Growing on just 1.5 acres, owners Jean-Martin and Maude-Helène feed more than two hundred families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stands and supply their signature mesclun salad mix to dozens of local establishments. The secret of their success is the low-tech, high-yield production methods they’ve developed by focusing on growing better rather than growing bigger, making their operation more lucrative and viable in the process.The Market Gardener is a compendium of la Grelinette’s proven horticultural techniques and innovative growing methods. This complete guide is packed with practical information on:Setting-up a micro-farm by designing biologically intensive cropping systems, all with negligible capital outlay Farming without a tractor and minimizing fossil fuel inputs through the use of the best hand tools, appropriate machinery, and minimum tillage practices Growing mixed vegetables systematically with attention to weed and pest management, crop yields, harvest periods, and pricing approachesInspired by the French intensive tradition of maraichage and by iconic American vegetable grower Eliot Coleman, author and farmer Jean-Martin shows by example how to start a market garden and make it both very productive and profitable. Making a living wage farming without big capital outlay or acreages may be closer than you think.Jean-Martin Fortier is a passionate advocate of strong local food systems and founder of Les Jardins de la Grelinette, an internationally recognized model for successful biointensive micro-farming.

    In Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation, Cotter not only offers readers an in-depth exploration of best organic mushroom cultivation practices; he shares the results of his groundbreaking research and offers myriad ways to apply your cultivation skills and further incorporate mushrooms into your life--whether your goal is to help your community clean up industrial pollution or simply to settle down at the end of the day with a cold Reishi-infused homebrew ale. The book first guides readers through an in-depth exploration of indoor and outdoor cultivation. Covered skills range from integrating wood-chip beds spawned with king stropharia into your garden and building a "trenched raft" of hardwood logs plugged with shiitake spawn to producing oysters indoors on spent coffee grounds in a 4�4 space or on pasteurized sawdust in vertical plastic columns. For those who aspire to the self-sufficiency gained by generating and expanding spawn rather than purchasing it, Cotter offers in-depth coverage of lab techniques, including low-cost alternatives that make use of existing infrastructure and materials. Cotter also reports his groundbreaking research cultivating morels both indoors and out, "training" mycelium to respond to specific contaminants, and perpetuating spawn on cardboard without the use of electricity. Readers will discover information on making tinctures, powders, and mushroom-infused honey; making an antibacterial mushroom cutting board; and growing mushrooms on your old denim jeans. Geared toward readers who want to grow mushrooms without the use of pesticides, Cotter takes "organic" one step further by introducing an entirely new way of thinking--one that looks at the potential to grow mushrooms on just about anything, just about anywhere, and by anyone.

    But few grow them successfully in their own gardens because they haven’t learned the simple techniques that make it possible. Expert flower grower Lisa Mason Zeigler introduces us to the long-blooming stars of the spring garden, the hardy annuals – those flowers that thrive when they are planted during cool conditions (instead of waiting until the warmth of spring).  Forget Some-Like-It-Hot, she advises, and give them a cool start. Plant them in the right spot at the right time, nestle their roots deep into rich organic soil, and stand back. In no time at all, you’ll have a low-maintenance, vibrant spring flower garden that keeps on blooming when other annuals are dead and gone.

    That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet. In The Soil Will Save Us, journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for "our great green hope"—a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon—and potentially reverse global warming.As the granddaughter of farmers and the daughter of avid gardeners, Ohlson has long had an appreciation for the soil. A chance conversation with a local chef led her to the crossroads of science, farming, food, and environmentalism and the discovery of the only significant way to remove carbon dioxide from the air—an ecological approach that tends not only to plants and animals but also to the vast population of underground microorganisms that fix carbon in the soil. Ohlson introduces the visionaries—scientists, farmers, ranchers, and landscapers—who are figuring out in the lab and on the ground how to build healthy soil, which solves myriad problems: drought, erosion, air and water pollution, and food quality, as well as climate change. Her discoveries and vivid storytelling will revolutionize the way we think about our food, our landscapes, our plants, and our relationship to Earth.

