Description
Book SynopsisThis well-illustrated case study . . . will help students of permaculture, of sustainability, of earth regeneration and of integrated eco-social design. Prof. Declan Kennedy, Chairman, Advisory Board, gaiauniversity.org
To ensure food security and restore the health of the planet, we need to move beyond industrial agriculture and return to the practice of small-scale, local farming. The Bioshelter Market Garden: A Permaculture Farm describes the creation of a sustainable food system through a detailed case study of the successful year-round organic market garden and permaculture design at Pennsylvania's Three Sisters Farm.
At the heart of Three Sisters is its biosheltera solar greenhouse which integrates growing facilities, poultry housing, a potting room, storage, kitchen facilities, compost bins, a reference library and classroom area. The Bioshelter Market Garden examines how the bioshelter promotes greater biodiversity and is an energy efficient method of extending crop production through Pennsylvania's cold winter months. Both visionary and practical, this fully illustrated book contains a wealth of information on the application of permaculture principles. Some of the topics covered include:
- Design and management of an intensive market garden farm
- Energy systems and bio-thermal resources
- Ecological soil management and pest control
- Wetlands usage
- Solar greenhouse design and management
Whatever your gardening experience and ambitions, this comprehensive manual is sure to inform and inspire.
Darrell Frey's inspirational book gives you all you need to know to create an energy-saving, food-producing bioshelter . . . [It] covers everything you need to understand, build, or simply admire these important tools for sustainability. Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia's Garden
Table of Contents Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Toward a Permanent Culture
Prologue
Book Outline
Five Acres and Interdependence
The Value of the Small-Scale Farm
Creation of Sustainable Local Food Systems
Integrated Systems: Permaculture Design
Sustainability
Concepts of Ecology
Permaculture and Agriculture
Farm Ecology
Three Sisters Farm
Resource Survey
Season Extension
Outreach
Back to the Earth
Chapter 2: Sustainable Food Systems :
Safe, Healthful and SecureSustainability for Food Systems
Food Safety and Public Awareness
Food Security
Chapter 3: Direct Marketing for a Small Farm
Preparation
Business Management
Marketing Farm Products
Outreach and Education Programs
Chapter 4: The Permaculture Farm: Design
Farm Design and Planning
Site Analysis: The Land, the Community and the Environment Planning
Season Extension
Case Study: Design of Three Sisters Farm
Sector Analysis
Overlaying the Farm into the Landscape
Bioshelter
Wildlife at Three Sisters Farm: Many Neighbors
Applied Observation
Chapter 5: Energy Systems on the Farm
Conservation
Biothermal Resource Recovery
Solar
Photovoltaic Applications
Chapter 6: Beyond Integrated Pest Control :
Insects, Disease, Weeds and Other Pests Organic Methods
Whole-systems Planning
Ecological Pest Control
Insects on the Farm
Spiders on the Farm
Design for Ecological Control
Insects in the Bioshelter (and Other Creatures)
Pests and Permaculture
Chapter 7: The Market Garden Farm: Management
The Spiral Garden
The South Garden
The East Garden
The Southeast Garden
The Pond Garden
The West Garden
Smaller Gardens
Crops and Products
Perennials
The Farm Woodlot
Managing Plant Interactions
Chapter 8: Seasons of the Garden
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bioshelter Maintenance
Managing the Permaculture Landscape
Planting
Linda's Crop Profiles
The Edible Flower
Fungi
Chapter 9: Bioshelter Defined and Designed
The Bioshelter Defined
Why Build A Bioshelter?
Bioshelter Daydreams
Bioshelter Design
A Bioshelter for Three Sisters Farm
Farm Design
Chapter 10: Bioshelter Management
Managing the Indoor Ecosystem — An Overview
Gardener as Ecosystem Manager
Bioshelter Management through the Seasons
Other Aspects of Bioshelter Management
From a Tiny Seed: Starting Seedlings
Countless Bioshelter Possibilities
Chapter 11: Compost and Biothermal Resources
Harvesting Compost's Multiple Yields
Traditional Uses of Biothermal Energy
Compost and the NOP
Biothermal Resources
Composting Practices at Three Sisters Farm
Chapter 12: Chickens in the Greenhouse
Food Security
Finding the Right Bird
Chapter 13: Permaculture for Wetlands
Lost Wetlands
Care of the Earth
Classes of Wetlands
Basic Design Procedures
Design for Wetlands
Ponds
The Pond at Three Sisters Farm and Nursery
Chapter 14: Education on the Farm
Benefits and Costs
Three Sisters Farm Programs
Chapter 15: Home Sweet Home
Taking the Lessons Learned Back Home
Epilogue: The Farm Ecosystem Evolves
Feeling Part of the Cycle
Biodiversity: Farm Community
A Hopeful Enterprise
Appendix A (to chapter 11): Applicable Regulations for
Agricultural Composting n PennsylvaniavRelevant Pennsylvania DEP rules excerpted from "Agricultural Composting of Manures: Supplement to ManurevManagement for Environmental Protection,"
Appendix B (to chapter 11): Compost Calculations
Compost
Heat Gain and Loss
Appendix C: Greenhouse Heat Dynamics: Figuring Solar Gain, Solar Storage, and Heat Loss
Temperate Zone Wetland Plants
Index
About the Author
