Beans are easy to grow, easy to cook, delicious, nourishing and beneficial for us and the planet. Growing your own beans not only helps you build healthy soil in your garden, it also provides you with a nutrient-rich diet. Beans can play a role in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer - they are good sources of protein, fibre, folate, iron and potassium - and they can reduce your carbon footprint and food miles as well! This fascinating book brings together Susan Young's 10 years of experimentation with multiple varieties of beans. She clearly explains how to sow, grow, harvest, dry, store and cook them, and shares her six 'must grow' varieties. Go on a tasty culinary journey around the world and discover a range of colourful and historic beans, from the pink 'Fagiolo di Lamon' of Italy to the black and white 'Bosnian Pole' bean. Learn which varieties are best for eating fresh from the pod and those that are best for drying and storing for later use. Beans offer year-round nutritious meals, and dried beans can be the star of the show with their fabulous diversity of flavours, colours and textures.

How to Grow Winter Vegetables shows that it is possible to enjoy an abundance of vegetables at the darkest time of year, whether stored or ready for harvesting when needed. It also covers growing for the 'hungry gap' from April to early June. Not much grows in winter, but a well-organised plot may nonetheless be quite full. You need to plan carefully, and well ahead (as early as spring) for sowing and planting at specific times through the year, so the main part of the book is an extensive month-by-month sowing, planting and growing calendar. Further sections cover harvesting, from garlic in July right through to the last of the overwintered greens in May, and storing your produce. Many salads can be grown in winter, especially with a little protection from fleece, cloches or larger structures. The book includes a whole section on frost-hardy salad plants, explaining how to ensure harvests of fresh leaves throughout winter. The beauty of winter and its produce is captured in glorious photographs from the author's garden.

'Brilliant ... Equal parts irreverent, cheeky and vitally important ... Charming ... Much too valuable to tuck away until the zombies come ... A gardening manual that you can put to use immediately, regardless of your situation' Zombie Research Society. Climate change? Brexit? Screaming brain-biters? Don't lose the plot, this book can help! Irreverent, straightforward and useful, it shows even complete beginners how to grow enough of their own food to survive when Armageddon arrives and imports collapse. Or even if they don't. A grow-your-own guide for the generation who'd rather eat compost than watch Gardeners' World, it tells you how to sow and grow 20 key crops, whether you have two pots, a patio or a whole allotment to play with. It takes you through what seeds, tools and other kit you'll need, teaches you how to plan and plant your site for maximum nutrition, and suggests gardening projects to get underway while civilization still stands, from growing dinner in a dustbin to a juice bar on a balcony. All while sticking a garden fork in the eye of the undead. Gardening for the Zombie Apocalypse: surviving has never been so much fun.

No matter how small your space, green-fingered Sam Corfield (aka The Hairy Horticulturist) shows you how simple it is to grow your own edible garden. Covering over 50 roots, shoots, flowers, leaves and fruits, he'll guide you through his foolproof three-step method of sow-grow-gather, while providing useful tips and tricks along the way. Showcasing delicious vegetables, fruits and herbs that anyone can easily grow at home, Sam will also introduce you to some more unusual and colourful veggies (like purple carrots, rainbow radishes and cucamelons!) to show just how exciting growing-your-own can be. Whether you have a small garden, balcony or windowsill, Sow Grow Gather will demystify the growing process, explain useful gardening equipment and reveal how to fit different containers and pots into every corner of your space. With beautiful photography and advice on which plants will suit your plot, as well as how to care for them, you'll go from veg-patch beginner to edible-garden-expert in no time, and have fun during the process.

