Farming While Black is the first comprehensive "how to" guide for aspiring African-heritage growers to reclaim their dignity as agriculturists and for all farmers to understand the distinct, technical contributions of African-heritage people to sustainable agriculture. At Soul Fire Farm, author Leah Penniman co-created the Black and Latino Farmers Immersion (BLFI) program as a container for new farmers to share growing skills in a culturally relevant and supportive environment led by people of color. Farming While Black organizes and expands upon the curriculum of the BLFI to provide readers with a concise guide to all aspects of small-scale farming, from business planning to preserving the harvest. Throughout the chapters Penniman uplifts the wisdom of the African diasporic farmers and activists whose work informs the techniques described--from whole farm planning, soil fertility, seed selection, and agroecology, to using whole foods in culturally appropriate recipes, sharing stories of ancestors, and tools for healing from the trauma associated with slavery and economic exploitation on the land. Woven throughout the book is the story of Soul Fire Farm, a national leader in the food justice movement.--AMAZON.
In Organic Hobby Farming, Andy Tomolonis, a longtime organic gardener, part-time hobby farmer, and award-winning Boston-area journalist, strips down the concept of “organic” and explains why natural farming has emerged as the healthiest and most viable method of growing for hobby farms and other small-scale operations. In addition to the improved taste and the appeal of excluding toxic materials, organic farming benefits farmers, their families, and the environment. It offers economic plusses as well. The current consumer demand for “local” and “organic” food underscores the need for small hobby farms that offer unique high-end goods. Tomolonis explains the basic principles of organic farming and describes how hobby farmers and their families can eat healthier, save money, help preserve the environment, and even turn their passion into a small-scale side business. Chapter 1 will help you assess the land you live on to determine whether it’s suited for organic vegetables, fruit, berries, or livestock. Farmers who are looking to lease or buy land will find practical advice on how to evaluate properties and find their best use, taking climate, soil, water and geography into consideration. In Chapter 2, Tomolonis continues with practical advice on how to choose the right tools without overspending—starting slowly with quality hand implements and then expanding as you determine the need for costlier power equipment. Chapter 3 moves on to the heart of any successful organic farm—building the soil. “The Good Earth” brings readers down to earth, i.e., the soil. You’ll learn how to evaluate and improve your soil with compost and cover crops and protect it from erosion, chemical contamination and other harm. The author also stresses the importance of understanding the complex relationship between underground soil organisms that play such a crucial role in natural plant health. The best soil, with the right balance of nutrients and a healthy population of microbes, will help your plants survive hardship, resist diseases and produce healthier more bountiful harvests, the author explains. Chapter 4 walks you through the steps needed to develop an organized farm plan. The chapter presents a convenient month-by-month overview of the farmer’s year, offering a timeline and detailed instructions for sowing seeds indoors, transplanting seedlings, guarding against insects and weeds, harvesting, planting cover crops extending the season and developing a schedule for successive food crops. Whether you want to feed your growing family all summer long or produce enough food for a small-scale agribusiness, the information here is invaluable. This chapter also covers organic methods for harnessing the power of nature by luring beneficial insects that will help control farm and garden pests. Learn about heirlooms, hybrids, and eclectic vegetable varieties in the comprehensive directory of vegetable crops and herbs introduced in Chapter 5. Tomolonis reveals his favorite varieties, including many alluring heirlooms that have grown in popularity. Each crop description offers detailed information on soil preparation, sowing, companion planting, and battling weeds and insects without harmful chemicals. The author, a former produce manager for a national grocery chain, also includes tips for harvesting crops, prepping them for display, and bringing the goods to market. If you’re looking for advice on fruits and berries, Organic Hobby Farms introduces new options in Chapter 6, where the author suggests ways to branch out with Asian pears, peaches, and apples, as well as nutritious blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. As he does in other chapters, Tomolonis explains in common terms, how to choose the best varieties for your region, prepare the soil for maximum production, and deal with pests and diseases organically. Organic Hobby Farming also describes the basics of adding chickens to your farm—for wholesome organic eggs or pastured meat. Select the right breeds, raise a flock from day-old chicks and protect the birds from predators and pests the natural way. Tomolonis also delves into the fascinating world of apiculture in Chapter 8. He and his wife, Valerie, are avid beekeepers with hives that produce gallons of healthy unpasteurized local honey. In addition to bees, the book provides insight into keeping such small livestock as meat rabbits and dairy goats. Hobby farmers who want to turn their agricultural skills into a money-making operation will find practical advice in Chapter 9, which discusses commercial options. Learn how to sell your goods to local restaurants, at farmers’ markets, or as part of a community-supported-agriculture (CSA) program. And, once you make a decision to turn commercial, you’ll find advice in developing a business plan, crafting a mission statement, setting goals, and creating farm budgets. You’ll also learn the myriad benefits—and challenges—of becoming USDA certified organic. Finally, Organic Hobby Farming steers you to multiple sources of additional information with an extensive listing of resources, broken down by subject and chapter. With Organic Hobby Farming, creative-thinking readers will learn ways to increase the profitability of their organic ventures. The reader can decide to transform his hobby farm into a specialty destination for heirloom varieties, organic raw honey, preserves, dried herbs, or a particularly desirable breed of heritage livestock. As Tomolonis states in the book’s introduction, “eat safer, more nutritious food, learn about your soil and plants, support the local food movement and help save the planet—one acre at a time.”
