Farming Is Not Big Gardening

Farming Is Not Big Gardening

Author: Thomas C. Mueller

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2019-05-14

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13: 152753457X

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This book is a light-hearted, yet informative narrative that discusses agriculture in the United States from a historical, social and financial perspective. It uses a storytelling technique to share the author’s widely varied experiences on food and farming as he sees it. Written in a somewhat satirical voice, the book contains a wealth of information, presented in fast-moving easy-to-read prose.


Book Synopsis Farming Is Not Big Gardening by : Thomas C. Mueller

Download or read book Farming Is Not Big Gardening written by Thomas C. Mueller and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a light-hearted, yet informative narrative that discusses agriculture in the United States from a historical, social and financial perspective. It uses a storytelling technique to share the author’s widely varied experiences on food and farming as he sees it. Written in a somewhat satirical voice, the book contains a wealth of information, presented in fast-moving easy-to-read prose.


Vertical Gardening

Vertical Gardening

Author: Derek Fell

Publisher: Rodale

Published: 2011-04-26

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1605290831

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Shares methods of growing vegetables, flowers, and fruits vertically with tips on choosing a site, composting, and controlling weeds, pests, and disease.


Book Synopsis Vertical Gardening by : Derek Fell

Download or read book Vertical Gardening written by Derek Fell and published by Rodale. This book was released on 2011-04-26 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shares methods of growing vegetables, flowers, and fruits vertically with tips on choosing a site, composting, and controlling weeds, pests, and disease.


The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables

The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables

Author: Ben Hartman

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1603586997

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At 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.


Book Synopsis The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables by : Ben Hartman

Download or read book The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables written by Ben Hartman and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2017 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At 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.


The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution

The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution

Author: Andrew Mefferd

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2019-03-05

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1771422726

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Learn how to use natural no-till systems to increase profitability, efficiency, carbon sequestration, and soil health on your small farm. Farming without tilling has long been a goal of agriculture, yet tilling remains one of the most dominant paradigms; almost everyone does it. But tilling kills beneficial soil life, burns up organic matter, and releases carbon dioxide. If the ground could instead be prepared for planting without tilling, time and energy could be saved, soil organic matter increased, carbon sequestered, and dependence on machinery reduced. The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution is the comprehensive farmer-developed roadmap showing how no-till lowers barriers to starting a small farm, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency and profitability, and promotes soil health. This hands-on manual offers: Why roller-crimper no-till methods don't work for most small farms A decision-making framework for the four no-till methods: occulation, solarization, organic mulches grown in place, and applied to beds Ideas for starting a no-till farm or transitioning a working farm A list of tools, supplies, and sources. This is the only manual of its kind, specifically written for natural and small-scale farmers who wish to expand or explore chemical-free, regenerative farming methods.


Book Synopsis The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution by : Andrew Mefferd

Download or read book The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution written by Andrew Mefferd and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn how to use natural no-till systems to increase profitability, efficiency, carbon sequestration, and soil health on your small farm. Farming without tilling has long been a goal of agriculture, yet tilling remains one of the most dominant paradigms; almost everyone does it. But tilling kills beneficial soil life, burns up organic matter, and releases carbon dioxide. If the ground could instead be prepared for planting without tilling, time and energy could be saved, soil organic matter increased, carbon sequestered, and dependence on machinery reduced. The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution is the comprehensive farmer-developed roadmap showing how no-till lowers barriers to starting a small farm, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency and profitability, and promotes soil health. This hands-on manual offers: Why roller-crimper no-till methods don't work for most small farms A decision-making framework for the four no-till methods: occulation, solarization, organic mulches grown in place, and applied to beds Ideas for starting a no-till farm or transitioning a working farm A list of tools, supplies, and sources. This is the only manual of its kind, specifically written for natural and small-scale farmers who wish to expand or explore chemical-free, regenerative farming methods.


Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening

Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening

Author: Will Bonsall

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 1603584420

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"Society does not generally expect its farmers to be visionaries." Perhaps not, but longtime Maine farmer and homesteader Will Bonsall does possess a unique clarity of vision that extends all the way from the finer points of soil fertility and seed saving to exploring how we can transform civilization and make our world a better, more resilient place. In Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening, Bonsall maintains that to achieve real wealth we first need to understand the economy of the land, to realize that things that might make sense economically don't always make sense ecologically, and vice versa. The marketplace distorts our values, and our modern dependence on petroleum in particular presents a serious barrier to creating a truly sustainable agriculture. For him the solution is, first and foremost, greater self-reliance, especially in the areas of food and energy. By avoiding any off-farm inputs (fertilizers, minerals, and animal manures), Bonsall has learned how to practice a purely veganic, or plant-based, agriculture--not from a strictly moralistic or philosophical perspective, but because it makes good business sense: spend less instead of making more. What this means in practical terms is that Bonsall draws upon the fertility of on-farm plant materials: compost, green manures, perennial grasses, and forest products like leaves and ramial wood chips. And he grows and harvests a diversity of crops from both cultivated and perennial plants: vegetables, grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and nuts--even uncommon but useful permaculture plants like groundnut (Apios). In a friendly, almost conversational way, Bonsall imparts a wealth of knowledge drawn from his more than forty years of farming experience. "My goal," he writes, "is not to feed the world, but to feed myself and let others feed themselves. If we all did that, it might be a good beginning."


Book Synopsis Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening by : Will Bonsall

Download or read book Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening written by Will Bonsall and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2015 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Society does not generally expect its farmers to be visionaries." Perhaps not, but longtime Maine farmer and homesteader Will Bonsall does possess a unique clarity of vision that extends all the way from the finer points of soil fertility and seed saving to exploring how we can transform civilization and make our world a better, more resilient place. In Will Bonsall's Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening, Bonsall maintains that to achieve real wealth we first need to understand the economy of the land, to realize that things that might make sense economically don't always make sense ecologically, and vice versa. The marketplace distorts our values, and our modern dependence on petroleum in particular presents a serious barrier to creating a truly sustainable agriculture. For him the solution is, first and foremost, greater self-reliance, especially in the areas of food and energy. By avoiding any off-farm inputs (fertilizers, minerals, and animal manures), Bonsall has learned how to practice a purely veganic, or plant-based, agriculture--not from a strictly moralistic or philosophical perspective, but because it makes good business sense: spend less instead of making more. What this means in practical terms is that Bonsall draws upon the fertility of on-farm plant materials: compost, green manures, perennial grasses, and forest products like leaves and ramial wood chips. And he grows and harvests a diversity of crops from both cultivated and perennial plants: vegetables, grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and nuts--even uncommon but useful permaculture plants like groundnut (Apios). In a friendly, almost conversational way, Bonsall imparts a wealth of knowledge drawn from his more than forty years of farming experience. "My goal," he writes, "is not to feed the world, but to feed myself and let others feed themselves. If we all did that, it might be a good beginning."


The Urban Farmer

The Urban Farmer

Author: Curtis Allen Stone

Publisher: New Society Publishers

Published: 2015-12-14

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1771421916

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There are twenty million acres of lawns in North America. In their current form, these unproductive expanses of grass represent a significant financial and environmental cost. However, viewed through a different lens, they can also be seen as a tremendous source of opportunity. Access to land is a major barrier for many people who want to enter the agricultural sector, and urban and suburban yards have huge potential for would-be farmers wanting to become part of this growing movement. The Urban Farmer is a comprehensive, hands-on, practical manual to help you learn the techniques and business strategies you need to make a good living growing high-yield, high-value crops right in your own backyard (or someone else's). Major benefits include: Low capital investment and overhead costs Reduced need for expensive infrastructure Easy access to markets Growing food in the city means that fresh crops may travel only a few blocks from field to table, making this innovative approach the next logical step in the local food movement. Based on a scalable, easily reproduced business model, The Urban Farmer is your complete guide to minimizing risk and maximizing profit by using intensive production in small leased or borrowed spaces. Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm growing vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants, and retail outlets. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers.


