to help you choose the right goats for your goals and lifestyle Detailed information on housing, fencing, breeding, health, milkingTable of Contents Acknowledgments Preface to the Second Edition Introduction Part I: Planning, Purchasing, and Protecting 1. Choosing Your Goats Breeds Does Bucks Registration Pedigree Purchasing 2. Housing Your Goats Shelter Bedding 3. Protecting Your Goats Fencing Livestock Guardians Part II: Raising, Remedies, and Reproduction 4. Day-to- Day Life With Goats Behavior Anatomy Health Grooming First Aid Supplies Medicating the Sick Goat 5. Feeding Your Goats Rotational Grazing Hay Grain Minerals Baking Soda 6. Parasites Internal Parasites Controlling Internal Parasites Preventing Infection External Parasites Controlling External Parasites 7. Injury, Illnesses, and Diseases Abortion and Stillbirth Abscesses Acidosis Bloat Brucellosis Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Constipation Cryptosporidiosis Enterotoxemia Floppy Kid Syndrome Foot Rot Hardware Disease Hypocalcemia Infertility in Bucks Infertility in Does Johne's Disease Ketosis Listeriosis Mastitis Nutritional Deficiencies Neonatal Mortality Pinkeye Polio (Polioencephalomalacia) Respiratory Conditions Ringworm Scours Scrapie Skin Cancer Sore Mouth Tetanus Tuberculosis Urinary Stones (Urinary Calculi) White Muscle Disease Vaccines 8. Breeding Breeding Season Breeding Age Signs of Estrus Breeding Methods Buck Behavior Successful Breeding Artificial Insemination Feeding for Fertility 9. Pregnancy Gestation Signs of Pregnancy False Pregnancy Feeding During Pregnancy 10. Birthing Getting Ready Signs of Labor Birth Feeding Post Birth Newborn Check Kid Complications 11. Raising Kids Getting Started With Dam Raising Getting Started With Bottle-feeding Poop Feeding Grain and Forage Horns Castrating Males Tattooing and Ear Tags Weaning Barn Hygiene 12. Milking Managing Milkers Naturally Teaching a Doe to Milk Milking Equipment Milking by Hand Milking With a Machine Handling Milk Storing Milk Part III: Milk, Meat, and More 13. The Dairy Kitchen Equipment Ingredients 14. Dairy Products Buttermilk and Sour Cream Yogurt Sweets 15. Acid-ripened Cheeses Vinegar Citric Acid 16. Culture-ripened Cheeses Choosing Cultures Flocculation Cutting Curds Semi-hard and Hard Cheeses 17. Meat Meat Quality Butchering Cooking 18. Soap Processes Safety Equipment Ingredients Step-by- Step Soap Making Final Thoughts Notes Glossary Suggested Reading Recipe Index Index About the Author About New Society Publishers

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Book SynopsisIncluding recipes for baking with Einkorn Wheat is the most widely grown crop on our planet, yet industrial breeders have transformed this ancient staff of life into a commodity of yield and profit—witness the increase in gluten intolerance and 'wheat belly’. Modern wheat depends on synthetic fertilizer and herbicides that damage our health, land, water, and environment. Fortunately, heritage ‘landrace' wheats that evolved over millennia in the organic fields of traditional farms do not need bio-chemical intervention to yield bountifully, are gluten-safe, have rich flavor and high nutrition. Yet the robust, majestic wheats that nourished our ancestors are on the verge of extinction. In Restoring Heritage Grains, author Eli Rogosa of the Heritage Grain Conservancy, invites readers to restore forgotten wheats such as delicious gluten-safe einkorn that nourished the first Neolithic farmers, emmer—the grain of ancient Israel, Egypt, and Rome that is perfect for pasta and flatbreads, rare durums that are drought-tolerant and high in protein, and many more little known wheat species, each of which have a lineage intertwined with the human species and that taste better than any modern wheat. Restoring Heritage Grains combines the history of grain growing and society, in-depth practical advice on landrace wheat husbandry, wheat folk traditions and mythology, and guidelines for the Neolithic diet with traditional recipes for rustic bread, pastry and beer. Discover the ancient grains that may be one of the best solutions to hunger today, and provide resilience for our future.Trade ReviewChoice- "This work is a thought-provoking polemic against industrial wheat and its negative impact on the environment and human health. Rogosa, who has conducted work in biodiversity preservation and is also a farmer, argues that heritage wheat varieties or landrace grains, such as einkorn, are more biodiverse, more healthful, easier to grow, and essential for the ecosystem. Growing these grains is covered in detail—in fact, a significant portion of the book is aimed at farmers or gardeners looking to grow landrace grains and/or wishing to troubleshoot common problems. Along with the discussion on growing the crops, the author delves into folk traditions regarding the consumption of these grains and historical recipes. In addition to her environmental argument, Rogosa is a passionate advocate for replacing modern wheat and links its development with a variety of health issues, such as the rise in celiac disease and digestive ailments. Though Rogosa is a thorough researcher and an engaging writer, the audience this book is aimed toward is likely to be the most sympathetic to her cause. This title is an engaging and stimulating work, but its narrow, mostly agricultural content makes it a peripheral purchase for academic libraries. Summing Up: Optional. All readers.” Foreword Reviews- "While wheat continues to serve as an important part of the Western diet, today’s wheat itself is radically different from that eaten in earlier centuries. It is that contradiction that Eli Rogosa explores in Restoring Heritage Grains, an interesting and informative volume about how humans have altered the world’s wheat supply. Rogosa explains how the various kinds of wheat that once flourished across Europe were gradually homogenized, from the Romans planting easy-to-maintain wheats that could quickly reinforce their supply lines, to the Soviet Union instituting a common agricultural approach throughout Eastern Europe. She also highlights the way