Sustainable Production Methods
Table of Contents:
Market Gardening and Horticultural Crops
The New Organic Grower – A Master’s Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener
Eliot Coleman
Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Jct., VT
1989 / 352 pages / $19.96 US
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… 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.
Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start Up to Market
Vernon P. Grubringer
Natural Resource, Agriculture and Engineering Service (NRAES)
1999 / 268 pages / $38.00 US
Successful vegetable farmers do much more than produce vegetables; they also manage money, people, and natural resources effectively. For aspiring and beginning vegetable growers, experienced growers, extension personnel, classroom educators, and serious gardeners, this book introduces the full range of processes for moderate-scale vegetable production using ecological practices that minimize the need for synthetic inputs and maximize stewardship of resources.
Individual chapters address principles and practices essential to planning, launching, and managing a vegetable production business: the practical implications of sustainability; getting started; farm business management; marketing; soil fertility; composting; crop rotation; cover crops; tillage equipment and field preparation; seeds and transplants; irrigation and spraying systems; harvest and postharvest handling; season extension; integrated pest management; and environmentally friendly strategies for managing insects, diseases, weeds, and wildlife. Thirty-two profiles detail the experiences of individual vegetable growers and provide enterprise budgets for a number of crops.
News and ideas for market gardeners
12-issue subscription: $40.00 US in Canada
Growing for Market is America’s most respected source of information about growing and selling vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and plants. GFM is a monthly magazine about small-scale farming, sustainable agriculture and farm direct marketing. It covers farmers markets, farm stands, Community Supported Agriculture, and selling locally to restaurants, supermarkets, natural food stores and florists. GFM covers cut flowers — one of the most profitable crops for local growers — in every monthly issue.
Publications and Resources: Horticultural crops
ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
These resources offer detailed production information on a wide range of horticultural crops. Topics covered include fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, greenhouse production, and agroforestry. The list focuses on sustainable and organic production methods for traditional produce, and also introduces a range of alternative crops and enterprises.
Livestock
Ann Macey, Editor
Canadian Organic Growers (COG)
2004 / $30.00 CDN
COG’s Organic Livestock Handbook is divided into three sections. Section One explains the principles of organic livestock husbandry and includes chapters on animal welfare, nutrition and health care, and converting to organic methods. Section Two provides information on various management tools available to the farmer. Topics covered are health care alternatives, methods to control internal parasites, management-intensive grazing, manure management, fly control, handling to minimize stress, marketing, certification and record keeping. Section Three addresses those aspects of management for each livestock type which are particularly significant in an organic farming system. It uses examples from Canada and the northern United States to illustrate the various types of organic livestock enterprises that exist today, from dairy cows to honey bees. Photographs and figures supplement the text throughout. Appendix materials include a comparison of various organic livestock standards in use today and information on where to find supplies and services.
Joel Salatin
1996 / 334 pages / $22.78 CDN
Fishing for a phrase to describe this ultimately land-healing and nutrition-escalating production model, Joel Salatin realized that he was offering the cows a salad bar. He coined the phrase to describe the farm’s beef, and thereby stimulate questions from potential customers. Eventually he incorporated the phrase into the title of a book that describes herd effect, mobbing, moving, field design, water systems, manure monitoring, soil fertility, and even pigaerating. A fundamentally fresh way to look at the symbiosis between farmer, field, and cow, this book is now a classic in the pasture-based livestock movement.
Storey’s Guide to Raising series
Storey Publishing
Twelve-part series / $17.98 CDN
Written by experts, these guides give novice and experienced livestock farmers all they need to know to successfully keep and profit from animals. Each book includes information on selection, housing, space requirements, breeding and birthing techniques, feeding, behavior, and health concerns and remedies for illness. The books also address the business of raising animals — processing meat, milk, eggs, and more. The authors were chosen not only for their expertise but also for their ability to explain the ins and outs of animal husbandry in an inviting and authoritative manner.
Whether readers are ready to start an entire herd or flock or are considering purchasing their first animal, Storey’s Guide to Raising series offers vital information; each book is an indispensable reference.
Titles in the series include:
Storey’s Guide to Raising Meat Goats: Managing, Breeding, Marketing
Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens: Care / Feeding / Facilities
Storey’s Guide to Raising Beef Cattle: Health/Handling/Breeding
Storey’s Guide to Raising Pigs: Care/Facilities/Management/Breed Selection
Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits: Breeds, Care, Facilities
Storey’s Guide to Raising Poultry: Breeds, Care, Health
Storey’s Guide to Raising Sheep: Breeding, Care, Facilities
Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying
Storey’s Guide to Raising Horses: Breeds/Care/Facilities
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks: Breeds, Care, Health
Storey’s Guide to Raising Turkeys: Breeds, Care, Health
Storey’s Guide to Raising Llamas: Care/Showing/Breeding/Packing/Profiting
Publications and Resources: Livestock
ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
ATTRA offers an excellent collection of publications and resources on a broad range of topics related to sustainable livestock production. Pasture management, feeds and forages are covered by several publications, while others address care and management for specific animals and marketing of the products derived from them. Whether you’re an experienced or a beginning producer, you can find useful information relating to traditional livestock such as beef and dairy cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry, as well as introductions to alternative livestock options from bees to bison.
