A Small Farm Future
A Small Farm Future

Author: Chris Smaje

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

Published: 2020-10-22

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 1603589031

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A modern classic of the new agrarianism "Chris Smaje...shows that the choice is clear. Either we have a small farm future, or we face collapse and extinction."—Vandana Shiva "Every young person should read this book."—Richard Heinberg In a groundbreaking debut, farmer and social scientist Chris Smaje argues that organizing society around small-scale farming offers the soundest, sanest and most reasonable response to climate change and other crises of civilisation—and will yield humanity’s best chance at survival. Drawing on a vast range of sources from across a multitude of disciplines, A Small Farm Future analyses the complex forces that make societal change inevitable; explains how low-carbon, locally self-reliant agrarian communities can empower us to successfully confront these changes head on; and explores the pathways for delivering this vision politically. Challenging both conventional wisdom and utopian blueprints, A Small Farm Future offers rigorous original analysis of wicked problems and hidden opportunities in a way that illuminates the path toward functional local economies, effective self-provisioning, agricultural diversity and a shared earth. Perfect for readers of both Wendell Berry and Thomas Piketty, A Small Farm Future is a refreshing, new outlook on a way forward for society—and a vital resource for activists, students, policy makers, and anyone looking to enact change.

Making Your Small Farm Profitable
Making Your Small Farm Profitable

Author: Ron Macher

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Published: 2010-11-18

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1603425357

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Turn your farm into a cash cow! Ron Macher offers a host of simple strategies for increasing your farm earnings, from purchasing durable equipment to growing economically viable crops. A seasoned expert in farm efficiency, Macher shows you how to locate a lucrative niche market for your products, optimize sales, and minimize costs. Whether you’re buying a new farm or jump-starting an old one, Macher’s savvy tips will help you turn your enterprise into a profitable business.

Small Farms are Real Farms
Small Farms are Real Farms

Author: John Ikerd

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13:

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"Since the middle of the last century, American farm policy has taken the nation into the dead end of industrial farm production and food distribution. Farming, at its core a biological process, has been transformed into an industrial process, thus demolishing the economic and cultural values upon which the nation was founded. Along the way, small farms have been ridiculed and dismissed as inconsequential -- but now the seeds of a rural renaissance are being planted, not by these industrial behemoths, but by family-scale farms. In this collection of essays by one of America's most eloquent and influential proponents of sustainable agriculture, the multifaceted case for small farms is built using logic and facts."--Publisher's website.

Making Local Food Work
Making Local Food Work

Author: Brandi Janssen

Publisher: University of Iowa Press

Published: 2017-04-15

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 160938492X

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Making Local Food Work is an ideal introduction to what local food means today and what it might be tomorrow. By listening to and working alongside people trying to build a local food system in Iowa, Brandi Janssen uncovers the complex realities of making it work. She asks how Iowa's small farmers and CSA owners deal with farmers' market regulations, neighbors who spray pesticides on crops or lawns, and sanitary regulations on meat processing and milk production. How can they meet the needs of large buyers like school districts? Is local food production benefitting rural communities as much as advocates claim? In answering these questions, Janssen displays the pragmatism and level-headedness one would expect of the heartland, much like the farmers and processors profiled here. It's doable, she states, but we're going to have to do more than shop at our local farmers' market to make it happen.

Five Acres and Independence
Five Acres and Independence

Author: M. G. Kains

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2016-06-04

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1365165612

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This classic bestseller became that way because of it's very practical and honest appraisal of how a person can get from crowded, noisy, dangerous city life to a peaceful, calm, satisfaction-filled lifestyle in a rural or even suburban setting. This is the streamlined edition, which is designed to be more affordable and take up less space in your pocket or backpack. Everyone who has ever dreamed of getting back to the soil will enjoy Maurice G. Kains' practical and easy-to-understand descriptions of what small-scale farming means. A perpetual classic, readers of Five Acres and Independence have moved closer to the fulfillment of their dreams of independence on a small farm. Whether it all starts with some flowerboxes outside your apartment window, a small back yard in a subdivision, or your few acres (even a vacant lot next door or down the street) you can start today with getting healthier food for you and your family, plus the satisfaction of being self-sufficient.

Small Farm Handbook, 2nd Edition
Small Farm Handbook, 2nd Edition

Author: Laura Tourte

Publisher: UCANR Publications

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1601076983

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Since its publication in 1994, the Small Farm Handbook has been an essential resource for California’s small farmers and the agricultural professionals advising them – selling over 4300 copies. Now this invaluable reference has been updated and expanded for today’s small-scale producers. The handbook covers three essential areas: Background skills and knowledge, the business side, and the farming side Within these broad areas you’ll find specific chapters on: Requirements for Successful Farming Growing Crops Raising Animals Farm and Financial Management Marketing and Product Sales Labor Management Also included are profiles of six small farm operators representing a sample of California’s diverse agriculture. Throughout you’ll get a look at emerging trends and issues for California agriculture and innovative methods for better production and management, all of which can lead to better farm performance. Drawing upon the knowledge of 32 experts from the University of California, No other publication covers the topics, issues, and facets of California’s small-scale agriculture with this depth or level of expertise. From the basics to risk management, specialty crops to marketing and product sales, this guide covers the gamut.

A Very Small Farm
A Very Small Farm

Author: William Paul Winchester

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press

Published: 2014-10-20

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 0806184108

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In the tradition of Thoreau’s Walden, William Paul Winchester offers a chronicle of everyday life on Southwind, his farm of twenty acres. As a subsistence farmer, he builds his own house and barn, puts in a garden and an orchard, acquires a milk cow, and takes up beekeeping. In these pages, we hear his thoughts on such subjects as the weather, seasonal changes, machinery repair, the flora and fauna of the region, and vegetarian cooking. His philosophy, like his lifestyle, is simple, yet profoundly wise.