Organic Farming Book Suggestions

[Kim_OK]

Hi All,

I'm wanting to purchase a really good, thorough easy to understand and read book on organic farming and/or gardening and anything related.  Thank you!
Kim

[desdawg]

This forum may be a good source for information regarding that topic:
http://homesteadingtoday.com/

[littlegirlgo]

Kim
If you are a beginner then I would suggest books by Shepherd Ogden. The Cooks Garden is a good one. Some older classics for homestead gardening are The Guide to Self Sufficiency and The Self Sufficient Garden by John Seymor.

If you are looking at doing anything commercially , even just selling to neighbors, then I suggest Eliot Coleman The New Organic Grower and Four Season Harvest. I have been using hismarketing ideas for years.

I am looking forward to another productive season!!

[littlegirlgo]

Opps - the above author should be John Seymour. Several college degrees later and I still cant spell worth a _____  

[Amanda_931]

I like Toby Hemenway's Gaia's Garden.

Although the "real" permaculture people hate him.

Permaculture--sustainable, as much as possible perennial rather than annual.  

Here's a list of what looks  like mostly pretty good books--some also on John's list (when possible get them by clicking through with the book list here--it helps keep this list going)  If I try to put a link to Gaia's Garden in Amazon it tells me when I bought my copy--but it's here--on down the page a ways.

http://www.sunrisenevada.org/bookstore.php

If you're thinking of growing grains--this is fun.

Fukuoka's One Straw Revolution.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8185569312/ref=pd_cp_b_title/104-9496174-2308747

[glenn-k]

Opps - the above author should be John Seymour. Several college degrees later and I still cant spell worth a _____  

Is this insert own expletive?   :-?  I like it.

That's why I didn't go to college.  New it wouldn't improve my spilling or word usage.  

[Okie_Bob]

Highly recommend Howard Garrets website www.dirtdoctor.com for any organic help. He has books and lots of free handouts on everything imaginable. He lives in the Dallas area and knows Okla and Tx soils and problems. His books are great for the home gardener to the professional landscaper, etc.
Okie Bob

[Amanda_931]

I've ended up at dirtdoctor a few times trying to find the answer to some question or other. The question has usually been answered to my satifaction.

Although I've heard rumblings about the quality of the products he touts.  Pro and con, IIRC.

[benevolance]

my wife is finally starting to  believe me that there are nasty chemicals in store bought food...So the organic garden is going to be part of our future as well.

great links, Thanks guys/gals

[glenn-k]

The flavor of home grown food is so much better than factory food, there has to be something to it.

[paul_s]

take a serious look at raised bed gardening, my home garden has 30 inchwide beds and  4" wide paths,  easy to get the cart in with  compost and get the vegies out lol
easy to reach the  bed and grow a lot vertical make the garden a place to be
check out gardenweb.com and join  davesgarden worth the 15 dollas  great people

[Okie_Bob]

Amanda, Howard Garret is a local here with radio show and tv short shots a couple of times a week. He is one of the biggest advocates of the 'organic way' that I know of. Most of his research is done in conjunction with Tx A&M and pretty good. He claims to use all the products he allows to sponsor his shows but, you never know.
One point I do want to make. If you are serious about going organic, it's an all or nothing deal. If you start an organic program and then use some synthetic fertilizer, for example, you just screwed up your organic program! The whole idea is to get your soil back to nature and nature doesn't include anything synthetic. The microbial action that you are striving for is wiped out easily with man made fertilizers so you are wasting your time.
I'm a firm believer and have been told I have the best lawn in the neighborhood. I know that when I put my shovel into the groud, the earth worms exposed are incredible and that is a very good sigh things are 'natural'. And it cost less than man made stuff too.
Okie Bob

[littlegirlgo]

A&M and Rutgers have produced some valuable research on the nutritional benefits of organic. There is some evidence that organic products retain more nutrients. In traditional agricuture the nutrients can get leached out of the plant via certain types of chemicals.