that agribusiness has changed the wheat crop in the United States, replacing diverse ‘landrace' seeds with genetically modified crops designed to be resistant to weeds, but which likely play a role in the rapid growth of gluten allergies. Beyond diagnosing these problems, however, Rogosa presents a thorough solution. She describes the variety of wheats available, from durum to spelt to Indian wheat, highlighting the advantages of each, and explains how best to grow these heritage grains. She covers where these crops grow most effectively, and how they can be used to restore soil that is often ruined by mandates to produce mass quantities of wheat. She also explains harvesting techniques and shares personal stories of traveling to different parts of the world to speak with farmers about how they restore and protect their native landrace seeds. The text of Restoring Heritage Grains is nicely supplemented with images that visually demonstrate the diversity of these ancient grains. The book also includes a useful resources section with information about seed banks, and—perhaps best of all—a selection of recipes that make use of heritage grains. Whether of traditional cookies, pie crust, pizza, or challah, these recipes provide opportunities to practice what Rogosa preaches, and to taste the different flavors heritage wheats offer."“Eli Rogosa has delivered to us, her many fans, the long-awaited book, Restoring Heritage Grains, in which she totally blows the lid off of this historic moment in the world of bread. She not only artfully guides us through thousands of years of the history and botanical evolution of wheat but also, prophetically, shows us its very future. And now we all have access to Eli’s inner world, to the passion that has been fermenting within her for many years and now exists forever through her brilliant words.”--Peter Reinhart, educator; author of Bread Revolution“Most wheat grown worldwide today can be described as an in-bred, dwarfed, distant cousin of the genetically diverse, farmers’ landrace cereal crops of the past. Eli Rogosa argues passionately and convincingly in her book that from many perspectives, including food security and nutritional value, our landrace cereals need to be brought back from the brink of extinction. Eli illustrates the central role of cereals in human civilization as we know it, including in myth and religion and how this role has been traduced by agribusiness interests. Eli adds valuable advice and knowledge for the grower and the cook on preservation and use of our cereal crop inheritance.”--Andy Forbes, secretary, Brockwell Bake Association, London, UK“In this book, agro-anthropologist, farmer, and baker Eli Rogosa helps us rediscover ancient landrace and traditional pre-Green Revolution wheats—varieties that are more delicious, nutritious, drought-resistant, and resilient than modern wheats, and that are already organic-adapted. The author covers everything from the romantic to the practical: personal stories about finding individual plants of rare wheats in Israel; historical and anthropological information; methods for growing, harvesting, and threshing; as well as many detailed recipes. A must read for anyone who has a garden or farm and who likes good bread.”--Carol Deppe, author of The Tao of Vegetable Gardening“Restoring Heritage Grains is both poetic and practical. Eli Rogosa first tells the sad story of how the Green Revolution transformed the staff of life into a toxic-drenched monocrop. Then she shares the joyful story of her life’s work discovering, growing, distributing the seed and spreading the word about heritage grains. She makes a compelling case for heirloom landraces, the deep-rooted, diverse gene pools that coevolve with changing conditions, “people and seeds” finding ways to survive through climate challenges. Along the way, she recounts the history of wheat from the earliest human discoveries through ancient and modern Near East and European history, including the new world of the Americas. She lingers over the early millennia of matriarchy and the sacred rituals of many different peoples. Especially striking is her account of ancient Israeli practices as a sophisticated community food system based on social justice. This is a book to cherish.”--Elizabeth Henderson, author of Sharing the Harvest“Eli Rogosa has lived among the world’s few remaining peasant farmers who continue to cultivate landrace wheat seeds and traditions. She has collected and faithfully tended and multiplied their unique local varieties, learned their traditional production techniques, and recorded their special recipes. She brought them to her home in New England and crossed them to combine their qualities and adapt them to the very different climate of their new home. Now, in Restoring Heritage Grains, she shares the wealth of information that she has preserved and the flavor of the seeds that she has saved, with people in this country and around the world.”--Klaas Martens, farmer, Lakeview Organic Grain, Penn Yan, NY“This is a marvelous book, which I will read again and again over the years. Eli has woven a tapestry of fact and flavour, drawing on botanical, agricultural, nutritional, and folk information never before assembled under one cover. And she has included practical information on how to make delicious bread and beer. She has described how the first farmers were ‘evolutionary plant breeders’ and worked with nature to create the biodiverse crops we now call ‘heritage’ grains. Sadly, much of this diversity was lost as farmers abandoned their traditional crops for modern varieties, beguiled by promises of bumper yields and a ‘green revolution’ that would feed the world. Unfortunately, these yield increases have been achieved at immense environmental, social, and nutritional costs. This book is a critique of industrial agriculture, but it is also a practical manual for how to reintroduce diversity into our farming systems by growing heritage grains, and how we can help repair our spiritual relationship with the earth.”