Soils, compost, and cover crops
Building Soils for Better Crops, 2nd edition
Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es
Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN)
2000 / 240 pages / $19.95 US / Free PDF
This book unlocks the secret of maintaining a diverse ecosystem below ground to foster healthy crops above. Ecological soil management, as detailed by the soil experts who wrote the book, can raise fertility – and yields -while reducing environmental impacts. Building Soils contains detailed information about soil structure and the management practices that affect soils, as well as practical information like how to interpret soil test results.
Field Guide to On-Farm Composting
Natural Resources Agriculture, and Engineering Services (NRAES)
1999 / 128 pages / $14.00 US
This book was developed to assist in day-to-day compost system management. It is spiral bound, is printed on heavy paper, and has a laminated cover for durability. Chapter tabs make finding information a snap. Topics discussed in the book include: operations and equipment; raw materials and recipe making; process control and evaluation; site considerations, environmental management, and safety; composting livestock and poultry mortalities; and compost utilization on the farm. Highlights of the guide include an equipment identification table, diagrams showing windrow formation and shapes, examples and equations for recipe making and compost use estimation, a troubleshooting guide, and 24 full-color photos.
Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd edition
Andy Clark, Editor
Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN)
2007 / 244 pages / Free PDF
Explores how and why cover crops work and provides all the information needed to build cover crops into any farming operation. Revised and updated in 2007, the 3rd edition includes new chapters on brassicas and mustards, six new farm profiles, as well as a comprehensive chapter on the use of cover crops in conservation tillage systems. Updates throughout are based on more than 100 new literature citations and consultations with cover crop researchers and practitioners around the US. Appendices include seed sources and a listing of cover crop experts.
Publications and Resources: Soils and Compost
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA)
Healthy soil can improve crop and livestock production. The publications and other resources listed here offer information on how to assess, improve and maintain soil health for both croplands and pastures. Several publications address fertilization and composting specifically for organic production. Soil management can also play an important role in protecting water quality, and additional resources are listed on that topic.
Transitioning to organic production
Gaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming
Canadian Organic Growers (COG)
2005 / $69.95 CDN (includes COG membership) / $45.00 US
An invaluable tool for all farmers interested in organic farming, whether conventional, transitional or organic. The book covers all bases – from soil-building and planting to certification and marketing, revealing an approach that is much more than simply farming without chemicals. Based on interviews with over 80 organic and transitional farmers across the country, this book provides valuable, practical advice and connects you to a national network of organic farmers, the next best thing to having an organic farmer next door. Farmer wisdom is supplemented with a wealth of scientific information from around the globe.
The key tools of organic farming, like weed and pest management, crop rotations and green manures, composting and equipment are all addressed. In addition, it discusses the difficult shift in thinking from an input-output approach to an integrated, whole-system approach based on ecological principles. The handbook includes an extensive list of resources for further reading.
How to Go Organic.com: Pathway for Producers
Online resource site provided by the Organic Trade Association
OTA’s excellent, comprehensive resource site provides annotated links to resources that guide new and experienced organic farmers through the various aspects of running a successful organic operation. Topic areas include education and training programs, business advice, support services and technical help, certification and regulatory issues, managing crops and livestock, organic supplies and services, organic marketing, and finding funding.
Transitioning to Organic Production
Co-published by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN)
2003 / 32 pages / Free PDF
This guide lays out many promising conversion strategies, covering typical organic farming production practices, innovative marketing ideas, and federal (US) standards for certified organic crop production. With special sections on livestock production and profiles of four organic producers.
Introduction to Ecological Agriculture
Two-day course provided by the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO)
The Introduction to Ecological Agriculture course is an introduction to the principles of ecological and organic farming and is designed to help participants consider how they can make their farm practices more ecological. Topics covered include cover crops, crop rotation, weed management, livestock health, composting and soil management. Farmers considering the transition to organic, experienced organic farmers and new farmers will all find the course valuable.
Courses are offered at various Ontario locations throughout the year, and annually at the Guelph Organic Conference. The course is eligible for funding through the Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) program.
Visit www.efao.ca for more information.
Your Comments
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