If you want a thorough introduction to organic farming techniques that are in complete alignment and harmony with the ideas of attaining a sustainable paradigm, then there is no better book. Many of the current crop (sorry for the pun) of sustainable farming, organic farming that use grasses as the overwhelming percentage of the nutritional intake of the animals all borrow heavily from this volume. That goes in spades for the production of meat, growing the grass, and how best to care for the land and soil. This author is easy to read even when he’s getting right into the nitty-gritty of some technical point he's presenting. But don’t let that ease fool you, from cover to cover, you’ll find nothing more than the essential, plain, hard facts you would need to begin life as a successful farmer. It almost seems like this poor guy is afraid of cracking a joke, lest someone take him less seriously that the vital topic of the book. Before purchasing any book, I always check it out of the library first. I did; and now, this book is on my “must have” list and is why I bought it. If the above doesn’t scare you away, gobble (sorry, another pun) one up as fast as you can – you’ll definitely be glad you did.Read full review
In Successful Small-Scale Farming, Karl Schwenke addresses all of the issues an upstart dirt-farmer would encounter. I say dirt-farmer, as Karl speaks only of crops and woodlots; saying that animals need something to eat, prior to producing eggs, milk, or meat. While this tome addresses small farms, some of the information contained therein would be of use to a dedicated gardener, "selling produce" to the kitchen table. Of note, written in 1991, some of the material is dated. For example, Karl references "30 HP Tractor" as being cost-effective (cheap) and of the correct scale for a small tract farmer. At the date of publication, there were tons of old Massey, JD, Ford, International, Farmall, and Allis tractors - many have found homes - restored and commanding top-dollar. New models: The 30 HP 4WD tractor is currently the SUV of farm impliments, commanding $20,000+ prices new, toys (impliments) extra. The start-up farmer should look for a used 2WD "row crop tractor" in the 60+ HP range as these are typically found for under $12,000 USD and can handle a greater range of impliments. Otherwise, this is a great book, with a great deal of information (and tables) which can be found in an easy-to-comprehend fashion. No buzz-words, no voodoo-science, no need to wear a certain brand of clothes to be 'in' with his crowd.Read full review
It was a good and inforitive book. I didnt have as many pictures as i thought it would but still lots of info.
very good book
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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