Crop Planning for Vegetable Growers
Author: Frédéric Thériault
Publisher: Acres USA
Published: 2010-01-01
Total Pages: 136
ISBN-13: 9780980898712
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The Organic Seed Grower
Author: John Navazio
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2012-12-17
Total Pages: 410
ISBN-13: 1603584528
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Now in Paperback “A fantastic guide for organic seed breeders and producers. [Navazio] has taken organic seed production to a higher level.” —Suzanne Ashworth, author of Seed to Seed The Organic Seed Grower is a comprehensive manual for the serious vegetable grower who is interested in growing high-quality seeds using organic farming practices. It is written for both home seed savers and diversified small-scale farmers who want to learn the necessary steps involved in successfully producing a seed crop organically. Detailed profiles for each of the major vegetables provide users with practical, in-depth knowledge about growing, harvesting, and processing seed for a wide range of common and specialty vegetable crops, from Asian greens to zucchini. In addition, readers will find extensive and critical information on topics including: • Seed-borne diseases • The reproductive biology of crop plants • Annual vs. biennial seed crops • Isolation distances needed to ensure varietal purity • Maintaining adequate population size for genetic integrity • Seed crop climates • Seed cleaning basics • Seed storage for farmers • and more . . . This book can serve as a bridge to lead skilled gardeners, who are already saving their own seed, into the idea of growing seed commercially. And for diversified vegetable farmers who are growing a seed crop for sale for the first time, it will provide details on many of the tricks of the trade that are used by professional seed growers. This manual will help the budding seed farmer to become more knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in producing a commercially viable seed crop. Written by well-known plant breeder and organic seed expert John Navazio, The Organic Seed Grower is the most useful guide to best practices in this exciting and important field.
The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm
Author: Daniel Mays
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2020-11-10
Total Pages: 241
ISBN-13: 1635861896
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →No-till — a method of growing crops and providing pasture without disturbing the soil — has become an important alternative to standard farming practices. In this comprehensive guide to successful no-till vegetable farming for aspiring and beginning farmers, author Daniel Mays, owner and manager of an organic no-till farm in Maine, outlines the environmental, social, and economic benefits of this system. The methods described are designed for implementation at the human scale, relying primarily on human power, with minimal use of machinery. The book presents streamlined planning and record-keeping tools as well as marketing strategies, and outlines community engagement programs like CSA, food justice initiatives, and on-farm education.
The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables
Author: Ben Hartman
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2017
Total Pages: 274
ISBN-13: 1603586997
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →At Clay Bottom Farm, author Ben Hartman and staff practice kaizen, or continuous improvement, cutting out more waste--of time, labor, space, money, and more--every year and aligning their organic production more tightly with customer demand. Applied alongside other lean principles originally developed by the Japanese auto industry, the end result has been increased profits and less work. In this field-guide companion to his award-winning first book, The Lean Farm, Hartman shows market vegetable growers in even more detail how Clay Bottom Farm implements lean thinking in every area of their work, including using kanbans, or replacement signals, to maximize land use; germination chambers to reduce defect waste; and right-sized machinery to save money and labor and increase efficiency. From finding land and assessing infrastructure needs to selling perfect produce at the farmers market, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables digs deeper into specific, tested methods for waste-free farming that not only help farmers become more successful but make the work more enjoyable. These methods include: Using Japanese paper pot transplanters Building your own germinating chambers Leaning up your greenhouse Making and applying simple composts Using lean techniques for pest and weed control Creating Heijunka, or load-leveling calendars for efficient planning Farming is not static, and improvement requires constant change. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables offers strategies for farmers to stay flexible and profitable even in the face of changing weather and markets. Much more than a simple exercise in cost-cutting, lean farming is about growing better, not cheaper, food--the food your customers want.
