The Essential Guide to Cultivating Mushrooms: Simple and Advanced Techniques for Growing Shiitake, Oyster, Lion's Mane, and Maitake Mushrooms at Home


Stephen Russell - 2014
    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.

Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living


Rachel Kaplan - 2011
    "Urban Homesteading" is the perfect back-to-the-land guide for urbanites who want to reduce their impact on the environment. Full of practical information, as well as inspiring stories from people already living the urban homesteading life, this colorful guide is an approachable guide to learning to live more ecologically in the city. The book embraces the core concepts of localization (providing our basic needs close to where we live), self-reliance (re-learning that food comes from the ground, not the grocery store; learning to do things ourselves), and sustainability (giving back at least as much as we take). Readers will find concise how-to information that they can immediately set into practice, from making solar cookers to growing tomatoes in a barrel to raising chickens in small spaces to maintaining mental serenity in the fast-paced city environment. Full of beautiful full-color photographs and illustrations, and plenty of step-by-step instructions, this is a must-have handbook for city folk with a passion for the simple life.a"

Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month


Huw Richards - 2019
    There is nothing more fulfilling than growing your own home produce. You don't have to be a seasoned gardener to produce a healthy, flourishing garden - all you need is a few seeds, water, sunlight, good advice and patience!In just one raised bed, author Huw Richards, shows you exactly how to grow vegetables organically, abundantly and inexpensively so you have something to harvest every month of the year. Here's what you'll find inside:- A month-by-month guide showing you what to do and how to do it, including what pests to look out for, and what can be harvested- Covers the first year in detail, with the final chapter on 'Next Steps' providing suggestions of what to do in years two and three- Illustrations show you what the bed should look like from month to month- Includes instructions on assessing your site and building a 1.2m x 3m raised bed- Alternative vegetables are recommended, allowing readers to tailor their bed to their tasteMonth by month, discover what you need to do and how to do it. Try becoming more self-sufficient in your allotment, a small garden, or even on a roof terrace. Veg In One Bed shows you that you can have a small thriving garden and still be able to maintain it, yielding fresh vegetables all year round. Learn what to do each month on your windowsill, where you'll raise seedlings, and in your raised bed, where your plants will grow to maturity. Everything is explained in clear, illustrated steps: building your bed, growing from seed, planting, feeding, and harvesting.This gardening book not only guides you through the whole process of building your raised bed through to harvesting your vegetables but also provides sustainable gardening practices, which will resonate with all gardeners committed to protecting our planet. This makes for the perfect book for new gardeners who want to grow their own produce, as well as the new generation of gardeners who are seeking a gardening guru of their own age.Veg in One Bed goes beyond the inspiring demonstrations on his YouTube channel " Huw Richards - Grow Food Organically ". In this book he organises all his ideas and suggestions into a blueprint for growing your own vegetables month by month. Little growing experience? Only a small space? No matter - with Veg in One Bed, you can still eat food you have grown all through the year.

The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener


Grace Gershuny - 1979
    Gardeners know it is the best way to feed the soil, while others look to composting as a way to dispose of grass clippings, autumn leaves, and tree trimmings. The Rodale Book of Composting edited by Grace Gershuny and Deborah L. Martin offers:* Easy-to-follow instructions for making and using compost* Helpful tips for apartment dwellers, suburbanites, farmers and community leaders* Ecologically sound solutions to growing waste disposal problems

Beekeeping for Dummies


Howland Blackiston - 2002
    Archeologists have found evidence of beekeeping, or apiculture, in the Middle East dating back more than five thousand years. If you've ever tasted good clover honey, it's not hard to understand why. But it's not just for the honey that more than 125,000 people (and growing) in the United States, alone, keep hives. Anyone interested in nature can't help but be fascinated by those buzzing yellow bundles of energy and the exotic world they inhabit, with all its weird rituals and incredible efficiency. Also, dedicated gardeners appreciate the extra bounty that pollinating bees bring to their fruits, flowers, and vegetable gardens. In this easy-to-follow guide, Howland Blackiston, one of the nation's most respected authorities on the subject, takes the mystery (and the sting) out of beekeeping. Taking a step-by-step approach to successful backyard beekeeping, he gets you up and running with all the information you need to:Build a hive Establish your first colony Inspect your hives with confidence Maintain healthy colonies Deal with pests and fix common problems Harvest and enjoy fresh homemade honey Bottle and market your honey Howland Blackiston covers all the bases, from bee anatomy, society, and behavior, to identifying and healing common illnesses afflicting bees. He also offers inventive solutions to most common and many uncommon problems you're likely to run into. Among other things, you'll discover:Where to put your hive, basic equipment you'll need, and how to assemble a hive The best and safest way to inspect and enjoy your bees Year-round tasks a beekeeper must perform to maintain a healthy colony How to recognize and deal with common problems with brood production and the precious queen How to harvest honey and decide what kind of honey you'd like to make Making products from beeswax and propolis For both fun and profit, beekeeping has become a booming enterprise. A real honey of a book, Beekeeping For Dummies gets you on the road to enjoying this ancient, highly-rewarding, and oh-so-tasty hobby.