--John Letts, archaeo-botanist and farmer, Heritage Harvest Ltd., Oxford, UK“This beautiful book is unlike any other publication on wheat or grains that I have ever read. Written poetically, it is a rare mix of science, history, and culture; therefore, the book will be equally inspiring for scientists, students, farmers, seed savers, culinary experts, or just any person looking for interesting reading. With this book, Eli gives us a key to restoring our bread of life.”--Mariam Jorjadze, director, Biological Farming Association Elkana (Georgia)“Let yourself be inspired by the inflammable enthusiasm of Eli Rogosa about the diversity of ancient wheats, their historical backgrounds, and notes from her many encounters in different countries. The author brings these wheats not only into your stomach with lots of recipes, but also into your heart, which is the most important step on their way into the fields, where they can develop in our modern times into what wheat should be for humans: a well-balanced partner that can help us to cultivate our minds, our bodies, and our sentiments.”--Dr. Karl-Josef Mueller, biodynamic cereal breeder at Cereal Breeding Research, Neu Darchau, Germany“Restoring Heritage Grains offers a veritable treasure trove from the past, yet one that is very relevant for today! The book introduces truly healthier, more nutritious, beautiful, and exciting grains to cultivate in your garden and farm and to enhance your palate. Read, grow, preserve, eat, and enjoy ancient grains for a biodiversity of taste and nourishment!”--John Jeavons, author, How to Grow More Vegetables; executive director of Ecology Action“Our common cultural history goes all the way back to the very roots of civilization: the domestication of the cereals 12,000 years ago. In page after page of this book, Eli Rogosa’s profound knowledge, love, and passion for our common culinary and genetic heritage links our history with our daily bread, and fills the reader with enthusiasm to go into the field, and into the kitchen, to follow her example: Grow it, bake it, and eat it! Eli Rogosa’s quest for restoring quality bread from heritage grains is not only for the sake of your own health but to restore what unites us all, and thereby a mission of peace.”--Dr. Anders Borgen, organic wheat breeder, Denmark“Eli Rogosa deserves credit for pioneering the current return of interest in heritage grains. In a compelling and inspiring book, she retraces her own voyage of discovery into the beauty and importance of endangered grain varieties, the tragic loss of their presence in our fields and diets, and how we can participate in returning this most ancient of foods to our tables. Her wide-ranging work is a powerful reminder of the depth of our connection to the first crops cultivated by humans.”--Sylvia Davatz, Solstice Seeds

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Book SynopsisThis hardworking addition to the best-selling Backyard Homestead series offers expert advice on what tasks to do around your farm and when to do them — no matter where on the planet you call home. Author Ann Larkin Hansen sets the priorities for each area of the farm, including the barn, garden, orchard, field, pasture, and woodlot. For every critical turn of the year (12 in all), Hansen provides an at-a-glance to-do list along with tips and a more in-depth discussion of key topics for the season. Easy-reference charts, checklists, and record-keeping sections help you keep track of it all. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead, The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, and The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How.

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Book SynopsisThe earth is in great peril, due to the corporatization of agriculture, the rising climate crisis, and the ever-increasing levels of global poverty, starvation, and desertification on a massive scale. This present condition of global trauma is not "natural," but a result of humanity's destructive actions. And, according to Masanobu Fukuoka, it is reversible. We need to change not only our methods of earth stewardship, but also the very way we think about the relationship between human beings and nature. Fukuoka grew up on a farm on the island of Shikoku in Japan. As a young man he worked as a customs inspector for plants going into and out of the country. This was in the 1930s when science seemed poised to create a new world of abundance and leisure, when people fully believed they could improve upon nature by applying scientific methods and thereby reap untold rewards. While working there, Fukuoka had an insight that changed his life forever. He returned to his home village and applied this insight to developing a revolutionary new way of farming that he believed would be of great benefit to society. This method, which he called "natural farming," involved working with, not in opposition to, nature. Fukuoka's inspiring and internationally best-selling book, The One-Straw Revolution was first published in English in 1978. In this book, Fukuoka described his philosophy of natural farming and why he came to farm the way he did. One-Straw was a huge success in the West, and spoke directly to the growing movement of organic farmers and activists seeking a new way of life. For years after its publication, Fukuoka traveled around the world spreading his teachings and developing a devoted following of farmers seeking to get closer to the truth of nature. Sowing Seeds in the Desert, a summation of those years of travel and research, is Fukuoka's last major work-and perhaps his most important. Fukuoka spent years working with people and organizations in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States, to prove that you could, indeed, grow food and regenerate forests with very little irrigation in the most desolate of places. Only by greening the desert, he said, would the world ever achieve true food security. This revolutionary book presents Fukuoka's plan to rehabilitate the deserts of the world using natural farming, including practical solutions for feeding a growing human population, rehabilitating damaged landscapes, reversing