The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook
Author: Andrew Mefferd
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2017
Total Pages: 290
ISBN-13: 1603586377
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook shares best practices for both large- and small-scale production of the eight most profitable crops - tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, leafy greens, lettuce, herbs, and microgreens. Every year, more growers are turning to protected culture to deal with unpredictable weather and to meet out-of-season demand for local food, but many end up spinning their wheels, wasting time and money on unprofitable crops grown in ways that don't make the most of their precious greenhouse space. This book levels the playing field with decision-making framework that goes beyond a list of simple dos and don'ts. With comprehensive chapters on temperature control and crop steering, pruning and trellising, grafting, and more, Andrew Meffer's book is full of techniques and strategies that can help farms stay profitable, satisfy customers, and become an integral part of relocalizing our food system. From seed to sale, this book is the indispensable resource for protected growing.--COVER.
The New Organic Grower, 3rd Edition
Author: Eliot Coleman
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 2018
Total Pages: 306
ISBN-13: 1603588175
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Offers both experienced and small-scale farmers and market growers a productive and profitable form of farming proven to work well for the earth and its stewards. New information has been included in this edition to showcase the new tools and techniques that Eliot has been developing over the last thirty-five years. --Adapted from publisher description.
Organic Vegetable Grower
Author: Phil Sumption
Publisher: The Crowood Press
Published: 2023-11-28
Total Pages: 531
ISBN-13: 071984312X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The Organic Vegetable Grower is a practical guide for those growing, or wishing to grow, market and sell organic vegetables for a living. The book is rooted in organic principles and covers: •Getting on the land – gaining the skills and setting up •How to maximise diversity and productivity at a range of scales •A crop-by-crop guide to the basics of growing quality produce •Selling and marketing your produce •The human element - managing staff, complexity, and avoiding burnout Lavishly illustrated with over 250 colour photographs, The Organic Vegetable Grower highlights best practice within the industry with numerous case study examples. It focuses on agroecological and regenerative approaches that build soil health and biodiversity to grow quality vegetables for a growing market. Packed with the latest research, innovations, and grower knowledge, it will also be invaluable for advisers and students of organic farming.
Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening
Author: Howard Garrett
Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
Published: 1998-07-25
Total Pages: 233
ISBN-13: 1589794818
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This book shows you how to have healthy soil and recommends environmentally safe products and even some homemade remedies to control pests and diseases in your garden. It describes more than 100 food plants and gives specific information on the growth habits, culture, harvest, and storage of each.
The New Organic Grower
Author: Eliot Coleman
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Published: 1995-10-01
Total Pages: 355
ISBN-13: 160358014X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →With more than 45,000 sold since 1989, The New Organic Grower has become a modern classic. In this newly revised and expanded edition, master grower Eliot Coleman continues to present the simplest and most sustainable ways of growing top-quality organic vegetables. Coleman updates practical information on marketing the harvest, on small-scale equipment, and on farming and gardening for the long-term health of the soil. The new book is thoroughly updated, and includes all-new chapters such as: Farm-Generated Fertility—how to meet your soil-fertility needs from the resources of your own land, even if manure is not available. The Moveable Feast—how to construct home-garden and commercial-scale greenhouses that can be easily moved to benefit plants and avoid insect and disease build-up. The Winter Garden—how to plant, harvest, and sell hardy salad crops all winter long from unheated or minimally heated greenhouses. Pests—how to find "plant-positive" rather than "pest-negative" solutions by growing healthy, naturally resistant plants. The Information Resource—how and where to learn what you need to know to grow delicious organic vegetables, no matter where you live. Written for the serious gardener or small market farmer, The New Organic Grower proves that, in terms of both efficiency and profitability, smaller can be better.
Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida
Author: Ginny Stibolt
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Published: 2023-03-07
Total Pages: 365
ISBN-13: 0813072522
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →How to grow delicious produce in your own backyard In this guide, expert botanist Ginny Stibolt and Master Gardener Melissa Markham provide simple and accessible advice for successful vegetable gardening in Florida, where soil types vary and cool-weather crops are grown right through the mild winters. They offer advice on what to do with over-abundant harvests, strategies for developing a community garden, and suggestions for opportunities beyond the home garden. They also address integrated pest management, appropriate raised bed types, irrigation, seed saving, just-in-time harvesting, and food safety. This second edition is updated with the latest scientific knowledge and growing techniques; new crops for growers to try; more detail in the growing calendars separated by north, central, and south Florida regions; and color photos and illustrations throughout the text. Readers will appreciate this reliable resource that will help them and their families become more resilient by controlling some of their food from seed to table.