Secrets of the Soil: New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet


Peter Tompkins - 1989
    Explores scientific and mystical developments that renew and enhance the soil, among them rock dust fertilizer, biodynamic agriculture, and other highly unusual fertilizers.

Urban Gardening: How To Grow Food In Any City Apartment Or Yard No Matter How Small


Will Cook - 2012
    You've probably already considered container gardening - but what about vertical gardening with vining plants that can grow up the wall or using a vertical aeroponics gardening system that can grow 20+ plants in a 4 square foot area?And rooftops are the perfect spot for an urban garden! Not only will you love all the fresh food but the building owner will love the reduction in their heating and cooling bills and the fact that the rooftop will need less repairs and maintenance due to the protection from the plants.Grow Vegetables And Fresh Food With An Indoor GardenEven if you only have a window sill to work with or just a small area by a window, you can build or buy a window garden to grow at least 20 food plants like tomatoes, lettuce and kale.You don't need fancy equipment or expensive gear to start an indoor urban garden - just a little bit of creativity and the plans and step by step instructions included in this book.Also included is a list of the 15 best indoor plants for cleaning, purifying and removing toxins from polluted city air. Even in the heart of Manhattan you can breath fresh, pure air thanks to these incredible plants that have been studied by NASA and proven to remove pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde and Volatice Orcanic Compounds (VOCs).Plant An Incredible Garden In Your Small Yard Or Abandoned City PlotYou might only have a very tiny yard to work with - that's okay! You can still grow a lot of incredible, fresh food and enjoy your beautiful garden. Even if you don't have a yard to work with, there's probably an abandoned plot of land somewhere in your neighborhood. You can start a community garden there often without any cost using the land as long as it's a community project. Not only will you be helping beautify the city but you'll be helping your community as well. Did you know communities that garden have lower crime rates and the residents live longer, happier lives with less stress? What if you could leave a legacy in your community by starting an urban garden?How To Start A Garden For BeginnersWhether you're a complete beginner or just want to learn more, this gardening guidebook will teach you everything you need to know to enjoy the fruits of your own special garden. Every section includes action steps, pictures and step by step tutorials so you will know what to do and how to do it to create your perfect garden.Special Section On Aeroponic Vertical GardeningYou'll learn how to start your own aeroponics vertical garden for less than a few hundred dollars. In the past, aeroponics and hydroponics systems were only available to the wealthy and those with extensive knowledge of agriculture and hydroponics.If you're looking for gardening books on kindle and you're ready to start an urban garden, this is the book for you!Ready to start gardening? Let's go!Learn how to grow an urban garden

First Person Rural


Noel Perrin - 1978
    Transplanted from New York fifteen years ago and now a real-life Vermont farmer, Noel Perrin candidly admits to hilarious early mistakes ("In Search of the Perfect Fence Post") while presenting down-to-earth advice on such rural necessities as "Sugaring on $15 a Year," "Raising Sheep," and "Making Butter in the Kitchen." But, as everyone who has read his essays in The New Yorker, Country Journal, and Vermont Life will confirm, not everything Perrin writes is strictly about the exigencies of country life. While one essay seems to discuss the use of wooden sap buckets, it really addresses the nature of illusion and reality as they coexist in rural places.

Meat Smoking And Smokehouse Design


Stanley Marianski - 2006
    Most books on smoking just give some elementary information and then are filled with recipes; this book is the reverse, scholarly information and theory as it applies to smoking meats and a few recipes that will get one started. While various recipes usually get the spotlight, it is the authors' opinion that the technical know-how behind preparing meats and sausages is far more important. There is a section with some basic recipes, but after reading the book one should be able to create his own recipes without much effort. The book explains differences between grilling, barbecuing and smoking. The sections on smokehouse design include over 250 construction diagrams and photos that cover most known methods: masonry, portable, wood, concrete, and drum smokers. After reading this book a reader will fully comprehend what can be expected of any particular smoker and how to build one that will conform to his individual needs. The book will benefit the serious smoker as well as the beginner.

Eat More Dirt: Diverting and Instructive Tips for Growing and Tending an Organic Garden


Ellen Sandbeck - 2003
    Eat More Dirt is her delightful compendium of homespun tips and tricks for designing, planting, nurturing, and beautifying your land without the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides. From peat moss to irksome pests and predators, Sandbeck explores the lively world of compost heaps (which can be used to naturally â��vaccinateâ�� your garden against disease), growing good soil, choosing plants well-adapted to your climate, weed warfare, planting protocols, and eco-friendly ways to quench your gardenâ��s thirst. Whether you tend an acre or just a window box, Eat More Dirt is an essential guide to keeping your garden thriving, the natural way. â�¢ Build up topsoil without toxic fertilizers or noisy machinery â�¢ Compost, the other black goldâ�¢ Eradicate weeds with sunflower seeds â�¢ Protect berries from birds with a sugar-water spray â�¢ Gentle pruning techniques â�¢ Banish beetles with wheat bran â�¢ Drive off furry pests with cayenne pepper â�¢ When life hands you a seep, dig a pondâ��transforming garden irritants into garden pearls â�¢ Pre- and post-gardening stretches â�¢ Dancing with tools â�¢ The Zen of puttering â�¢