the spread of desertification, and providing a deep understanding of the relationship between human beings and nature. Fukuoka's message comes right at the time when people around the world seem to have lost their frame of reference, and offers us a way forward. Trade ReviewKirkus Reviews- From the late author of bestseller The One Straw Revolution (1978) comes a similar book about a philosophical approach to natural farming."The fundamental concept of a natural farm," writes Fukuoka (The Natural Way of Farming, 1985, etc.), "begins with intuitively grasping nature's original form, where many varieties of plants and animals live together as a harmonious whole, joyfully and in mutual benefit." In this English translation of the author's last work (first published in Japan in 1996), he decries the "indiscriminate deforestation and large-scale agriculture carried out in order to support the materialistic cultures of the developed countries." This process has created a condition called "desertification," the inability of the soil to grow anything. Because humans have lost their connection with nature, Fukuoka advocates foregoing harmful modern methods of farming in favor of a simpler approach. Based primarily on the success of his farm in Japan, the author believes the solution lies in aerial distribution of a large variety of plants via clay seed pellets, the use of cover crops, and a no-tilling approach to the soil. By seeding a wide variety of species in the desert, nature will select those plants best suited for a particular location. These plants will flourish, drawing water from deep within the earth and thereby allowing other plants and trees to prosper. Taking his philosophy to Africa, India and the United States, among other places, Fukuoka demonstrated that, given sufficient time, seeding fallow earth with vegetables, plants and trees created a lush setting. More a spiritual analysis of farming methods than a hands-on approach, the book still provides viable and simple solutions to the world's increased need for productive land. An enlightened method for reclaiming the barren soils of the world. Booklist- The vision of the late Japanese farmer and philosopher Fukuoka, a pioneer in natural farming techniques and author of the now classic The One-Straw Revolution (1978), extends far beyond agriculture. In his final book, a far-reaching treatise on ‘earth stewardship,’ he considers dragonflies, Darwin, and even a meeting with Einstein’s niece as he reflects on the best possible future for human society. At times Fukuoka’s prose can be striking in its simplicity as when he writes, ‘In nature there are no beneficial or harmful insects,’ and furthermore, ‘this is a human construct akin to saying the right hand is good and the left hand is bad.’ Fukuoka never wastes a word or thought, insisting the reader consider all aspects of how we grow our food everywhere in the world and how the food industry manipulates supply and demand for gross profit in ways both economically and socially damaging. Fukuoka’s techniques have been and still are world-changing; the challenge now is to continue practicing them without the master here to lead the way. ForeWord Reviews- Small-scale and urban farming as well as sustainable living and organic food purchasing are so prevalent right now that these practices are moving from a foodie trend to a fundamental shift in our food system. One of the people to thank for that momentum is Masanobu Fukuoka, whose The One-Straw Revolution became a must-read for organic farmers and their supporters around the world. Before his death in 2008, Fukuoka spent decades working on natural farming techniques that he felt could benefit the world. He didn’t plow his field, use fertilizer, or flood his rice fields, in keeping with the methods traditional to many indigenous cultures. Commonly referred to as ‘Do-Nothing Farming,’ his techniques are part of a wider philosophy about respecting nature’s own principles and rhythms. The success of his work sent Fukuoka from his small village in Japan to speaking engagements across the world, where he spent a great deal of time addressing issues of limited resources in areas like Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. In this, his last major book, Fukuoka draws from those experiences to create, once again, a timeless work that has the ability to create a revolution in agriculture. Beyond Fukuoka’s important philosophy, his book is a lyrical, lovely valentine to nature. He’s passionate about bringing other people to the near-enlightenment state in which he lived, where every single leaf moved him to appreciation. Expertly argued and backed by experience, anecdotes, and simple logic, Fukuoka’s last work shines just as brightly as his first.Publishers Weekly- Renowned Japanese agriculturist and philosopher Fukuoka’s (The One-Straw Revolution) final work calls on modern-day farmers to reconsider their methods and heed the needs of the land. Navigating work with international organizations—particularly in Africa, South Asia, and the United States—he illuminates regional disparities in environmental and agricultural thought and practice. Through trial-and-error and years of acute observation, Fukuoka developed a pioneering vision to ‘avoid unnecessary work, especially work that was created as an adverse side effect of previous actions.’ He describes these misguided experiments and failures, such as leaving an orchard completely on its own, as ‘not natural farming; it was abandonment.’ In clarifying popular misconceptions about organic and natural farming, he advises that we must not focus on cash crops, because ‘there is no good or bad among life-forms on earth.’ Only by the co-existence of myriad micro-organisms and vegetation will we be able to preserve and maintain our land. More important, the best farming was simple, ‘rather than the modern approach of applying increasingly complex techniques to remake nature entirely for the benefit of human beings.’ Though elimination of mechanization might be tough for modern agriculturalists to swallow, Fukuoka’s last message provides a spiritually and environmentally enriching alternative to the farming conditions we know today."Masanobu Fukuoka ran a course on natural farming, and gave our Howard lecture at Navdanya's biodiversity farm in the Doon valley of India, and we even have a cottage named the Fukuoka hut. He was a teacher ahead of his time. 'Sowing seeds in the desert' is what all of humanity has to learn to do, whether it is in economic desert created by Wall Street, or an ecological desert created by globalized corporate agriculture."--Vandana Shiva, founder of Navdanya Research Foundation for Science Technology & Ecology "Distilling what he has gathered from a lifetime of learning from nature, Masanobu Fukuoka offers us his gentle philosophy and a wealth of practical ideas for using natural farming to restore a damaged planet. Sowing Seeds in the Desert will persuade any reader that the imperiled living world is our greatest teacher, and inspire them to care for it as vigorously as Fukuoka has."--Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden "This book is a bombshell. Forget the gentle and retiring farmer of The One-Straw Revolution fame, replaced now by a flaming, world-travelling revolutionary. To achieve the kind of natural farming that can avoid worldwide collapse, Masanobu Fukuoka bluntly and fearlessly insists that we must first reject traditional ideas about God, the after life, accepted economic systems--especially capitalism--much of current agricultural thinking including organic farming, and even parts of science which he says are based on mistaken notions about the connection between cause and effect. Once we return to a way of life dictated by nature, not institutional religions, he says, we can apply his unorthodox farming methods to make the deserts bloom and the green fields stay lush without much expense or even labor involved.Be prepared to be mystified, irritated, shocked, and maybe even, if you persevere to the end, enlightened and encouraged by this trail-blazing book. Disagree with Fukuoka's provocative pronouncements at your own risk. Some of what he predicted in this book, originally written in Japanese in the 1990s has already happened, especially the collapse of the Japanese economy in recent years and the spread of deserts throughout the world."--Gene Logsdon, author of A Sanctuary of Trees "From our first meeting with Masanobu Fukuoka Sensei in the late 1970's at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, he has served as a primary guide, teacher, and inspiration in the engaged practice of organic farming and Zen meditation. Now with Sowing Seeds in the Desert, Fukuoka Sensei's teaching of Natural Farming continues to grow, sending deep roots down into the terrain of global restoration and food security for a hungry world. This wonderful book is to be celebrated and savored for its grounded, encouraging wisdom."--Wendy Johnson, author of Gardening at the Dragon's Gate "Fans of Fukuoka's The One-Straw Revolution will be delighted by Sowing Seeds in the Desert, his last book. It is a rich treasure trove detailing how his own philosophy of farming evolved and how he decided to apply what he learned on his own farm in Japan to other parts of the world. His insights into the tragedies of taking Western, industrial agriculture to places like Africa to 'enrich the national economy,' and his alternative approach of working with indigenous farmers to enable them to become self-sufficient, is instructive for all of us."--Frederick Kirschenmann, Author of Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays From a Farmer Philosopher "This book is not a breath of fresh air, it's a howling gale from the East. It challenges us to think outside our normal, rational frames and venture into a whole new way of relating to spirituality, the earth, and the growing of food. As I read, I was tempted to pick holes in Fukuoka's prescriptions for greening the world's deserts, but I kept coming back to the inescapable fact that he farmed his own land according to these principles over many years and produced a lot of food."--Patrick Whitefield, author of The Earth Care Manual Table of Contents1. The call to natural farming 2. Reconsidering human knowledge 3. Healing a world in crisis 4. Global desertification 5. Revegetating the earth through natural methods 6. Travels on the west coast of the United States

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1977, this book—from one of America’s most famous and prolific agricultural writers—became an almost instant classic among homestead gardeners and small farmers. Now fully updated and available once more, Small-Scale Grain Raising offers a entirely new generation of readers the best introduction to a wide range of both common and lesser-known specialty grains and related field crops, from corn, wheat, and rye to buckwheat, millet, rice, spelt, flax, and even beans and sunflowers. More and more Americans are seeking out locally grown foods, yet one of the real stumbling blocks to their efforts has been finding local sources for grains, which are grown mainly on large, distant corporate farms. At the same time, commodity prices for grains—and the products made from them—have skyrocketed due to rising energy costs and increased demand. In this book, Gene Logsdon proves that anyone who has access to a large garden or small farm can (and should) think outside the agribusiness box and learn to grow healthy whole grains or beans—the base of our culinary food pyramid—alongside their fruits and vegetables. Starting from the simple but revolutionary concept of the garden “pancake patch,” Logsdon opens up our eyes to a whole world of plants that we wrongly assume only the agricultural “big boys” can grow. He succinctly covers all the basics, from planting and dealing with pests, weeds, and diseases to harvesting, processing, storing, and using whole grains. There are even a few recipes sprinkled throughout, along with more than a little wit and wisdom. Never has there been a better time, or a more receptive audience, for this book. Localvores, serious home gardeners, CSA