The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
If you have ever seen a documentary about food production in the US- Micheal Pollen is in it. This book breaks down how food production works in the US and why it doesn't work for a lot of us. I appreciated how it highlights the differences between BIG organic and smaller, sustainable farms. A modern classic.Texas Gardening the Natural Way: The Complete Handbook
- Howard Garrett. This is a great reference book for the organic gardener. Tried and true information on plants that grow in your area which is esp. important for gardeners in Texas. You remember reference books? We used them before the Internet. You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise
- Joel Salatin. Joel Salatin is the kind of farmer you picture when you picture a sustainable farmer. He is a real character and writes a lot of entertaining, informative books. You Can Farm is my favorite. It gives practical advice for how to start your own farm and make it profitable. Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community
Heather Flores. How great is that title? It says it all. One of my all time favorite books. Lots of fun projects, such as starting worm composting in an old wooden nightstand that we have utilized over the years. Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture
-Toby Hemenway. This is a great introduction to permaculture and how good design can solve just about everything.Permaculture: A Designers' Manual
- Bill Mollison. If Gaia's Garden is the introduction, this is the conclusion.The bible of permaculture by the father. Not cheap but covers it all.Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer
Novella Carpenter. Oh this book is fantastic. Novella rents a place in Oakland and turns a vacate lot next to her house into a organic garden filled with chickens, bees and even pigs. She is hilarious and it is inspiring. I still have a yearning to keep bees years after reading it. Someday. Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle
- David Wann. This book is not about gardening per se. It is about slowing down our lives, spending less and stepping off the consumer treadmill. I appreciate the ideas and read it when I need a reminder.The Winter Harvest Handbook
and/ or The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book)
- Eliot Coleman. Eliot Coleman runs a farm in Maine. A book about Winter growing in Maine may seem like it does not apply to Texas but he has a lot of practical ideas of how to keep the growing season going through all four seasons.Organic Farming: Everything You Need to Know
- Peter Fossel. This book helps shows how to turn a non-organic garden or farm into an organic operation. It shows the steps to starting a garden business and even covers marketing basics and where to sell your produce.Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know!
Great list. I love Food Not Lawns. And did you see that Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch are in the new Martha Stewart Living?
ReplyDeleteI did not know that but will be checking it out!
ReplyDeleteOh, I am with you! I am passionate about my books. Our bookshelves are truly the only place in the house that's perfectly organized--alpha by author, sorted by genre. (Plus, I have a whole bookshelf in the office devoted only to my gardening books.) Trust me--you wouldn't want to see the rest of the house! I'm constantly tracking in dirt from the garden, and my kids rival your child for the "dirtiest kid" title! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love your list, and lately I've been caught up in reading lots of farming memoirs. A couple of good, how-to books I also like are The Edible Schoolyard by Alice Waters (my hero); Alluring Lettuces and Other Seductive Vegetables for Your Garden ~ Jack Staub; Chef’s Garden ~ Terence Conran; The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden ~ Ivette Soler; Edible Landscaping: Now You Can Have Your Gorgeous Garden and Eat It, Too! ~ Rosalind Creasy. I think there should be a book club for people who are obsessed with reading farming/gardening books! Look forward to reading more of your posts!
I'm reading The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Your Own Food 365 Days a Year, No Matter Where You Live by Niki Jabbour and it's very good. I also like Julie's suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a LOVER of books, I have the Kindle app on my iPod, and I use it a lot, mostly for only free books, but I have purchased a few. If I really like a book though, I will buy a REAL one because there is nothing like a real book. And I love your bookshelf above and how you have your books color coordinated on your shelves!!!!!!! THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am looking to start gardening. I wanted to start with an indoor herb garden, but, I cannot have any plants in my home because we have 5 indoor cats and they eat any plants that come in! :-) We did find the windows that were removed from our house when they were replaced with more efficient ones, we live in an old farmhouse, and a friend was telling me how to make a mini-greenhouse using 5 of the windows by boxing four for the sides and hinging one for the top and then having container garden so that we can start small before we go gung ho! lol!
I just stumbled upon your blog! Great info! I will be reading more! Thanks! God bless.