    Farming the Woods invites a remarkably different perspective: that a healthy forest can be maintained while growing a wide range of food, medicinal, and other non-timber products. While this concept of "forest farming" may seem like an obscure practice, history indicates that much of humanity lived and sustained itself from tree-based systems in the past; only recently have people traded the forest for the field. The good news is that this is not an either-or scenario; forest farms can be most productive in places where the plow is not: on steep slopes, and in shallow soils. It is an invaluable practice to integrate into any farm or homestead, especially as the need for unique value-added products and supplemental income becomes more and more important for farmers. Many already know that daily indulgences we take for granted such as coffee, chocolate, and many tropical fruits, all originate in forest ecosystems. But few know that such abundance is also available in the cool temperate forests of North America. Farming the Woods is the first in-depth guide for farmers and gardeners who have access to an established woodland and are looking for productive ways to manage it. Authors Ken Mudge and Steve Gabriel describe this process as "productive conservation," guided by the processes and relationships found in natural forest ecosystems. Farming the Woods covers in detail how to cultivate, harvest, and market high-value non-timber forest crops such as American ginseng, shiitake mushrooms, ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, fruit and nut trees, ornamental ferns, and more. Comprehensive information is also offered on historical perspectives of forest farming; mimicking the forest in a changing climate; cultivation of medicinal crops; creating a forest nursery; harvesting and utilizing wood products; the role of animals in the forest farm; and how to design and manage your forest farm once it's set up. This book is a must-read for farmers and gardeners interested in incorporating aspects of agroforestry, permaculture, forest gardening, and sustainable woodlot management into the concept of a whole-farm organism.

    Jungle Trees of Central India is a lavishly illustrated and user-friendly field guide to every wild tree you are will see in this entire region.A culmination of four years of research, the book has over 2000 photographs with thumbnail keys to all the bark, flowers, fruit and leaves. An ideal companion for your travels in the region, this book will turn you into an expert tree spotter and take your enjoyment of wild places to another level.

    Neither one had ever farmed before. Charles had been circumnavigating the globe by sail, operating a floating school that taught students about ecology and indigenous cultures. Perrine had been an international lawyer in Japan. Each had returned to France to start a new life. Eventually, Perrine joined Charles in Normandy, and Le Ferme du Bec Hellouin was born. Bec Hellouin has since become a celebrated model of innovative, ecological agriculture in Europe, connected to national and international organizations addressing food security, heralded by celebrity chefs as well as the Slow Food movement, and featured in the inspiring Cesar and COLCOA award-winning documentary film, Demain ("Tomorrow"). Miraculous Abundance is the eloquent tale of the couple's evolution from creating a farm to sustain their family to delving into an experiment in how to grow the most food possible, in the most ecological way possible, and create a farm model that can carry us into a post-carbon future--when oil is no longer moving goods and services, energy is scarcer, and localization is a must. Today, the farm produces a variety of vegetables using a mix of permaculture, bio-intensive, four-season, and natural farming techniques--as well as techniques gleaned from native cultures around the world. It has some animals for eggs and milk, horses for farming, a welcome center, a farm store, a permaculture school, a bread oven for artisan breads, greenhouses, a cidery, and a forge. It has also become the site of research focusing on how small organic farms like theirs might confront Europe's (and the world's) projected food crisis. But in this honest and engaging account of the trials and joys of their uncompromising effort, readers meet two people who are farming the future as much as they are farming their land. They envision farms like theirs someday being the hub for a host of other businesses that can drive rural communities--from bread makers and grain millers to animal care givers and other tradespeople. Market farmers and home gardeners alike will find much in these pages, but so will those who've never picked up a hoe. The couple's account of their quest to design an almost Edenlike farm, hone their practices, and find new ways to feed the world is an inspiring tale. It is also a love letter to a future in which people increasingly live in rural communities that rely on traditional skills, locally created and purveyed goods and services, renewable energy, and greater local governance, but are also connected to the larger world.