farmers, and whole-foods advocates—in fact, all people who value fresh, high-quality foods—will find a field full of information and ideas in this once and future classic.Trade ReviewThe Ethicurean- In Small-Scale Grain Raising, Logsdon lays out clearly just how easy it can be to grow grains for your family and your livestock, from his beloved "pancake patch" up to acre-sized plots. Interspersed with good-humored vintage anecdotes and his usual Contrary Farmer commentary, this primer elevates the status of grain-growing on farms of all sizes (from the backyard on up) to a happy essential. As he states repeatedly, there's nothing so delicious -- or so economical -- as home-baked goods made with fresh grains you grew and milled yourself. And when those same home-grown grains can also feed your animals and build soil fertility… well, what's stopping you?Logsdon's book covers all of the well-known grains and several of the lesser ones: barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, rice, spelt, sorghum, triticale, wheat, and others. He also devotes a chapter to soybeans and dried beans, despite their classification as legumes, because they partner so well with grains both in growing and in eating. For at least the major grains he discusses varieties, yields, nutritional value, and uses (both for human and animal consumption as well as other farm uses). He describes how to prepare the soil, how to plant the grain seeds (including optimal space requirements), what diseases and pests to watch for and how to deal with them, how to harvest and dry the grains, how to store them, and, finally, how to turn those seeds into food for your family.Drawing on his personal experience growing almost all of the major grains, Logsdon describes "how we do it" even when it contrasts with conventional wisdom. He touts the value of open-pollinated seed, despite advances in hybrids, because of their superior taste and the satisfaction of not being beholden to agribusiness. He also demonstrates that old hand tools and techniques can sometimes be the most efficient when growing on a small scale. For example, though corn may be harvested by machine, he outlines how to bundle corn stalks into shocks for easy, inexpensive drying and storage (and aesthetic value). He claims to keep a basket full of old socks to slip over ripening ears of corn to prevent wild animals from dining on his crops. (I'd like to see that!) And for his money, the best weed control -- the one to which pests never develop resistance -- is the hoe."Gene Logsdon could just say, 'I told you so.' Instead, he has revitalized Small-Scale Grain Raising with bushels of new information, thirty additional years of insight, and the welcome leavening of his wonderful and cranky (with a wink and a nod) voice. He makes sowing sexy, and shifts the food revolution from his back 40 to your back yard."--Michael Perry, author of COOP: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Parenting"Small-Scale Grain Raising, 2nd ed., is the definitive book on how to grow, thresh, process, and use grains in the amounts that matter to a family--from enough wheat for a single batch of pancakes up to an acre or two--all the grain needed for a family with a cow, a pig, a few sheep, and a flock of chickens. The first edition has long been a cult classic, decades out of print, decades before its time, eagerly begged, borrowed, and handed around in bootleg copies. The second edition is updated and expanded to include virtually every grain grown in North America. Particularly useful is the state-of-the-art information about threshing and dehulling of various grains for those without access to specialized equipment. Even more useful than the specific information, however, is the portrayal of the overall pattern--the full integration of appropriate grain-growing, appropriate cover-cropping, appropriate livestock keeping, appropriate economics, and appropriate philosophy, all woven together into a powerful model of a coherent framework for gardening, farming, and living. This book is the Small is Beautiful of grain growing, by Gene Logsdon, one of the founding curmudgeons of modern garden farming and sustainable agriculture."--Carol Deppe, author of Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's and Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving "Home bakers rejoice! Gene's book is back just in time to help you grow those flavorful, old, heirloom grain varieties you have always wanted to try. Bon appétit!"--Eliot Coleman, author of The Winter Harvest Handbook and The New Organic Grower "Interspersed with good-humored vintage anecdotes and his usual 'Contrary Farmer' commentary, this primer elevates the status of grain-growing on farms of all sizes (from the backyard on up) to a happy essential."--Jennifer McMullen, reviewed in The EthicureanTable of Contents1. Homegrown grains: the key to food security 2. Corn: America's amazing maize 3. Wheat: the main source of the staff of life 4. The sorghum family 5. Oats: the high-protein cereal grain 6. Dry beans: the "poor man's meat" 7. Rye and barley 8. Buckwheat and millet 9. Rice: the oldest garden grain 10. Some uncommon grains, old and new 11. Legumes: the overlooked partner in small-scale grain raising 12. Feeding grain to animals

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Book SynopsisPulling carts around the farm or serving as loyal pack animals, goats are naturally hardworking and make for friendly companions. This straightforward guide teaches you how to choose, house, feed, train, and breed the best goats for your space and needs. Whether you want to churn out fresh dairy products, harvest soft cashmere for knitting, or keep goats as playful pets, The Backyard Goat makes it easy to enjoy the benefits of owning goats, with no experience necessary.

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Book SynopsisLearn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman's charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. Also available in this series: Nature Anatomy, Nature Anatomy Notebook, Ocean Anatomy, and Food Anatomy.