Recent nationwide recalls of spinach due to E. coli contamination and peanut butter due to Salmonella, make the emerging development of "active" and "intelligent" packaging crucial for consumer safety and quality assurance. Now that it is possible to make packaging that can detect and inform consumers of contamination, as well as prevent or reduce the growth of human foodborne pathogens, the food packaging and safety industry needs a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-science and future directions of this widely important field. Drawing on the research of a diverse group of scientists and pioneers in the field, Intelligent and Active Packaging for Fruits and Vegetables explores the new technology and applications used to bring fresh, safe, nutritious produce to the consumer. It explains Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and its use in packaging fruits and vegetables, as well as, fish and meat. It includes variations and advances on MAP such as high vapor-permeable films, and demonstrates modeling techniques to assist in the prediction and selection of packaging type. The book contains a chapter on the trends, opportunities, and challenges of RFID temperature monitoring in food packaging. It also considers the interaction between container and food product, as well as the use of non-toxic insect repellent plastics. There is a chapter on the regulatory implications of the use of nanotechnology in food packaging. Finally, the book discusses consumer perception, the specific needs of developing countries, and current implementation inEurope. Explaining the very latest in packaging technology and opening areas for future research, Intelligent and Active Packaging for Fruits andVegetables provides an excellent knowledge base from which to revolutionize the delivery of safe and nutritious food.

While tomatoes continue to be one of the most widely grown plants, the production and distribution of tomato fruits have been changing worldwide. Smaller, flavorful tomatoes are becoming more popular than beefsteak tomatoes, greenhouse-grown tomatoes have entered the marketplace, and home gardeners are using the Internet to obtain information for growing tomatoes. Encompassing these changes, Tomato Plant Culture: In the Field, Greenhouse, and Home Garden, Second Edition clearly presents the characteristics, nutritional information, environmental requirements, and production aspects of tomato plants and fruits. Authored by one of the foremost experts in hydroponics, the book outlines the history of the tomato plant and fruit and delves into the author's personal experiences with tomato plant cultivation. It discusses the characteristics and composition of the plant as well as seedling and seed production. The author elucidates the physical features of the fruit and the mineral nutrition of the plant. He also examines the physical and chemical characteristics of soils most desirable for plant growth, makes fertilizer recommendations, and explores the factors involved in greenhouse tomato production. In addition, the book looks at ways to identify and control plant diseases and insect pests. With scientific data, trivia, and troubleshooting advice, this technical yet accessible book enables scientists, commercial growers, and home gardeners to cultivate a successful crop of tomatoes.

A kitchen garden, or potager, is a celebration of the seasons: brimming with vegetables, herbs, flowers, and even fruit trees, it's our link with nature and a source for fresh produce. The kitchen garden has always been an important part of life in the rural south, at times meaning the difference between being well-fed or going to bed hungry. In recent times, the kitchen garden has become fashionable, and now more and more homeowners (in cities, suburbs, as well as the country) are reaping the delicious rewards of growing their own food. A kitchen garden needs little more than a small raised bed, so an aspiring gardener with only a modest backyard will have plenty of room to get started. Have a sprawling yard and an appetitie for an agricultural adventure? The kitchen gardener can try his hand at some produce requiring a little more space: fruit trees, corn, or pumpkins. Starting with location and soil preparation (where most gardens thrive or fail), authors William D. Adams and Thomas R. LeRoy will take you ste-by-step into the world of the southern kitchen garden. Planting guides for each fruit and vegetable, useful information on propogation and pest-control, recipes scattered throughout, and Adams' own beautiful photography make The Southern Kitchen Garden truly essential reading for all gardeners ready to bring along their produce from seed to the supper table.

"An invaluable resource" Huw Richards If you want to grow your own food, become more self sufficient, zero waste or eco friendly, or even go fully off grid, Liz Zorab is the perfect guide to help you explore the world of green living and permaculture. Grounded is the story of her gardening journey: from bare field to bountiful feast; from poor soil to fertile abundance; from rookie errors to successful sustainability. Liz and her husband, Mr J, transformed a tired 0.8 acre field into a fertile homestead that provides 80% of their food and drink - with enough left over to stock a community veggie box scheme! An inspiring blend of practical tips and ideas with personal narrative and a good smattering of humour, Grounded will show you how to: ` Fill your garden without emptying your pocket ` Make the most of the space you have ` Be creative with resources ` Achieve more without exhausting yourself ` Become more resilient ` Enjoy the process as much as the results This is a tale of courage and imagination that will inspire you to grow your own productive paradise and live your dreams.

