NCW Libraries

Create simple solutions for growing organic gardens! The word "hack" has a multitude of meanings these days, but if you ask garden author Shawna Coronado what a hack is, she might just wave her hand toward her own back yard. She could be pointing at the garden bench she created from leftover wood posts and a few cinder blocks, or the rows of wine bottles buried soldier-style along a winding pathway, or even the garden soil itself, which is blended...

Companion planting techniques have been used for centuries to facilitate better, more nutritious, and more abundant crops. Did you know that carrots will grow better if surrounded by lettuce, onions and beets, but beans should not be planted near onions? Your tomatoes will be happier if they're far away from potatoes, but peppers and marigolds make a terrific garden pair. Aromatic herbs help protect some vegetables from pests, and many flowers--including...

"If you want to grow healthy vegetables at home, but have hesitated because it seems too hard and time consuming, Organic Gardening for Everyone is your perfect hands-on guide-an "if I can do it, you can do it" case study that addresses your concerns and gets you started. Loaded with practical advice and step-by-step guidance, Organic Gardening for Everyone takes a very personal and friendly approach to a subject that can be intimidating. It is a...

Organic Farming is the seed you need to get your organic farm growing. This essential guidebook explains everything you need to know to begin and maintain a healthy, productive, and profitable organic farm, from organic certification to planting crops to marketing your produce. If you're thinking of starting an organic farm or making the transition to organics, you're in good company. The market for organic food increases every year, as does the number...

Jeff Lowenfels, author of the best-selling Teaming with Microbes, now turns to plant nutrients-what they are, how they work, how they get inside plants, and what they do once they get there. In easy-to-understand language, he illuminates the science behind plant nutrition and offers 100 percent organic recommendations on what to feed plants, including fertilizer recipes tailored to specific kinds of plants. Teaming with Nutrients is sure to open your...

"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...

"[This book] is the no-till chemical-free growing 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 is specifically written for natural and small-scale farmers."--

As Local Organic agriculture continues to flourish, young professional growers like Jean-Martin Fortier are leading the way with their innovative ideas about how to start a farm. Growing on just 1.5 acres, he and his wife have been making a good living from their vegetable operation for over 10 years, feeding more than 200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stand. Based on low-tech, high-yield methods of production, The Market...

Bestselling author Brett Markham's new handbook gives us the mini farming basics along with in-depth tips on vegetable gardening, fermenting, composting, and self-sufficiency in a handy new format and design. Includes: Soil management and making your own fertilizer, Crop rotation and cover cropping, Composting, Seed starting and timing/planning, Raised beds and pest management, PVC trellising and planting spacers, Raising chickens, making your own...