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Book SynopsisDevon Strong was a farmer and bison rancher in the Western United States whose utterly unique approach to biodynamic agriculture and animal husbandry, stemming as it did from his profound connection with the spirituality of the (Native North American) Lakota people, was just beginning to draw worldwide interest at the time of his early and unexpected death in late 2015.Devon Strong twice led workshops and presentations at the Goetheanum in Switzerland on his merging of biodynamic practices with the traditional Lakota buffalo ceremony. This book -- which includes his unfinished manuscript Taking Life Seriously, all of his published articles, as well as reports and remembrances from both his own family and leading figures of the international biodynamic movement -- is both Devon's final word on the legacy of his singular way of relating to land and animals, and a loving tribute to his vision, inspiration, and intentions for the future of agriculture.

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Book SynopsisFor anyone already practicing, or turning to, biodynamic gardening and farming methods, numerous detailed questions arise, such as:* How do you make and use the key preparations, such as horn manure and horn silica?* How do you develop living, fertile soil?* Which treatments are best for controlling weeds, pests and disease?This manual, fully illustrated with explanatory diagrams and photographs, provides the answers. The book covers* all aspects of making and using biodynamic preparations and composts* managing the health of plants* controlling weeds and pests* working with cosmic rhythms* combatting common diseases such as mildew* working with seeds, pastes and root dips* care of fruit trees and vinesThis second edition also has extensive new chapters on large-scale farming, including livestock and cereal cultivation, and vegetable farming. The whole book has also been completely revised and updated.Although the technical aspects of biodynamic growing are exhaustively covered, the author also considers the human qualities necessary for this kind of agriculture to succeed.This is an invaluable guide for all biodynamic growers to have to hand daily.Trade Review'The definitive practical manual for biodynamic farmers and gardeners, with a section on viticulture.'-- David Lorimer, Scientific Medical Network Review

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Book SynopsisAquaponics is a revolutionary system for growing plants by fertilising them with the waste water from fish in a sustainable closed system. A combination of the best of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponic gardening is an amazingly productive way to grow organic vegetables, greens, herbs and fruits, while providing the added benefits of fresh fish as a safe, healthy source of protein. On a larger scale, it is a key solution to mitigating food insecurity, climate change, groundwater pollution and the impacts of overfishing on our oceans. This is the definitive do-it-yourself home manual, with an introduction by Charlie Price, head of Aquaponics UK. It focuses on giving you all the tools you need to create your own aquaponic system and enjoy healthy, safe, fresh and delicious food all year round. Starting with an overview of the theory, benefits and potential of aquaponics, this book goes on to explain: system location considerations and hardware components; the living elements - fish, plants, bacteria, and worms; and, putting it all together - starting and maintaining a healthy system. Aquaponics systems are completely organic. They are four to six times more productive and use 90 percent less water than conventional gardens. Other advantages include no weeds, fewer pests, and no watering, fertilising, bending, digging, or heavy lifting - in fact, there really is no down side! Anyone interested in taking the next step towards self-sufficiency will be fascinated by this practical, accessible and well-illustrated guide.Trade ReviewThis isn't just another book for dummies; this is a comprehensive handbook on how to grow real food...so meticulously documented, that failure is not an option. -- Jeff Edwards - President, Progressive Gardening Trade Association (PGTA)"I have always wanted to put my money where my mouth is and figure out how to do sustainable aquaculture in the context of my home garden. Finally I've got the book to help me do it." -- Paul GreenbergThis is a delightful book to read! ... I've been involved with hydroponics and aquaculture for 30 years and still learned from reading this very thorough how-to book. -- Henry A. Robitaille, PhD - Former General Manager, The Land Exhibit, Epcot Center

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Book SynopsisSepp Holzer farms steep mountainsides in Austria, 1,500 metres above sea level. His farm is an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with productive fruit trees and other vegetation, with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. This is in dramatic contrast to his neighbours spruce monocultures. In this book, Sepp shares the skill and knowledge acquired over his lifetime. He covers every aspect of his farming methods, not just how to create a holistic system on the farm itself, but how to make a living from it. He writes about everything from the overall concepts, down to the practical details. Sepp offers a wealth of information for the gardener, smallholder or alternative farmer, yet the books greatest value is the attitude it teaches, he reveals the thinking processes based on principles found in nature that create his successful systems. These can be applied by anyone anywhere, and Sepp is increasingly recognised as a leading figure in agriculture.Trade ReviewThere, at an altitude which everyone else has abandoned to low-value forestry, what is probably the best example of a permaculture farm in Europe stands out like a beacon. Patrick Whitefield, permaculture author and teacher

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Book SynopsisIn working to become sustainable, the spice industry faces a number of unique opportunities, but also significant challenges. These include the complexity of sourcing, the length of supply chains, the diversity of participants in each chain, both culturally and economically, and the penetration of the spice chain into virtually every branch of the food system. From tropical root to responsible food: enhancing sustainable spice chains presents a number of real-life cases that demonstrate the willingness and the need of the spice sector to move towards sustainability, while highlighting possible solutions to sustainability challenges. Written for professionals in the spice industry and for everyone interested in sustainability, the book provides an overview of lessons learned so far in the spice sector and ''next steps'' towards achieving sustainability. In looking for solutions, the book highlights issues that still need to be addressed, from defining sustainability to bringing it into practice, and from planting perennial trees to building lasting relationships based on trust.