The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure


Joseph C. Jenkins - 1996
    The Humanure Handbook, third edition, will amuse you, educate you, and possibly offend you, but it will certainly pertain to you--unless, of course, your bowels never move. This new edition of The Humanure Handbook is:The Tenth Anniversary EditionRichly illustrated with eye-candy artworkPerfect for reading while sitting on the "throne"Revised, improved, and updated256 pages of crap

Farmacology: What Innovative Family Farming Can Teach Us About Health and Healing


Daphne Miller - 2013
    Increasingly disillusioned by mainstream medicine's mechanistic approach to healing and fascinated by the farming revolution that is changing the way we think about our relationship to the earth, Miller left her medical office and traveled to seven innovative family farms around the country, on a quest to discover the hidden connections between how we care for our bodies and how we grow our food. Farmacology, the remarkable book that emerged from her travels, offers us a compelling new vision for sustainable health and healing—and a wealth of farm-to-body lessons with immense value in our daily lives.Miller begins her journey with a pilgrimage to the Kentucky homestead of renowned author and farming visionary Wendell Berry. Over the course of the following year, she travels to a biodynamic farm in Washington state, a ranch in the Ozarks, two chicken farms in Arkansas, a winery in California, a community garden in the Bronx, and finally an aromatic herb farm back in Washington. While learning from forward-thinking farmers, Miller explores such compelling questions as: What can rejuvenating depleted soil teach us about rejuvenating ourselves? How can a grazing system on a ranch offer valuable insights into raising resilient children? What can two laying-hen farms teach us about stress management? How do vineyard pest-management strategies reveal a radically new approach to cancer care? What are the unexpected ways that urban agriculture can transform the health of a community? How can an aromatic herb farm unlock the secret to sustainable beauty?Throughout, Miller seeks out the perspectives of noted biomedical scientists and artfully weaves in their insights and research, along with stories from her own medical practice. The result is a profound new approach to healing, combined with practical advice for how to treat disease and maintain wellness.

Homegrown Herbs: Gardening Techniques, Recipes, and Remedies for Growing and Using 101 Herbs


Tammi Hartung - 2000
    An internationally renowned herbalist, teacher, and certified organic grower, Hartung has filled this indispensable reference with a wide range of information gathered from her 30 years of studying and working hands-on with these amazing plants. Homegrown Herbs is a step-by-step primer for gardeners of every level. It includes in-depth profiles of 101 cultivars, including information on seed selection, planting, maintenance and care, harvesting, drying, and uses in the kitchen, home pharmacy, crafting, and body care. Hartung supports these profiles with an array of herb garden designs, illustrations, and at-a-glance charts. Sensational four-color photographs by Saxon Holt bring the information to life, and an introduction by renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar highlights the importance of the book to both individuals and the planet as a whole. Packed with valuable information, Homegrown Herbs is much more than an encyclopedia of herbs—Hartung shares her passionate and compelling vision for a world that is filled with greater abundance, pleasure, joy, and compassion. With Hartung as a guide, readers will find that growing herbs is more than simply a practical act; it is also an inspired one that brings beauty, flavor, and healing to the everyday... and to the world at large.

How To Preserve Eggs: Freezing, Pickling, Dehydrating, Larding, Water Glassing, & More (The Little Series of Homestead How-Tos from 5 Acres & A Dream Book 1)


Leigh Tate - 2014
    You can eat them, trade them, sell them, or ???? This little eBook shows you a number of ways to preserve homegrown eggs: freezing, pickling, dehydrating, larding, and water glassing. Also discusses shelf life and how to have fresh eggs all winter long.

City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing


Lorraine Johnson - 2010
    Not only are backyard vegetable plots popping up in places long reserved for lawns, but some renegades are even planting their front yards with food. People in apartments are filling their balconies with pots of tomatoes, beans, and basil, while others are gazing skyward and "greening" their rooftops with food plants. Still others are colonizing public spaces, staking out territory in parks for community gardens and orchards, or convincing school boards to turn asphalt school grounds into "growing" grounds.Woven through the book are the stories of guerrilla urban farmers in various cities of North America who are tapping city trees for syrup, gleaning fruit from parks, foraging for greens in abandoned lots, planting heritage vegetables on the boulevard, and otherwise placing food production at the centre of the urban community. Additional stories describe the history of urban food production in North America, revealing the roots of our current hunger for more connection with our food, and the visionaries who have directed that hunger into action.Throughout the book, sidebars offer practical tips for how to compost, how to convert a lawn into a vegetable bed, and what edible plants are easy to grow with children, among other topics.