Today's gardeners want a bit of everything--vegetables, fruit, medicinal herbs, flowers for pollinators, and even chickens for eggs. The dream is to build a diverse landscape that serves multiple functions, but achieving that goal can be intimidating and overwhelming. Homesteader Leah M. Webb shares her strategy for implementing a homestead plan in seven stages by starting small and gradually adding more features each year. The Seven-Step Homestead takes readers through the process with a series of doable steps, beginning with establishing one or two raised beds of the easiest vegetables to grow, and gradually building up to the addition of fruit trees and berry bushes on hugelkulture mounds, a coop full of chickens, and a winter's worth of storage crops. Step-by-step photos from the author's own homestead, accompanied by her hard-earned advice and instruction, make this a one-of-a-kind guide for anyone who aspires to grow more of their own food.

This book is aimed at providing systematic information on nutritional importance of vegetables in human nutrition, physiology, post-harvest technology, biochemistry and biotechnology of vegetables at a single source. The book contains very concise and precise information on physio-biochemical and biotechnological aspects of vegetable crops and also covers areas like resistance against diseases and herbicides and tolerance against drought and salinity and the physical aspects of quality, i.e., shape, size, texture, colour, tenderness, etc. It also contains the information on best possible solutions of problems faced by the students, scientists, growers and tradeThe information given in this book is truly based on scientific records of scientists working on vegetables in various institutes. The book on physio-biochemical and biotechnological aspects of vegetable crops compiled for the students of postgraduate and postdoctoral programs is one such attempt to make them learn and understand the subject more precisely and motivate them o improve their knowledge in the field of physio-biochemistry and biotechnology of vegetables crops to meet the future needs. In addition, this book may be user-friendly to others who have the concern to expand their knowledge in the field of physio-biochemistry and biotechnology of vegetable crops and wish to fetch more remuneration from vegetable crops."

Become self-sufficient at home with this great two book collection. Self-sufficiency For Dummies Collection includes Growing Your Own Fruit & Veg For Dummies and Keeping Chickens For Dummies UK Edition. * From planning a planting calendar to feeding and caring for new plants, Growing Your Own Fruit & Veg For Dummies shows readers how to grow the tastiest fruit and vegetables all year round * Offering expert advice to the reader straight from the River Cottage Chicken Whisperer', so whether you re looking to raise chickens for eggs, meat, or just the entertainment value and fun Keeping Chickens For Dummies is the perfect place to start Fresh eggs, vegetables and fruit straight from your garden. Get started with these great two books today!

This is the definitive book on growing your own nuts written by Martin Crawford, the leading forest gardening expert. Nut trees are perennials, requiring little maintenance or soil cultivation, so it is no surprise that nuts are the ideal forest garden crop. How to grow your own nuts is a beautifully presented and comprehensive guide to selecting, cultivating, harvesting and processing all types of nuts. Here are old favourites like hazelnuts and walnuts alongside less common varieties such as hickories and butternuts and the exotically named chinkapin. Filled with gorgeous illustrations of trees and nuts in all stages of maturity, this book will inspire gardeners, homesteaders and commercial farmers with its clear and detailed instructions. For everyone who wants to grow their own food and aim at self-sufficiency, this book is a must. Throughout the book we learn how delicious, nutritious and versatile nuts are. Nuts are at the heart of our culinary tradition. They have everything for health: magnesium to lower blood pressure; low carbohydrate to control blood sugar; high protein to keep our energy up, and healthy fats to help absorb vitamins. They are chock full of antioxidants. Eating a daily portion of nuts could lengthen your life, as nuts decrease the risk of heart and neuro-degenerative diseases. Recent Harvard studies indicate that eating pecan nuts increase the survival rates of prostate cancer. For vegetarians and vegans in particular, nuts are a crucial source of protein, but they are enjoyed by many more worldwide as a delicious alternative protein from meat. Martin describes how nuts can be planted singly in a small area, ingroups in an orchard or nuttery, as silvopasture around grazing animals, in alley cropping between cereal crops or intercropping between fruit bushes. Nuts are also multipurpose trees and the A-Z describes their many secondary uses from timber, oil, dyes, fodder and cosmetics to medicines and honey. The beautiful spring blossom, particularly of almond and sweet chestnut, are highly attractive to bees. Every page is rich with the authenticity, passion and experience of a master grower and forest gardener. Whether you are planning to grow nuts at home or commercially, this book is essential reading.