First published in 1990, this new handy guide book is a "quick reference" to a variety of topics pertaining to soils, and to the production and use of plants and animals. Emphasis has been devoted to basic considerations in plant adaptation, soils, seeds, major field crops, and selected aspects of animal science. A reasonable amount of background information on most topics selected for inclusion is furnished, providing the reader with critical information on the subject matter presented, in the absence of access to other source materials. Attention has been given to the inclusion of both common and scientific plant names, various conversion tables, tabular material used in the interpretation of certain statistical tests, and a glossary, albeit abridged, of terms encountered in the improvement and management of soils, plants, and animals.
Natural Farming carries a simple but widely overlooked message: healthy soil makes healthy plants, which in turn make healthy animals and healthy people. The book explores the consequences in the soil of applications of superphosphate and other artificial fertilizers over decades, and explains soil chemistry in terms that every farmer can understand. It describes the exact role of each mineral and vitamin, both in the soil and in the body. And it explains how to prevent expensive disease outbreaks and minimize the use of costly artificial sprays and fertilizers. The prescriptions are simple and can be applied to any farming enterprise market gardens, orchards, broadacre crops and pasture to restore the natural balance and fertility of the land, improve soil health, and increase productivity. The book is enlivened with accounts of spectacular successes in regenerating degraded land and curing animals that, in many cases, had been given up for dead. Natural Farming is an essential handbook for any farmer, with detailed information on: understanding a soil analysis establishment and management of pasture treatment of compacted soil and erosion alternatives to artificial fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides the significance of weeds strategies for drought diagnosis of diseases and deficiencies in stock remedies for common diseases, including Johne's disease and immune-system disorders rearing orphan animals. Natural Farming equips the farmer to get the best from the land using environmentally sustainable methods that save time, expense, and worry--and to supply the rising global demand for pure food.
Stardew Valley vibes in book form! Farming, friendship, and a heap of fairy dust. Reeling from the buzz and bustle of the city, Lilly has traded in her high heels for a pair of sturdy boots. Yearning for simplicity, she embarks on an unexpected journey to the Wild’s of Briarhaven, where magical dangers lurk around every tree and enchantment is weaved into the very soil. Armed only with The Practical Guide to Magical Farming, Lilly must learn to navigate this new world of magical pests and mischief making sprites. Help comes in the form of her neighbors, a band of endearing eccentrics with hearts as warm as the Briarhaven sun, and Tom, a magically sentient tomato plant. A light- hearted fantasy about an ordinary young woman finding her place in a magical world. Here are what some of the readers thought of the Practical Guide to Magical Farming: "The author skillfully paints vivid images of the magical world of Briarhaven, making it easy for readers to lose themselves in its charm."- review by A Delusional "So far I am enjoying the book, the story will keep you turning pages. It's like someone took their playthrough of Stardew Valley and turned it into a book and I'm all for it. Very much looking forward to book 2" - review by Christopher A
While the surrounding mountain sides are covered in dark monocultures of spruce, the Krameterhof stands out like a beacon. It's an intricate network of terraces, raised beds, ponds, waterways and tracks, well covered with fruit trees and other productive vegetation and with the farmhouse neatly nestling amongst them. The farm is not just and integrated part of the natural world, it's also where Sepp Holzer and his wife Veronika make their living. It has taken a great deal of skill and knowledge to achieve this, and these things don't come easily. Right from his childhood, when his mother gave him a small plot for his first garden, he has observed, questioned and experimented. After a lifetime of permaculture farming he knows the natural world like few other people do today
"First Englished language edition... was published in 2011 in the United Kingdom by Permanent Publications, The Sustainability Centre, East Meon, Hampshire, UK."--T.p. verso.
This book is part of an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional and comprehensive effort to develop a practical guide to assist under-served and limited resource small farmers and woodland owners to adopt best management technologies in agroforestry. The book depicts step-by-step methods and principles on developing agroforestry practices for farmers and woodland owners for the purpose of enhancing the economic and environmental benefits of their farms and woodlands. It also explains why planning is important in developing agroforestry practices; why larger landscape areas should be considered; describes ways in which conducting landscape assessments can be beneficial for agroforestry; and provides guidelines that may be used for the assessment and planning of agroforestry.