Book Synopsis The Urban Farmer by : Curtis Allen Stone

Download or read book The Urban Farmer written by Curtis Allen Stone and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2015-12-14 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are twenty million acres of lawns in North America. In their current form, these unproductive expanses of grass represent a significant financial and environmental cost. However, viewed through a different lens, they can also be seen as a tremendous source of opportunity. Access to land is a major barrier for many people who want to enter the agricultural sector, and urban and suburban yards have huge potential for would-be farmers wanting to become part of this growing movement. The Urban Farmer is a comprehensive, hands-on, practical manual to help you learn the techniques and business strategies you need to make a good living growing high-yield, high-value crops right in your own backyard (or someone else's). Major benefits include: Low capital investment and overhead costs Reduced need for expensive infrastructure Easy access to markets Growing food in the city means that fresh crops may travel only a few blocks from field to table, making this innovative approach the next logical step in the local food movement. Based on a scalable, easily reproduced business model, The Urban Farmer is your complete guide to minimizing risk and maximizing profit by using intensive production in small leased or borrowed spaces. Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm growing vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants, and retail outlets. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers.


SPIN-farming Basics

SPIN-farming Basics

Author: Wally Satzewich

Publisher: Spin Farming LLC

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 9780615384092

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SPIN-Farming Basics outlines how to make money growing common vegetables in backyards, front lawns,neighborhood lots or as part of larger acreages in the country. SPIN stands for small plot intensive, and SPIN-Farming Basics provides everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a business concept, marketing advice, financial benchmarks and a detailed day-to-day workflow. It is non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement and shows readers how to farm commercially wherever they live, as long as there are nearby markets to support them.


Book Synopsis SPIN-farming Basics by : Wally Satzewich

Download or read book SPIN-farming Basics written by Wally Satzewich and published by Spin Farming LLC. This book was released on 2011 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SPIN-Farming Basics outlines how to make money growing common vegetables in backyards, front lawns,neighborhood lots or as part of larger acreages in the country. SPIN stands for small plot intensive, and SPIN-Farming Basics provides everything you'd expect from a good franchise: a business concept, marketing advice, financial benchmarks and a detailed day-to-day workflow. It is non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-implement and shows readers how to farm commercially wherever they live, as long as there are nearby markets to support them.


Mini Farming Guide to Vegetable Gardening

Mini Farming Guide to Vegetable Gardening

Author: Brett L. Markham

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-05-22

Total Pages: 341

ISBN-13: 1620873788

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Make the most of your vegetable garden with Brett Markham, author Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre. This comprehensive new handbook covers everything you need to know about maximizing and harvesting the best vegetables you can possibly produce. With each chapter addressing a different vegetable, you’ll learn tips and tricks about varietal selection, nutritional merits, how to begin, special hints for growing, and how to deal with particular pests and diseases, plus one or two creative recipes to get you started. With over 150 of Markham’s own photographs guiding you every step of the way, you’ll find this an honest, straightforward guide and a must-have for any vegetable mini-farmer.


Book Synopsis Mini Farming Guide to Vegetable Gardening by : Brett L. Markham

Download or read book Mini Farming Guide to Vegetable Gardening written by Brett L. Markham and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-22 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Make the most of your vegetable garden with Brett Markham, author Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on ¼ Acre. This comprehensive new handbook covers everything you need to know about maximizing and harvesting the best vegetables you can possibly produce. With each chapter addressing a different vegetable, you’ll learn tips and tricks about varietal selection, nutritional merits, how to begin, special hints for growing, and how to deal with particular pests and diseases, plus one or two creative recipes to get you started. With over 150 of Markham’s own photographs guiding you every step of the way, you’ll find this an honest, straightforward guide and a must-have for any vegetable mini-farmer.


Grow Your Soil!

Grow Your Soil!

Author: Diane Miessler

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Published: 2020-02-18

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1635862078

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Growing awareness of the importance of soil health means that microbes are on the minds of even the most casual gardeners. After all, anyone who has ever attempted to plant a thriving patch of flowers or vegetables knows that what you grow is only as good as the soil you grow it in. It is possible to create and maintain rich, dark, crumbly soil that’s teeming with life, using very few inputs and a no-till, no-fertilizer approach. Certified permaculture designer and lifelong gardener Diane Miessler presents the science of soil health in an engaging, entertaining voice geared for the backyard grower. She shares the techniques she has used — including cover crops, constant mulching, and a simple-but-supercharged recipe for compost tea — to transform her own landscape from a roadside dump for broken asphalt to a garden that stops traffic, starting from the ground up.


