The Lean Farm

The Lean Farm

Author: Ben Hartman

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1603585923

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A practical, systems-based approach for a more sustainable farming operation To many people today, using the words "factory" and "farm" in the same sentence is nothing short of sacrilege. In many cases, though, the same sound business practices apply whether you are producing cars or carrots. Author Ben Hartman and other young farmers are increasingly finding that incorporating the best new ideas from business into their farming can drastically cut their wastes and increase their profits, making their farms more environmentally and economically sustainable. By explaining the lean system for identifying and eliminating waste and introducing efficiency in every aspect of the farm operation, The Lean Farm makes the case that small-scale farming can be an attractive career option for young people who are interested in growing food for their community. Working smarter, not harder, also prevents the kind of burnout that start-up farmers often encounter in the face of long, hard, backbreaking labor. Lean principles grew out of the Japanese automotive industry, but they are now being followed on progressive farms around the world. Using examples from his own family's one-acre community-supported farm in Indiana, Hartman clearly instructs other small farmers in how to incorporate lean practices in each step of their production chain, from starting a farm and harvesting crops to training employees and selling goods. While the intended audience for this book is small-scale farmers who are part of the growing local food movement, Hartman's prescriptions for high-value, low-cost production apply to farms and businesses of almost any size or scale that hope to harness the power of lean in their production processes.


Modern Farm Management

Modern Farm Management

Author: Andrew Boss

Publisher: Daya Books

Published: 1951

Total Pages: 534

ISBN-13:

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In The Preparation Of This Book The Authors Have Attempted To Develop The Background Upon Which Successful Farming Is Founded, And To Present In Concise From And Orderly Discussion Of The Many Problems And Procedures Involved In Acquiring, Organising And Operating A Farm. Material Not Hitherto Available In Text Form Has Been Included To Supplement And Complete The Information Required For Successful Operation Of A Farm Business. The Text Has Been Prepared For Use In A General Course In Farm Management. Although The Book Has Been Prepared Primarily As Text, It Is Also Suitable As A Guide Book For Farmers, Many Of Whom Will Profit By Careful Reading. Contents Introductory Chapter 1: What Is Farm Management? Chapter 2: History And Development Of Farm Management; Chapter 3: Characteristics Of Farming. Part I: Elements Involved In Farming Chapter 4: Natural Resources In Relation To Farming; Chapter 5: Agricultural Production Areas; Chapter 6: Economic Forces Modify Production Areas; Chapter 7: Characteristics Of Types Of Farming. Part Ii: Farm Organisation Chapter 8: Becoming Established In Farming; Chapter 9: Principles Of Soil And Crop Management Involved In Farm Organisation; Chapter 10: The Place Of Livestock In Farm Organisation; Chapter 11: Planning The Physical Organisation Of The Farm; Chapter 12: Organisation Of The Farm Unit; Chapter 13: Mapping The Farm And Measuring Production; Chapter 14: Checking The Results; Chapter 15: Improving The Organisation; Chapter 16: Budgeting A Farm Business; Chapter 17: Which Plan Promises The Best Return? Part Iii: Farm Operation Chapter 18: Principles Of Farm Operation; Chapter 19: Determining The Results From Operation; Chapter 20: Measures Of Management In Farm Operation; Chapter 21: Measuring The Efficiency Of Operation; Chapter 22: The Human Factor In Farm Operation; Chapter 23: Shaping The Work Programme; Chapter 24: Farm Work Simplification; Chapter 25: Equipment For Economic Operation; Chapter 26: Farm Marketing Problems. Part Iv: Farm Management Services And Related Problems Chapter 28: Useful Farm Records; Chapter 29: The Use Of Capital And Credit In Farming; Chapter 30: Farm Marketing Organisations; Chapter 31: Farm Management Services; Chapter 32: Planned Production Programmes; Chapter 33: Legal Matters Relating To Farm Business. Appendix I: Measuring And Mapping A Farm.


Farm Management

Farm Management

Author: Ronald D. Kay

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780071086561

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Introducing students to the key concepts on how to effectively manage a farm business, this title provides students with the basic information needed to measure management performance, financial progress, and the financial condition of the farm business.


Rural Development

Rural Development

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Subcommittee on Rural Development

Publisher:

Published: 1971

Total Pages: 636

ISBN-13:

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The Resilient Farm and Homestead

The Resilient Farm and Homestead

Author: Ben Falk

Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing Company

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 323

ISBN-13: 1603584447

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The Resilient Farm and Homestead is a manual for developing durable, beautiful, and highly functional human habitat systems fit to handle an age of rapid transition. Ben Falk is a land designer and site developer whose permaculture-research farm has drawn national attention. The site is a terraced paradise on a hillside in Vermont that would otherwise be overlooked by conventional farmers as unworthy farmland. Falk's wide array of fruit trees, rice paddies (relatively unheard of in the Northeast), ducks, nuts, and earth-inspired buildings is a hopeful image for the future of regenerative agriculture and modern homesteading. The book covers nearly every strategy Falk and his team have been testing at the Whole Systems Research Farm over the past decade, as well as experiments from other sites Falk has designed through his off-farm consulting business. The book includes detailed information on earthworks; gravity-fed water systems; species composition; the site-design process; site management; fuelwood hedge production and processing; human health and nutrient-dense production strategies; rapid topsoil formation and remineralization; agroforestry/silvopasture/grazing; ecosystem services, especially regarding flood mitigation; fertility management; human labor and social-systems aspects; tools/equipment/appropriate technology; and much more, complete with gorgeous photography and detailed design drawings. The Resilient Farm and Homestead is more than just a book of tricks and techniques for regenerative site development, but offers actual working results in living within complex farm-ecosystems based on research from the "great thinkers" in permaculture, and presents a viable home-scale model for an intentional food-producing ecosystem in cold climates, and beyond. Inspiring to would-be homesteaders everywhere, but especially for those who find themselves with "unlikely" farming land, Falk is an inspiration in what can be done by imitating natural systems, and making the most of what we have by re-imagining what's possible. A gorgeous case study for the homestead of the future.


TIME MGMT TIPS FOR FARMERS

TIME MGMT TIPS FOR FARMERS

Author: Caroline Owens

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Published: 2016-10-03

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13: 9781478777656

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Days too short, list too long? Is being too busy taking the fun out of farming? Do you worry your business will suffer because you can't keep up with everything? Are you still expecting things to settle down to a manageable level once your farm gets "up and running"? You are not alone! In this book, farmers from the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) speak from the heart about how they manage their days to reach short and long-term goals while maintaining work/life balance. The result is a treasure trove of proven ideas for the ambitious, energetic self-starter tackling the business of farming. "Farmers often feel like the days are never long enough; here is a handy manual that offers real life testimonials about what works on successful farms to get more done in less time." - Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm, Swoope, Virginia