Showing titles in Sustainable Agriculture

More than a practical guide, Start Your Farm is a hopeful call to action for anyone who aspires to grow wholesome, environmentally sustainable food for a living. Take it from Forrest Pritchard and Ellen Polishuk: Making this dream a reality is not for the faint of heart, but it's well within reach - and there's no greater satisfaction under the sun.

Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook. Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere - the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health.

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 by progressive farms around the world....

We’ve been told that a vegetarian diet can feed the hungry, honor the animals, and save the planet. Lierre Keith believed in that plant-based diet and spent twenty years as a vegan. But in The Vegetarian Myth, she argues that we’ve been led astray - not by our longings for a just and sustainable world, but by our ignorance. e truth is that agriculture is a relentless assault against the planet, and more of the same won’t save us. In service to annual grains, humans have devastated prairies and forests, driven countless species extinct, altered the climate, and destroyed the topsoil - the basis of life itself....

Fossil fuels and livestock grazing are often targeted as major culprits behind climate change and desertification. But Allan Savory, cofounder of the Savory Institute, begs to differ. The bigger problem, he warns, is our mismanagement of resources. Livestock grazing is not the problem; it's how we graze livestock. If we don't change the way we approach land management, irreparable harm from climate change could continue long after we replace fossil fuels.

Are you ready to turn your backyard into a food-producing powerhouse? Whether you’re dreaming of reducing your grocery bill, eating healthier, or living a more self-reliant lifestyle, Mini Farming gives you the tools to grow up to 80% of your family’s food—no matter your skill level or yard size. Written and narrated by Craig W. Van Sickle, a lifelong homesteader and mini-farming advocate, this comprehensive guide is your one-stop resource for sustainable backyard agriculture.

This book really is for the absolute beginner. We'll cover all the basics in a motivating, easy-to-digest way, and allow nature to do the heavy lifting. We'll discover your green thumb that's been there all along. We'll take good care of our fellow human and our planet. And we'll have a lot of fun doing it! Friend, you really can live the dream, and make it your reality. It all starts with one step.

This book is a call to action. It warns that unless we learn to accept and respect our social, cultural and political differences as town and country people, we are never going to solve the chronic problems in our food system and environment.  As we stare down the barrel of climate change, only farmers - who manage two thirds of the UK's landscape - working together with conservation groups can create a healthier food system and bring back nature in diverse abundance. 

Bloomsbury presents Sixty Harvests Left by Philip Lymbery, read by Barnaby Edwards. A book of urgency but also of hope, as Lymbery shares solutions to save us' Chris Packham ‘Philip Lymbery pulls no punches in cataloguing the calamitous mistakes we’ve made in our food system, but he has bold...

Have you ever wondered how peas, kale, asparagus, beans, squash, and corn have ended up on our plates? Well, Adam Alexander has. In The Seed Detective, Adam shares his own stories of seed hunting, with the origin stories behind many of our everyday food heroes. Taking us on a journey that began when we left the life of the hunter-gatherer to become farmers, he tells tales of globalization, political intrigue, colonization, and serendipity—describing how these vegetables and their travels have become embedded in our food cultures.

Growing on just one and a half acres, owners Jean-Martin and Maude-Helène feed more than 200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stands and supply their signature mesclun salad mix to dozens of local establishments. The secret of their success is the low-tech, high-yield production methods they've developed by focusing on growing better rather than growing bigger, making their operation more lucrative and viable in the process.

Build a profitable homestead and master low-stress livestock management without draining your savings or your sanity. If you spend your morning commute dreaming of open pastures but feel paralyzed by the risks of part-time farming, this reassuring audio guide is your first step. Discover a...

What makes two career firefighters walk away from everything they know, move across the U.S., and start a farm outside of Lexington, Kentucky? For the Flemings, it was simple. They wanted more. More time together. More authenticity. More intentionality—for each other, and for their young son. Instead of just accepting life between shifts, they drew up a vision of something different. They bet on themselves, then bet on twenty acres in the Kentucky bluegrass—chasing success and a new kind of personal relevance, 1,878 miles from home.

Overwhelmed by the thought of living off the grid? Feeling uncertain about self-reliance? Think escaping urban life is out of reach? You're not alone, but the truth is—your dream is possible and closer than you think. With the right guidance, living off the grid can be a practical and rewarding lifestyle. 'Off-Grid Homesteading for Beginners' is your ultimate guide to sustainable, eco-friendly living while enjoying financial freedom.

Across the world, chefs, farmers, plant scientists and backyard growers are doing something extraordinary: creating new generations of fruit, vegetables and cereals, all bred specifically to flourish locally, taste delicious, and contribute to our food future. In The Accidental Seed Heroes, Adam Alexander dons his seed detective homburg to meet these twenty-first century seed heroes, who are not only championing traditional varieties but also breeding delicious new ones that will help create a sustainable future for our planet.

Transform lifeless dirt into a thriving ecosystem to boost crop yields and master regenerative agriculture. Whether you are walking the pastures at dawn or listening from the tractor cab, this grounded guide empowers you to stop fighting nature. Every handful of earth holds a living, breathing...

Farmacy demands a food revolution. With our bodies ailing and our mental health straining, humanity needs a radically different way of eating and farming. Tracing a path from the health of the soil to the health of human beings, Farmacy highlights how food is the connecting agent between our mental, physical and planetary wellbeing.

Master small farm livestock care and build a sustainable homestead with this stress-free guide to raising healthy sheep. Whether you are commuting while planning a rural escape or actively fencing a backyard pasture, you need clear steps to succeed. Leave the overwhelm behind and step into the...

A Soil Owner's Manual: How to Restore and Maintain Soil Health is about restoring the capacity of your soil to perform all the functions it was intended to perform. This book is not another fanciful guide on how to continuously manipulate and amend your soil to try and keep it productive. This book will change the way you think about and manage your soil.

Master the essentials of sustainable agriculture and modern food production in this accessible, beginner-friendly guide. Whether you are prepping for a weekend of backyard gardening or seeking an inspiring listen for your daily commute, these grounded insights connect everyday grocery shopping...