Frequently Asked Questions about "Going Organic"
What are the most important books I should read as I start my organic farm?
You Can Farm: The entrepreneur's guide to start and succeed in a farming enterprise.
By Joel Salatin 1998. ISBN 0-9638109-2-8. 480 pp. Special order through
local bookstore from Chelsea Green Publishing. $40-45.
A
must-read for any would-be farmer. Joel Salatin is bold, opinionated
and uncompromising as he outlines the facts and fallacies about
starting up a farming enterprise. He does not dwell on organic farming,
but on ways to produce and sell food on a sensible scale. From
financing to fertility and relationships to rabbits, Salatin touches on
it all. He may dissuade as many people from farming as he inspires
others, but regardless of the outcome, readers will get their money's
worth.
The Soul of Soil: a soil-building guide for
master gardeners and farmers. By Joe Smillie and Grace Gershuny. 2008.
Revised 4th sub-edition. ISBN 1-890132-31-4. 192 pp. Special order
through local bookstore from Chelsea Green Publishing or University of
Toronto Press $30-35.
If you don't like soil biology,
don't become an organic farmer. The Soul of Soil is an excellent
introduction to soil science that touches on the most important
elements for understanding, testing and managing organically-managed
soils. There is an index, glossary and listing of technical references.
The bibliography covers a who's who in organic farming over the past 80
years. Unfortunately, one of the original book's chief qualities, its
brevity, is becoming undone as each edition becomes longer.
The New Organic Grower: a master's manual of tools and techniques for the home and market gardener. By Eliot Coleman 1996 2nd edition. ISBN 0-921820-10-0. 304 pp. Chelsea Green Publishing.$30-35.
With
the majority of new entrants to organic farming choosing vegetables as
a first crop, this well known book still stands out as essential
reading for market gardeners. There is some overlap with the previous
two books on this list, but Coleman puts the emphasis directly on
management and the plants. His crop rotation scheme is somewhat
daunting, but overall the book is extremely readable despite the large
number of topics covered. Comprehending and implementing the many ideas
and techniques will undoubtedly push the reader, but the results will
be extremely worthwhile.
Organic Field Crop Handbook. Janet Wallace, Editor 2001 2nd edition. ISBN 0-9695851-3-6. 292 pp Canadian Organic Growers Inc. Available at www.cog.ca or through ACORN.
The
Canadian Organic Growers venture into field crop production with this
volume, and despite eight years on the market the detailed sections on
agronomy are still up to date. Apart from crop descriptions and
cultural practices, technical details such as seeding rates and bushel
weights abound. Somehow the Field Crop Handbook manages to be relevant
to farmers in growing regions all across Canada. Being chosen as a
textbook for field crop production in the Agricultural Technology
program at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College speaks volumes about
the value of this book.
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