Farming is one of the most important jobs in our society, but what does a farmer really do all day? This book explores both agricultural and livestock farming in detail and describes the special skills and equipment that a farmer needs in order to ensure that the farm runs smoothly. Other aspects of working with animals and crops are explored, such as selling livestock and vegetables to people or businesses. Engaging visuals and interesting facts make this a great read for developing readers.
Farming is one of the most important jobs in our society, but what does a farmer really do all day? This book explores both agricultural and livestock farming in detail and describes the special skills and equipment that a farmer needs in order to ensure that the farm runs smoothly. Other aspects of working with animals and crops are explored, such as selling livestock and vegetables to people or businesses. Engaging visuals and interesting facts make this a great read for developing readers.
"The idea for this book came from a Twitter discussion I was a part of about the image that is portrayed about how the average farmer looks... My aim with this book is to show people exactly who farmers are and what we really look like! From veggie growers to wool producers, cattle graziers to oyster farmers there are so many different people and industries that can fall under the banner 'farmer'. As a photographer, I've always wanted to put together a beautiful coffee table book of my photographs and combining that with telling people's stories..." -- from publisher's website.
Farming in the ruins of the twentieth century -- A short, unhappy history of business advice for farmers -- Subsistence first! -- Land for the tiller -- Soil, civilization, and resilient farmers through the centuries -- Resourceful farmers -- Woodlands and wastes -- It takes a village: leisure, community, and resilience -- Getting a living, forging a livelihood -- Farmer, citizen, survivor: politics and resilience
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.
Farming for Us All gives us the opportunity to explore the possibilities for social, environmental, and economic change that practical, dialogic agriculture presents.
This “must-read” memoir of human-scale agriculture offers an insider’s view of today’s food system by a leading voice in sustainable farming (Daniel Boulud). After years of working at the ends of the earth in human rights and development, Brent Preston and his wife were die-hard city dwellers. But when their second child arrived, the shine came off urban living. In 2003 they bought a hundred acres and a rundown farmhouse, determined to build a farm that would sustain their family, nourish their community, heal their environment—and turn a profit. The New Farm is Preston’s memoir of a decade of toil and perseverance. Farming is a complex and precarious business, and they made plenty of mistakes along the way. But as they learned how to grow food, and to succeed at the business of farming, they also found that a small, sustainable, organic farm could be an engine for change, a path to a more just and sustainable food system. Today, The New Farm supplies top restaurants, supports community food banks, hosts events with leading chefs, and grows extraordinary produce. Told with humor and heart, The New Farm is a joy, a passionate book by an important new voice.
A hardworking duck is rescued from life with a lazy old farmer in this classic tale of justice. Farmer Duck isn't your average duck. This duck cooks and cleans, tends the fields, and cares for the other animals on the farm—all because the owner of the farm is too lazy to do these things himself. But when Farmer Duck finally collapses from exhaustion, the farmyard animals come to the rescue with a simple but heroic plan.