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Book SynopsisNow in Paperback “A fantastic guide for organic seed breeders and producers. [Navazio] has taken organic seed production to a higher level.” —Suzanne Ashworth, author of Seed to Seed The Organic Seed Grower is a comprehensive manual for the serious vegetable grower who is interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. It is written for both home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a seed crop organically. Detailed profiles for each of the major vegetables provide users with practical, in-depth knowledge about growing, harvesting, and processing seed for a wide range of common and specialty vegetable crops, from Asian greens to zucchini. In addition, readers will find extensive and critical information on topics including: • Seed-borne diseases • The reproductive biology of crop plants • Annual vs. biennial seed crops • Isolation distances needed to ensure varietal purity • Maintaining adequate population size for genetic integrity • Seed crop climates • Seed cleaning basics • Seed storage for farmers • and more . . . This book can serve as a bridge to lead skilled gardeners, who are already saving their own seed, into the idea of growing seed commercially. And for diversified vegetable farmers who are growing a seed crop for sale for the first time, it will provide details on many of the tricks of the trade that are used by professional seed growers. This manual will help the budding seed farmer to become more knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in producing a commercially viable seed crop. Written by well-known plant breeder and organic seed expert John Navazio, The Organic Seed Grower is the most useful guide to best practices in this exciting and important field. Trade ReviewForeWord Reviews- As interest grows in sustainable agriculture practices, the need for organic seed is also on the rise. For a farm to be certified organic, the seed also has to be designated as such, but it’s not just those seeking or holding certifications who are leaning toward using this kind of seed. Gardeners, hobby farmers, community garden managers, and others are driving demand, particularly for heirloom vegetable varieties. Although there are several commercial companies that offer organic seed for sale, smaller growers and hobbyists are finding enjoyment and affordability in 'seed saving' for themselves. In this valuable, highly detailed exploration of the topic, John Navazio takes readers through the steps necessary to produce an organic seed crop, with best practices, a primer on crop plant biology, and tips on seed storage. Navazio is well-versed in the topic as the senior scientist for the Organic Seed Alliance and a plant breeding and seed specialist for Washington State University Extension. Insightful and experienced, Navazio provides information in a straightforward, easy-to-follow manner. After a fascinating stroll through the history of agricultural seed, he then covers vegetable families—such as alliaceae, brassicaceae, and cucurbitaceae—and their characteristics before delving into the details of particular vegetables, like leeks or lettuce. Even for those who don’t plan on seed saving, these chapters are stunning in their straightforward presentation of complex material, including soil and fertility requirements, growing methods, harvest, and genetic maintenance. As a farmer might say, every description is nutritionally dense. Although the guide is most relevant to farmers who might want to sell seeds as part of a diversified small-farm operation, Navazio’s expertise will likely be fascinating to the backyard gardener as well. Much like other types of homesteading skills, seed saving can be something of an art, and, fortunately, Navazio is an expert teacher.“John Navazio has written a fantastic guide for organic seed breeders and producers. He has taken organic seed production to a higher level with extensive information on selection, genetic integrity, isolation distances, and seedborne diseases. Although his focus is on plant breeders and commercial growers, much of the information is also applicable to small-scale farms producing seed for on-site use.”--Suzanne Ashworth, Del Rio Botanical; author of Seed to Seed“With The Organic Seed Grower, well-respected plant breeder and seed expert Dr. John Navazio has written "The definitive book on organic vegetable seed production. Encyclopedic, yet well written and approachable, this seminal work deserves a place in every grower’s library. From the organic farmer seeking a comprehensive reference, to the family farmer who wants to learn how to guarantee access to a favorite variety, to the progressive seed saver committed to success – all will find this book an indispensable guide and Navazio a trusted partner in organic seed improvement.”-- Jim Gerritsen, president, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA)“John Navazio has made a keystone contribution to the future of the grassroots organic seed movement. The Organic Seed Grower is a fundamental resource for the preservation and improvement of agricultural biodiversity. It is an essential guide to high-quality, organic seed production: well grounded in fundamental principles, brimming with practical techniques, thorough in coverage, and remarkably well organized, accessible, and readable.”--Jeff McCormack, Ph.D., founder of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange“There is nothing more important right now than growing and saving seeds; that most essential aspect of life. While we may have all done this once upon a time, we have mostly lost these skills to private industry or urbanization. Until now. John Navazio reveals all the techniques and tricks, some simple and some complex, that he’s learned only after decades of careful observation and practice. Incredible photos help tell the story of life that seeds represent. The Organic Seed Grower is what we need to take back community control of seeds from those who have taken it from us.”--Tom Stearns, president, High Mowing Organic Seeds

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