    They erode soils, pollute air and water, damage riparian areas, and decimate wildlife populations. The UN s Food and Agriculture Organization bolstered the credibility of this notion with its 2007 report that declared livestock to be the single largest contributor to human-generated climate-change emissions.But is the matter really so clear cut? Hardly. In her new book, Defending Beef, environmental lawyer turned rancher Nicolette Hahn Niman argues that cattle are not inherently bad for the Earth. The impact of grazing can be either negative or positive, depending on how livestock are managed. In fact, with proper oversight livestock can actually play an essential role in maintaining grassland ecosystems by performing the same functions as the natural herbivores that once roamed and grazed there. Grounded in empirical scientific data, Defending Beef builds the most comprehensive and convincing argument to date that cattle could actually serve as the Earth s greatest environmental benefactors by helping to build carbon-sequestering soils and prevent desertification.Defending Beef is simultaneously a book about big issues and ideas and the personal tale of the author, who starts out as a skeptical vegetarian and eventually becomes involved with sustainable ranching. She shows how dispersed, grass-based, smaller-scale farms can and should become the basis for American food production. And while no single book could definitively answer the thorny question of how to feed the Earth s growing population, Defending Beef makes the case that, whatever the world s future food system looks like, livestock can and must be part of the solution."

    The species (from Death Cap to Morel Mushrooms) are organized by shape, then by color, so you can identify them by their visual characteristics. Plus, with the Top Edibles and Top Toxics sections, you'll begin to learn which are the edible wild mushrooms. The information is accessible to beginners but useful for even experienced mushroom seekers.

    Inspiring and moving, the book follows the themes of the heartwarming speech by legendary radio commentator Paul Harvey, “So God Made a Farmer.” Based on the TV commercial watched by millions during "The Big Game" in 2013, this book dives deep into the lives and work of farmers as well as the photographers who captured them. It features more than 200 photographs shot by ten world-class photographers, including National Geographic's William Albert Allard, and shines a spotlight on the American farmer in a compelling photographic poem.

    The book has a wealth of valuable information covering all key areas including: quail housing: pens, runs and cages, quail egg production, health and general care, food and nutritional requirements, breeding: how to incubate and hatch your quail eggs and how to cull humanely and process your own quail meat. There are also included some fabulous quail egg and meat recipes. Urban Quail-Keeping is an informative guide for aspiring or current quail owners and everyone can gain from Karen J Puddephatt’s extensive experience and knowledge.

    And from cheesemaking authority and teacher Louella Hill comes an education so timely and inspiring that every cheese lover and cheesemonger, from novice to professional, will have something to learn. Kitchen Creamery starts with the basics (think yogurt, ricotta, and mascarpone) before graduating into more complex varieties such as Asiago and Pecorino. With dozens of recipes, styles, and techniques, each page is overflowing with essential knowledge for perfecting the ins and outs of the fascinating process that transforms fresh milk into delicious cheese.

    LaManda Joy, the founder of Chicago’s Peterson Garden Project and a board member of the American Community Gardening Association, has worked in the community gardening trenches for years and brings her knowledge to the wider world in Start a Community Food Garden. This hardworking guide covers every step of the process: fundraising, community organizing, site sourcing, garden design and planning, finding and managing volunteers, and managing the garden through all four seasons. A section dedicated to the basics of growing was designed to be used by community garden leaders as an educational tool for teaching new members how to successfully garden.

    Whether you’re interested in growing them for your own kitchen or to sell at a local market, you’ll soon be harvesting a delicious and abundant crop of mushrooms.

    The information is taken from the author's successful Charles Dowding Vegetable Course and arranged in a useful monthly journal so that no activity is overlooked and readers can follow his mantra of "little and often." In this book, Charles Dowding proves the efficacy of no-dig gardening and, using step by step guidance with photos, shows how to plan a vegetable garden, construct a raised bed, sow seed indoors and outdoors in spring, protect plants from the weather and pests through the season until the joy of harvesting is celebrated. The information is organized monthly from January to December, with key crops, key activities and essential reminders so nothing is missed.

