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 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.

Renowned scientist and best-selling author Jane Goodall delivers an eye-opening and empowering book that explores the social and personal significance of what we eat. In Harvest for Hope, Jane Goodall presents an empowering and far-reaching vision for social and environmental transformation through the way we produce and consume the foods we eat.

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.

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.

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.

There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor, and human health. Even those who value access to safe, local, nutritious food have largely overlooked the production of fiber, dyes, and the chemistry that forms the backbone of modern textile production. While humans are 100 percent reliant on their second skin, it’s common to think little about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives.

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. ...

"The Green Balcony Oasis" Your personal slice of nature is awaiting transformation, and "The Green Balcony Oasis" is your trusted companion on this verdant adventure. Step into the world of urban horticulture and unveil the secrets of turning your balcony into a flourishing green space that benefits both your well-being and the environment. Embark on an inspiring journey through this comprehensive guide, where you'll discover how to reclaim urban spaces for nature's embrace, starting with your own balcony. With practical insights into assessing your balcony's potential, this book will ...

Looking to embark on a sustainable and rewarding journey in your own backyard? Look no further than Edible Gardening Essentials, your one-stop guide to growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs! This comprehensive eBook covers everything from soil preparation to plant maintenance, encouraging the cultivation of healthy and natural produce all year round. In Chapter 1, you'll learn the basics of organic gardening and how to set yourself up for success. From there, you'll dive into Chapter 2, where we'll guide you through the ins and outs of building an optimal garden environment. You'll...

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 ...

Ideas such as "crop and soil weatherproofing," the "row support system," and the "tillage commandments," exemplify the practicality of the soil/root maintenance program that serves as the foundation for Schriefer’s highly-successful "systems approach" farming. Schriefer was a pioneer in developing an awareness of the relation of tillage to soil fertility, focusing on three major soil basics — soil aeration, soil water, and soil decay. This book covers such topics as soil chemistry, plant and soil dynamics, above- and below-ground plant management, row support fertilization, zone-tillage...

Immerse yourself in the enriching world of sustainable agriculture with "Cultivating Abundance", an absolute must-read for individuals determined to lead a lifestyle of plenitude and sustainability. Embark upon your agricultural journey with an in-depth introduction of sustainable gardening, and indulge in comprehensive discussions pertaining to the healthiness of soil vital for substantial harvests. Explore the world of crops, where selectivity doesn't just guarantee prolific yields but transforms your ethereal dreams of a flourishing garden into an attainable reality. Comprehend ingenious...

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.

A memoir of making these essential relationships work in the face of challenges as natural as weather and as unnatural as corporate politics, her book is a firsthand history of getting in at the "ground level" of organic farming. One of the first certified organic produce farms in the Midwest, the Diffleys' Gardens of Eagan helped to usher in a new kind of green revolution in the heart of America's farmland, supplying their roadside stand and a growing number of local food co-ops.

Ask the Plant, based on the agronomy of K. Chandler, offers farmers and growers a better way to grow plants that involves reading the unique language of plants, utilizing leaf and petiole testing, and in turn knowing how to produce a better crop using only the fertilizers and soil-building ingredients that are truly needed, when they are most needed. Instead of following the decades-old conventional model where plants are given copious amounts of soluble nitrogen fertilizers aimed to force-feed the landscape green, Ask the Plant addresses how to build a healthy soil without excessive inputs...

Louis Bromfield was a World War I ambulance driver, a Paris expat, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist as famous in the 1920s as Hemingway or Fitzgerald. But he cashed in his literary success to finance a wild agrarian dream in his native Ohio. The ideas he planted at his utopian experimental farm, Malabar, would inspire America's first generation of organic farmers and popularize the tenets of environmentalism years before Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.

There is a form of energy that can be harnessed from the universe, easily and at no cost. Actually, many ancient civilizations knew all about this energy and how to harness it for their benefit. Knowledge of these energy sources was lost for many hundreds of years. Now scholars have begun to rediscover these secrets. We can use this free energy source to enrich our garden food crops, making them larger, more healthy and more nutritious. Many of the ancient Cathedrals of Europe are famous today because of the way that they were built. They were built with the knowledge of the principles of ...

Sacred Geometry shows us a form of energy that can be harnessed from the universe, easily and at no cost. Actually, many ancient civilizations knew all about this energy, and how to harness it for their benefit. Knowledge of these energy sources was lost for many hundreds of years. Now scholars have begun to rediscover these secrets. We can use this free energy source to grow our garden vegetables, fruits and flowers. We use water for our crops that has been enriched with Sacred Geometry systems to increase its life force energy by 2.5. As a result, our crops are larger, healthier and more ...

Dive into the fascinating world of fungi with "Mushroom Mastery in Maryland," your comprehensive guide to the ins and outs of mushroom farming in the enchanting state of Maryland. Whether you're a seasoned mycologist, aspiring cultivator, or simply drawn to the ecological wonders of mushrooms, this expertly crafted eBook is the ultimate ally on your quest to dominate the local mushroom scene. Embark on an educational journey through Maryland's diverse microclimates, as Chapter 1 lays the groundwork for understanding the unique environmental factors that make the state a treasure trove for ...