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Books > Professional & Technical > Agriculture & farming > Organic farming
When Bob Quinn was a kid, a stranger at a county fair gave him a
few kernels of an unusual grain. Little did he know, that grain
would change his life. Years later, after finishing a PhD in plant
biochemistry and returning to his family's farm in Montana, Bob
started experimenting with organic wheat. In the beginning, his
concern wasn't health or the environment; he just wanted to make a
decent living and some chance encounters led him to organics. But
as demand for organics grew, so too did Bob's experiments. He
discovered that through time-tested practices like cover cropping
and crop rotation, he could produce successful yields--without
pesticides. Regenerative organic farming allowed him to grow fruits
and vegetables in cold, dry Montana, providing a source of local
produce to families in his hometown. He even started producing his
own renewable energy. And he learned that the grain he first tasted
at the fair was actually a type of ancient wheat, one that was
proven to lower inflammation rather than worsening it, as modern
wheat does. Ultimately, Bob's forays with organics turned into a
multimillion dollar heirloom grain company, Kamut International. In
Grain by Grain, Quinn and cowriter Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil
Underground, show how his story can become the story of American
agriculture. We don't have to accept stagnating rural communities,
degraded soil, or poor health. By following Bob's example, we can
grow a healthy future, grain by grain.
Authored by a renowned animal scientist with a peerless reputation
in organic livestock nutrition, A Practical Guide to the Feeding of
Organic Farm Animals aims to translate the science of feeding
organic livestock and distil it into practical guidance for farmers
and producers. The latest research is broken down into a practical
approach to on-the-farm feeding, providing applied methodology
backed up by scientific research. There is also advice on making
the transition from conventional to organic farming systems
regarding feeding. There are sections covering poultry, pigs,
cattle, sheep and goats, reviewing the nutritional requirements of
the species, identifying suitable ingredients and feeds,
overviewing husbandry techniques and system approaches, providing
advice on selecting suitable breeds, and advising on nutrition and
its relationship to health with a preventative approach. The final
section provides advice on organic nutritional regimes under
integrated farming operations making this book an ideal resource
for the smallholder farmer as well as traditional and aspiring
organic livestock farmers.
Learn how to use natural no-till systems to increase profitability, efficiency, carbon sequestration, and soil health on your small farm.
Farming without tilling has long been a goal of agriculture, yet tilling remains one of the most dominant paradigms; almost everyone does it. But tilling kills beneficial soil life, burns up organic matter, and releases carbon dioxide. If the ground could instead be prepared for planting without tilling, time and energy could be saved, soil organic matter increased, carbon sequestered, and dependence on machinery reduced.
The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution is the comprehensive farmer-developed roadmap showing how no-till lowers barriers to starting a small farm, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency and profitability, and promotes soil health. This hands-on manual offers:
- Why roller-crimper no-till methods don't work for most small farms
- A decision-making framework for the four no-till methods: occulation, solarization, organic mulches grown in place, and applied to beds
- Ideas for starting a no-till farm or transitioning a working farm
- A list of tools, supplies, and sources.
This is the only manual of its kind, specifically written for natural and small-scale farmers who wish to expand or explore chemical-free, regenerative farming methods.
A unique system for growing that vegetables delivers higher yields,
higher quality, and higher profitability - completely free of
herbicides or pesticides Whether you're a high-yield producer,
market gardener, No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture is the go-to
vegetable grower's manual for the twenty-first century. In recent
years, 'no-till farming' has grown in popularity due to its
high-quality, high-yield, high-profit results. Over many years,
renowned organic grower Bryan O'Hara has perfected a special
no-till technique that delivers vibrant, healthy, resilient plants
which benefit from the inherent biological functions in the soil.
In No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture, O'Hara describes the
methods he has developed, which are completely free of herbicides
or other pesticides. He asserts that a flexible, ecological
methodology is as important for soil fertility as it is for his
economic success. This comprehensive manual delves into all facets
of a dynamic growing system, including: No-till bed preparation
techniques Seeding and transplanting methods Irrigation Use of
fertilisers (including foliar feeds) Composting (preparation and
application) Culture of indigenous microorganisms to support soil
biology Pest and disease management Year-round growing Harvest and
storage techniques
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