    They keep their bees in surprising locations -- sometimes with surprisingly good results. But just as in other locations, bees in the cities often struggle. This book includes anecdotes about urban beekeeping, urban honey, research on Colony Collapse Disorder, and information for those who want to help the bees."This book offers an intriguing look at how city beekeepers cope with landscapes, laws, and attitudes that are often antagonistic to the notion of stinging insects. In straightforward prose that sometimes touches on the lyrical, Gillespie provides a fair and unbiased look at the urban side of beekeeping and an especially good portrait of the personalities behind city hives. If you are interested in urban beekeeping or the people who do it, the book offers a comprehensive peek into a very different—and sometimes strange—world." -Rusty Burlew, Director of the Native Bee Conservancy and blogger at www.honeybeesuite.com.

    Helena Island still relate that their people wanted to “catch the learning” after northern abolitionists founded Penn School in 1862, less than six months after the Union army captured the South Carolina sea islands. In this broad history Orville Vernon Burton and Wilbur Cross range across the past 150 years to reacquaint us with the far-reaching impact of a place where many daring and innovative social justice endeavors had their beginnings.Penn Center’s earliest incarnation was as a refuge where escaped and liberated enslaved people could obtain formal liberal arts schooling, even as the Civil War raged on sometimes just miles away. Penn Center then earned a place in the history of education by providing agricultural and industrial arts training for African Americans after Reconstruction and through the Jim Crow era, the Great Depression, and two world wars. Later, during the civil rights movement, Penn Center made history as a safe meeting place for organizations like Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Peace Corps. Today, Penn Center continues to build on its long tradition of leadership in progressive causes. As a social services hub for local residents and as a museum, conference, and education complex, Penn Center is a showcase for activism in such areas as cultural, material, and environmental preservation; economic sustainability; and access to health care and early learning.Here is all of Penn Center’s rich past and present, as told through the experiences of its longtime Gullah inhabitants and countless visitors. Including forty-two extraordinary photographs that show Penn as it was and is now, this book recounts Penn Center’s many achievements and its many challenges, reflected in the momentous events it both experienced and helped to shape.

    Her awareness of the complex connections among economy and nature and culture preserves her from oversimplification. So does her understanding of the importance of diversity.""-Wendell Berry, from the foreword Motivated by agricultural devastation in her home country of India, Vandana Shiva became one of the world's most influential and highly acclaimed environmental and antiglobalization activists. Her groundbreaking research h

    This comprehensive guide explains why conserving heritage breeds remains important and how they often can be a better choice for the modern farmer than conventional animals. With profiles of heritage poultry, sheep, cattle, and more, you’ll learn how to select and successfully raise the breed that is right for your specific needs. Enjoy the benefits of resilient livestock while preserving genetic diversity for future generations.

    Landscaping and pest control are also discussed.

    "Changing the Food Game" shows how our unsustainable food production system cannot support this growth. In this prescient book, Lucas Simons argues that the biggest challenge for our generation can only be solved by effective market transformation to achieve sustainable agriculture and food production.Lucas Simons explains clearly how we have created a production and trading system which is inherently unsustainable. But he also explores that we have reason to be hopeful from a sustainability race in the cocoa industry to examples of market transformation taking place in palm oil, timber and sugarcane production. He also poses the question: where next?Rigorous and eye-opening, "Changing the Food Game" uncovers the real story of how our food makes it on to our plates and presents a game-changing solution to revolutionize the industry."

    Whether foraging, baking, or gardening, digging their hands into the soil of their backyards or being seduced by the exotic fruits of a far-off place, these writers praise the sensuous and spiritual ways that our food can nourish us. As Darra Goldstein writes in her forward, "When we eat good food, we smell and taste the earth, and thereby reconnect with it: this is what it means to eat with grace."

    With over forty common ailments covered in easy to follow treatment charts. The tools to make new charts for uncommon ailments are included. Written in common language, with instructions on applying pressure and preparing yourself and your animal for treatments. Location descriptions of acupoints accompany each chart to avoid any confusion and inconvenience when using the treatments. Acupressure care designed to complement your Veterinarians care and give you tools to help keep your animal healthy for a long happy life.

