Organic Agriculture

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.

The soil is more than just a substrate that anchors crops in place. An ecologically balanced soil system is essential for maintaining healthy crops. This is a comprehensive manual on soil management. The "whats and whys" of micronutrients, earthworms, soil drainage, tilth, soil structure and organic matter are explained in detail. Kinsey shows how working with the soil produces healthier crops with a higher yield drawing on his wide range of experience as a master consultant. Learn how to balance soil nutrients for maximum yield. Discover why simple N-P-K fertilization isn't enough. ...

When Rudolf Steiner gave these lectures 80 years ago, industrial farming was on the rise and organic methods were being replaced in the name of science, efficiency, and technology. With the widespread alarm over the quality of food in recent years, and the growth of the organic movement and its mainstream acceptance, perceptions are changing. The qualitative aspect of food is once again on the agenda, and in this context Rudolf Steiner's only course of lectures on agriculture is critical to the current debate.

The story of the "Lentil Underground" begins on a 280-acre homestead rooted in America's Great Plains: the Oien family farm. Forty years ago, corporate agribusiness told small farmers like the Oiens to "get big or get out." But 27-year-old David Oien decided to take a stand, becoming the first in his conservative Montana county to plant a radically different crop: organic lentils. Unlike the chemically dependent grains American farmers had been told to grow, lentils make their own fertilizer and tolerate variable climates, so their farmers aren't beholden to industrial methods.

Organic No-Till Farming offers a map to an organic farming system that limits tillage, reduces labor, and improves soil structure. Based on the latest research by pioneering agriculturists, this book offers new technologies and tools based on sound biological principles, making it possible to reduce and even eliminate tillage. Field-tested over many seasons, these methods make cover crops into a source of fertility as well as a tool for weed management. As traditional tillage turns into rotational tillage, natural soil biology is maximized and synthetic inputs are minimized. For organic ...

Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy life—and A Soil Owner’s Manual is your essential guide to restoring it. In this revised and expanded second edition, soil scientist Jon Stika explains how the biology beneath our feet drives plant health, food quality, and ecosystem balance. Drawing on decades of field research and practical experience, Stika reveals how our current agricultural systems—focused on yields and inputs—have broken the natural functions of soil. He then provides clear, science-based steps for rebuilding that living system, whether you manage a backyard garden or ...

The energies in fertilizers and in the cosmos do not often move needles, but they preside over crop production. As this books shows the reader, through learning to tap and use "life-force energy" it is possible to develop farming practices that are both high-quality and nondestructive to the environment. Since high sugar and mineral levels confer immunity against bacterial, insect and fungal crop destroyers, a complete BRIX chart on crops is included. Andersen's chapters outline in detail the difference between deadly slow-kill agribusiness farming and farming as it should be.

One of the leading authorities on biological farming, Gary Zimmer is recognized for improving farming by restoring soils. Arguing that an optimally productive soil contains a balance of inorganic minerals, organic materials and living organisms, he relies less on modern improvements than on "the things we’ve learned by improving fertility in a natural, sustainable way over many years." This book offers invaluable scientific support for committed organic farmers as well as conventional farmers who'd like to reduce chemical inputs and use natural processes to their advantage. Advancing ...

An indispensable guide to food, our most powerful tool to reverse the global epidemic of chronic disease, heal the environment, reform politics, and revive economies, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Mark Hyman, MD—"Read this book if you're ready to change the world" (Tim Ryan, US...

Discover the revolutionary world of sustainable farming with the ultimate guide you've been waiting for. "Sustainable Farming Practices" is your gateway to understanding and implementing cover cropping, a transformative agricultural technique that brings ecological and economic prosperity to your farm. Start with an essential primer in Chapter 1, where you'll explore the significance of cover cropping, the variety of crops available, and the dual benefits these practices bring to our environment and your bottom line. Delve into Chapter 2 to master the art of selecting the perfect cover crop...

A permaculture expert and popular YouTube Homesteader shares the skills and the delights of becoming a part of your own food story in this inspiring, accessible, and beautiful invitation to a more abundant, healthy, and connected life. Have you ever wanted to experiment with growing your own...

Title: " 150+ Amazing Uses Of Baking Soda You Never Knew. You Never Knew.: Unlock the Power of this Versatile Wonder!" Are you ready to discover the extraordinary potential of a humble kitchen ingredient? Look no further than "150+ Amazing Uses Of Baking Soda You Never Knew. " an eye-opening guide that reveals the boundless applications of this versatile wonder. From baking and cooking to cleaning and personal care, this book will revolutionize the way you see and use baking soda in your everyday life. Inside these pages, you'll embark on a captivating journey of exploration as you uncover ...

In this breakthrough work — now available in English for the first time — the independent German-Norwegian explorer of soil life, graduate permaculture designer and graduate engineer Herwig Pommeresche shares his lifetime of research into humus. His entire career has focused on the theory and practice of humus management in gardening and farming. Digging deep into a myriad of little-known research papers, he compares their findings with the usual conventional methods. He found we have an inadequate understanding of the mechanisms by which plants absorb and process their nutrients. Our ...

Parenting was never easy. While loving, teaching and nourishing children, parents also seek to protect them from harm. The past few generations, however, have been silently attacked by thousands of manmade, poisonous chemicals carried into homes and children's bodies in our food supply. The chemical-based conventional agriculture industry claims that the synthesized concoctions they sell as pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides are safe when used as directed, but does the scientific evidence truly support their assertions? When pesticide residues are found in 77 percent of all foods in ...

This 25th anniversary edition, updated by the author, reveals the miraculous communication systems present in nature. Learn how plants and insects communicate through emissions in the infrared frequency range and why poisonous pesticides do not solve the real problems facing agriculture. In this breakthrough book Phil Callahan uncovers why certain insects are attracted only to certain plants, the role of pheromones' work in nature, and how plants under stress literally signal insects to come devour them. Long out of print . . . classic Callahan!

Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment. She traces the genesis of chemical farming and the rise of the immense companies that profit from it, bringing to light the government's role in allowing such practices to flourish.

Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family's food on just a quarter acre - and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require.

Roller/Crimper No-Till is an expanded update of the groundbreaking work Organic No-Till Farming. This book presents farmers — organic and conventional — with a proven system that limits tillage, reduces labor, cuts toxic inputs and improves soil structure. Based on the latest research by pioneering agriculturists, this book arms you with new technologies and tools based on sound biological principles, making it possible to reduce and even eliminate tillage. Jeff Moyer’s clear and comprehensive guided tour of non-toxic, roller/crimper-based no-till is based on using soil biology to ...

Do you dream of walking through your own kitchen garden with baskets full of delicious food you grew yourself? But are you waiting to begin because you think you don't have enough space, sun, time, or experience? Then consider this: Plants want to grow. And when you match a plant's needs to your...

"Within a day of receiving this book, I had consumed it... Absorbing, moving, and compulsively readable."—Lydia Davis In this affectionate, heart-warming chronicle, Rosamund Young distills a lifetime of organic farming wisdom, describing the surprising personalities of her cows and other...