Book Synopsis Grow Your Soil! by : Diane Miessler

Download or read book Grow Your Soil! written by Diane Miessler and published by Storey Publishing, LLC. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Growing awareness of the importance of soil health means that microbes are on the minds of even the most casual gardeners. After all, anyone who has ever attempted to plant a thriving patch of flowers or vegetables knows that what you grow is only as good as the soil you grow it in. It is possible to create and maintain rich, dark, crumbly soil that’s teeming with life, using very few inputs and a no-till, no-fertilizer approach. Certified permaculture designer and lifelong gardener Diane Miessler presents the science of soil health in an engaging, entertaining voice geared for the backyard grower. She shares the techniques she has used — including cover crops, constant mulching, and a simple-but-supercharged recipe for compost tea — to transform her own landscape from a roadside dump for broken asphalt to a garden that stops traffic, starting from the ground up.


Growing Perennial Foods

Growing Perennial Foods

Author: Acadia Tucker

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780998862354

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Acadia Tucker's long love affair with perennial foods has produced this easy-to-understand guide to growing and harvesting them. A regenerative farmer who is deeply concerned about global warming, Tucker believes there may be no better time to plant these hardy crops. Perennials can weather climate extremes, promote healthy soil, mitigate drought conditions, and thrive without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many can be harvested year round. They taste good, pack lots of nutrients, and require little tending. In short, the world is a better place with more perennials in it and this book intends to get us there. Tucker inspires action by first laying the groundwork for tending an organic, regenerative garden. She highlights the 10 steps she recommends gardeners take to help perennial foods thrive. But most of the book is dedicated to profiles of popular perennial herbs, fruit, and vegetables, with explicit instructions on how to plant, grow, and harvest them. Tucker also offers suggestions on how to store and preserve perennials. Growing Perennial Foods is illustrated with dozens of pen & ink drawings and ends with a short chapter on frequently asked questions. And since this is a field guide, each profile gives readers enough space to write in any additional notes. While designed for gardening novices, this book is also for experienced gardeners who want to grow more resilient crops, and could use a little guidance. Growing Perennial Foods is part of our Growing Food book series and a companion guide to Growing Good Food: A Citizen's Guide to Backyard Carbon Farming, which is also written by Acadia Tucker and set to publish in the summer of 2019.


Book Synopsis Growing Perennial Foods by : Acadia Tucker

Download or read book Growing Perennial Foods written by Acadia Tucker and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acadia Tucker's long love affair with perennial foods has produced this easy-to-understand guide to growing and harvesting them. A regenerative farmer who is deeply concerned about global warming, Tucker believes there may be no better time to plant these hardy crops. Perennials can weather climate extremes, promote healthy soil, mitigate drought conditions, and thrive without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many can be harvested year round. They taste good, pack lots of nutrients, and require little tending. In short, the world is a better place with more perennials in it and this book intends to get us there. Tucker inspires action by first laying the groundwork for tending an organic, regenerative garden. She highlights the 10 steps she recommends gardeners take to help perennial foods thrive. But most of the book is dedicated to profiles of popular perennial herbs, fruit, and vegetables, with explicit instructions on how to plant, grow, and harvest them. Tucker also offers suggestions on how to store and preserve perennials. Growing Perennial Foods is illustrated with dozens of pen & ink drawings and ends with a short chapter on frequently asked questions. And since this is a field guide, each profile gives readers enough space to write in any additional notes. While designed for gardening novices, this book is also for experienced gardeners who want to grow more resilient crops, and could use a little guidance. Growing Perennial Foods is part of our Growing Food book series and a companion guide to Growing Good Food: A Citizen's Guide to Backyard Carbon Farming, which is also written by Acadia Tucker and set to publish in the summer of 2019.