    

    editors, Evelien van Es, Gregor Harbusch, Bruno Maurer, Muriel Pérez, Kees Somer, Daniel Weiss ; with contributions of Enrico Chapel and 25 others.

    We all may be much familiar with aquaponics systems but generally, we lack technical knowledge and factors affecting the performance of these systems. We should know that productivity and performance of these systems directly affect the revenues and the quality of food production from the aquaponics systems. Unlike hydroponics and aquaculture, bacteria play a key role in the aquaponics systems. They are the link between fish and plants, and for the completion of food chain. Hence, taking care of bacteria, especially all those factors that affect bacterial growth is vital.

    In this Storey BASICS® guide, Fern Marshall Bradley covers everything you need to know to successfully save seeds from 20 popular garden vegetables, including beans, carrots, peas, peppers, and tomatoes. Learn how each plant is pollinated, where to store your collected seeds through the winter, and how to test their replanting viability in the spring. Now you can grow the delicious varieties you love year after year.

    Fruit trees are grafted to control their size, willows to produce attractive weeping forms, and tomatoes and melons to enhance their disease resistance. Peter MacDonald describes the latest grafting techniques for students, professionals and enthusiastic amateurs, including information on the reasons for grafting, clear instructions on the formation of the graft union, bench grafting techniques, field grafting, vegetable grafting, and cactus grafting. An A-to-Z appendix of plants features detailed information on what type of graft should be used, when it should be done, what type of root stock needs to be used, and what environment it needs to be kept in.

    Why? Because every day, farmers and gardeners help plants and animals begin life and help plants and animals end life. They are intimately attuned to the food chain. They understand how all living things are seated around a dining table, eating while being eaten. They realize that all of nature is in flux.Gene Everlasting contains Logsdon's reflections, by turns both humorous and heart-wrenching, on nature, death, and eternity, all from a contrary farmer's perspective. He recounts joys and tragedies from his childhood in the 1930s and '40s spent on an Ohio farm, through adulthood and child-raising, all the way up to his recent bout with cancer, always with an eye toward the lessons that farming has taught him about life and its mysteries.Whether his subject is parsnips, pigweed, immortality, irises, green burial, buzzards, or compound interest, Logsdon generously applies as much heart and wit to his words as he does care and expertise to his fields.

    More variable weather, drought, and flooding create the most obvious damage, but hot summer nights, warmer winters, longer growing seasons, and other environmental changes have more subtle but far-reaching effects on plant and livestock growth and development.Resilient Agriculture recognizes the critical role that sustainable agriculture will play in the coming decades and beyond. The latest science on climate risk, resilience, and climate change adaptation is blended with the personal experience of farmers and ranchers to explore:The "strange changes" in weather recorded over the last decade The associated shifts in crop and livestock behavior The actions producers have taken to maintain productivity in a changing climateThe climate change challenge is real and it is here now. To enjoy the sustained production of food, fiber, and fuel well into the twenty-first century, we must begin now to make changes that will enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of North American agriculture. The rich knowledge base presented in Resilient Agriculture is poised to serve as the cornerstone of an evolving, climate-ready food system.Laura Lengnick is a researcher, policymaker, activist, educator, and farmer whose work explores the community-enhancing potential of agriculture and food systems. She directs the academic program in sustainable agriculture at Warren Wilson College and was a lead author of the report Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation.

    And not just barbecue, but braising and slow roasting, too—together the three pillars of low and slow cooking. With Low & Slow, you’ll learn to apply the magic of low heat and long cooking times to transform tough cuts of meat into juicy, flavorful finished dishes. The pros at The Culinary Institute of America have packed all their expertise, along with mouthwatering color photographs, into a compact volume that’s sure to become your go-to handbook for all things slow cooking. Low & Slow explains what you need to know to make the most of every cut of meat, any time of year, whether you’re braising a pot of short ribs, barbecuing beef brisket in the backyard, or slow roasting lamb in the oven. Plus, with chapters on homemade rubs and sauces and enough sides to accompany every meal, if you’re passionate about cooking meat, this may be the only cookbook you ever need.

