The Independent Farmstead

Twenty years ago, when authors Shawn and Beth Dougherty purchased the land they would come to name the Sow's Ear, the state of Ohio designated it "not suitable for agriculture." Today, their family raises and grows 90% of their own food. Such self-sufficiency is largely the result of basing their farming practices around intensive pasture management. Pioneered by such luminaries as Allan Savory, Greg Judy, and Joel Salatin, the tenets of holistic grazing -- employed mostly by larger-scale commercial operations -- have been adapted by the Doughertys to fit their family's needs. In The Independent Farmstead, The Sow's Ear model for regenerating the land and growing food --“the best you ever tasted” -- is elucidated for others to use and build upon. In witty and welcoming style, The Independent Farmstead covers everything from choosing a species of ruminant and incorporating it into a grass-based system to innovative electric fencing and watering systems, to what to do with all of the milk, meat, and, yes, manure that the self-sustaining farm produces.--COVER.

This classic of the back-to-the-land movement is packed with solid, timeless information. Written by a renowned horticulturist, it has taught generations how to make their land self-sufficient. 95 figures.

Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farmingthat 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 annuallywhile spending less than half the time that an ordinary job wouldrequire. Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: buying and savingseeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertilitypractices, composting, dealing with pest and disease problems,crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. Because self-suf?ciency is the objective, subjects such as raising backyard chickensand home canning are also covered along with numerous methodsfor keeping costs down and production high. Materials, tools, andtechniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, andillustrations.

A manual for developing durable, beautiful, and highly functional human habitat systems fit to handle an age of rapid transition, written by a land designer and site developer whose permaculture-research farm has drawn national attention.

Getting Your FREE Bonus Download this book, read it to the end and see "BONUS: Your FREE Gift" chapter after the conclusion. Independent Homesteader: Produce On Your Homestead Vegetables, Meat And Honey For Personal Use And For Money (FREE Bonus Included) Book#1: Backyard Homestead: 46 Simple Steps To Producing Own Food And Reach Self-Sufficiency This book "Backyard Homestead: 46 Simple Steps to Producing Own Food and Reach Self-Sufficiency" is a great guide for you if you are looking forward to do gardening at your own house. Gardening does not only involved growing flowers but it involves all the natural growth of vegetables, fruits, herbs and much more. You will be able to learn various techniques and steps in this book which will help you get a hold of the garden in no time. Book#2: How To Make Compost: 10 Ways To Make Gold From Your Wastes Are you interested in having the best soil in your house? Have you been looking for ways to grow the best foods from your soil? Are you looking for ways to learn the process of composting? Then this book right here will answer all your questions and solve all your problems. This book is written to make you understand what composting is. The book gives you a clear understanding of every little and important detail that you should be aware of. Book#3: Find Answers On Any Questions You Have Planning Your Perfect Chicken Coops This is an easy to follow beginners guide based on creative ideas to help you to plan and build the perfect chicken coop to suit your needs. Raising chickens is becoming a very popular trend right across the country. People are becoming more concerned about the incorporation of steroids and other chemicals that are being put in our foods. People are seeking more natural food sources, that are not only a healthier choice, but are also more cost effective. Book#4: Quail Keeping For Money: Read This Book Before Starting Your Quail Keeping Career In this book, you will find some great tips and advice on how to get your own quail farm up and running. You will discover that raising quails can be a very lucrative business in the poultry farming industry. It is a very popular source of income. Learn how you only need a little capital, to get your quail farm up and running. Find out how you can make high returns on your small amount of capital. Book# 5: Backyard Beekeeping: Essentials You Need To Know To Enlarge Your Bees Colony And Get Even More Honey This book Backyard beekeeping: essentials you need to know to enlarge your Bees colony and get even more honey is an excellent guide to those who are interested in beekeeping for all their honey. Download your E book "Independent Homesteader: Produce On Your Homestead Vegetables, Meat And Honey For Personal Use And For Money" by scrolling up and clicking "Buy Now with 1-Click" button!

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.

One of the Midwest's best-loved authors tells the story of his land, from the last great glacier that dug out its valleys and formed its hills, to his own family's 40 year relationship with the beloved farm they call Roshara. In this quiet but epic tale, Apps describes the Native Americans who lived on the land for hundreds of years, tapping the maple trees and fishing the streams and lakes, as well as the first white settlers who tilled its sandy acres, plowing the native grasses that grew taller than their teams of oxen. For all their work, the farm proved tough to tame. Hardscrabble farming methods and hard luck often brought failure. "From land that provided only a marginal living for its early owners, this place we call Roshara has provided much for my family and me," writes Apps. He and his wife and their children have cared for the farm not so much to make a living as to enhance their lives. Apps chronicles the family's efforts — always earnest, if sometimes ill-advised — to restore an old granary into living space, develop a productive vegetable garden, manage the woodlots, reestablish a prairie, and enjoy nature's sounds and silences. Breathtakingly beautiful color photographs by Apps's son, Steve (a professional photographer), highlight the ever-changing beauty of the land in every season and hint at the spiritual gifts that are the true bounty this family reaps from Roshara. Central to Apps' work is his belief that the land is something to cherish and revere. Like Aldo Leopold before him, Apps sounds an inspirational call to readers to preserve wild and rural places, leaving them in better condition than we found them for future generations.

From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Salatin has many thoughts on what normal is and shares practical and philosophical ideas for changing our lives in small ways that have big impact. Salatin, hailed by the New York Times as "Virginia's most multifaceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson [and] the high priest of the pasture" and profiled in the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. and the bestselling book The Omnivore's Dilemma, understands what food should be: Wholesome, seasonal, raised naturally, procured locally, prepared lovingly, and eaten with a profound reverence for the circle of life. And his message doesn't stop there. From child-rearing, to creating quality family time, to respecting the environment, Salatin writes with a wicked sense of humor and true storyteller's knack for the revealing anecdote. Salatin's crucial message and distinctive voice--practical, provocative, scientific, and down-home philosophical in equal measure--make FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL a must-read book.