    This practical working cookbook guides beginners and experienced bakers through a feast of recipes, including Sticky Toffee Apple Cake and Coconut Cherry Chocolate Traybake, making it an ideal reference for anyone who loves to dabble with flour, sugar, and butter.

    As this books shows the reader, through learning to tap and use "life-force energy" it is possible to develop farming practices that are both high-quality and nondestructive to the environment. Since high sugar and mineral levels confer immunity against bacterial, insect and fungal crop destroyers, a complete BRIX chart on crops is included. Andersen's chapters outline in detail the difference between deadly slow-kill agribusiness farming and farming as it should be.

    The Chinese have a long tradition of herbal healing and nearer to home the Native Americans have been using herbs to cure a variety of ailments for thousands of years. In fact, herbs were used for their healing powers long before they were used to flavor and enhance the taste of food.Herbs are the oldest form of medicine we know. Many of today's popular prescription and over the counter drugs were originally derived from natural remedies. For example, Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, was originally extracted from willow bark and the herb meadowsweet. Here are some of the things you can read about in Grow Your Own Medicine Cabinet: How to grow your own herbs How to harvest your herbs How to preserve herbs by freezing and drying Common medicinal herbs you can grow What herbs to use to treat many common ailments Natural herbal remedies can be effective money saving alternatives to expensive over the counter preparations. They are a healthy alternative and can provide relief from many ailments with fewer side effects and in many cases, less risk of allergic reactions.Even when a prescription remedy is required for a more serious condition, herbal remedies can often be used to compliment prescription treatments and help to relieve symptoms.Act now. Scroll up and click the 'buy' button at the top of this page and you can read Grow Your Own Medicine Cabinet on your Kindle device, computer, tablet or smartphone.

    They are a delicious treat any time especially while you are out hiking and they could save you from starvation if you get lost. Berries have been used for food and medicine for millennia, and early peoples and settlers preserved them for winter use in everything from pemmican to jams and jellies. In this guide to the wild berries of Washington and Oregon, co-authors T. Abe Lloyd and Fiona Hamersley Chambers provide: detailed descriptions of over 200 berries and berry-like fruits ethnobotanical and early Native American uses and management of wild berry resources range and seasons edibility of each berry, from highly edible to not palatable to poisonous descriptions of poisonous wild fruits and berries, so you know which ones to avoid 20 tasty berry recipes including muffins, squares, popsicles and drinks full-color photos and beautiful illustrations to help identify the species. You may have forgotten what a real berry tastes like, but take this book with you on your next hike and you ll be able to enjoy a cornucopia of freshness."

    They had a mission: to be a part of something bigger than themselves, to follow a peaceful and spiritual path, and to make a difference in the world.Out to Change the World tells the story of how those hippies established The Farm, one of the largest and longest-lasting intentional communities in the United States. Starting with the 1960s Haight Ashbury scene where it all began and continuing through the changeover from commune to collective up to the present day, this is the first complete account of The Farm's origins, inception, growth, and evolution. By turns inspiring, cautionary, triumphant, and wistful, it's a captivating narrative from start to finish.

    Not so. Across the western expanses of the United States, conservationists, ranchers, and forest workers are bucking preconceptions to establish common ground. As they join together to protect the wide open spaces, diverse habitats, and working landscapes upon which people, plants, and animals depend, a new vision of management is emerging in which the conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, and sustainable resource use are seen not as antithetical, but as compatible, even symbiotic goals. Featuring contributions from an impressive array of scientists, conservationists, scholars, ranchers, and foresters, Stitching the West Back Together explores that expanded, inclusive vision of environmentalism as it delves into the history and evolution of Western land use policy and of the working landscapes themselves. Chapters include detailed case studies of efforts to promote both environmental and economic sustainability, with lessons learned; descriptions of emerging institutional frameworks for conserving Western working landscapes; and implications for best practices and policies crucial to the future of the West’s working forests and rangelands. As economic and demographic forces threaten these lands with fragmentation and destruction, this book encourages a hopeful balance between production and conservation on the large, interconnected landscapes required for maintaining cultural and biological diversity over the longterm.