Self-sufficiency doesn't have to mean getting off the grid entirely. That level of independence isn't practical for most people. A backyard farm can provide an abundance of inexpensive food as well as additional income which can bring you real independence. Whether you're a first-timer who wants to start growing vegetables or an experienced gardener looking to expand a small plot into a minifarm, The Everything Backyard Farming Book has all you need, from growing fruits and vegetables to raising animals to preserving and storing food. With this common-sense guide, you will be able to take control of the food you eat - in an urban or suburban setting.

As food prices continue to rise, more and more people have discovered that they can create their own food supply, right on their own property, and at a fraction of the price of conventional farm food that's been shipped to their local grocery from locations unknown. By raising and harvesting their own fruits, vegetables, chickens, bees, milk-bearing animals, and more, people are growing locally, sustainably, and at a fraction of the cost. However, poor planning for needs, proper use of available space, and a lack of preparedness for preserving or selling the harvest can quickly lead to wasted time and sweat. Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) is written by people who have planned and run a successful small-scale backyard farm. The authors guide readers through the essentials of planning a small-scale farm from a 1/4 acre all the way up to an acre and beyond. Readers will learn how to decide how large (or small) their farm should be, what they should plant or raise based on their invidual wants and needs (and available space), and how they can prevent their efforts from being wasted. Proven, sustainabile techniques will be presented to readers so they can yield the maximum benefit of their harvest through proven best practices. Readers will also learn how to raise small animals such as chickens and goats for milk, eggs, and meat, and will learn the crticial practices for successfully parenting bees, growing fruit tress, and much more.

There are twenty million acres of lawns in North America. In their current form, these unproductive expanses of grass represent a significant financial and environmental cost. However, viewed through a different lens, they can also be seen as a tremendous source of opportunity. Access to land is a major barrier for many people who want to enter the agricultural sector, and urban and suburban yards have huge potential for would-be farmers wanting to become part of this growing movement. The Urban Farmer is a comprehensive, hands-on, practical manual to help you learn the techniques and business strategies you need to make a good living growing high-yield, high-value crops right in your own backyard (or someone else's). Major benefits include: Low capital investment and overhead costs Reduced need for expensive infrastructure Easy access to markets Growing food in the city means that fresh crops may travel only a few blocks from field to table, making this innovative approach the next logical step in the local food movement. Based on a scalable, easily reproduced business model, The Urban Farmer is your complete guide to minimizing risk and maximizing profit by using intensive production in small leased or borrowed spaces. Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm growing vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants, and retail outlets. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers.

Backyard Farming: Home Harvesting is the ideal resource for the new farmer looking to make the most of his produce by preserving it for the future! Providing a comprehensive guide for preparing and preserving your hard-earned harvest, this book ensures that your backyard farm will feed you all year long! Backyard Farming: Home Harvesting is the perfect guide for beginners looking to extend the benefits of their homestead's produce. Covering every topic from selecting and maintaining the resources needed to properly preserve your food, to the various methods of preserving and how they are done, to recipes and ideas for making the best use of your preserved bounty, Backyard Farming: Home Harvesting includes all that you need to know to get the most out of your home harvest. Including time-tested tips and tricks used by expert farmers, this invaluable resource is a must-have for anyone looking to enjoy the fruits of their labor year round! EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET STARTED. Addressing all the important areas, from selecting the ideal method for your crop, to knowing when and why to preserve, to how long each method preserves your food for, Backyard Farming: Home Harvesting is the all-in-one guide for the first-time farmer at harvest time. EASY TO FOLLOW, EASY TO UNDERSTAND. Written in simple, informative language, complete with numerous illustrations of proper techniques and preserving set-ups, Backyard Farming: Home Harvesting is written with new farmers in mind. A GUIDE THAT EVERY BACKYARD FARMER CAN USE. Whether your backyard farm raises livestock or grows crops, there is a method in this book to greatly extend your enjoyment of your harvest! From canning, to smoking; from freezing to drying, the benefits of preserving are obvious! No farmer wants to have to throw away their hard work, and Backyard Farming: Home Harvesting is the perfect guide to ensuring that no part of the harvest is wasted! The Backyard Farming series offers easy-to-use guides to help first-time farmers and homesteaders experience the satisfaction that comes from producing their own food. Rural areas with acres of land, suburban neighborhoods with small backyards, or urban environments with limited space--no matter what your situation, these books are tailored to your unique needs and resources. Each volume in this series is dedicated to a particular topic in backyard farming, whether you're planning to grow food for your family or for sale at your local farmers market. Featuring simple instructions and helpful illustrations, the Backyard Farming series empowers you and your family to enjoy the freshest ingredients possible--direct from your own backyard!

A handbook for growing a victory garden when the enemy is global warming Written by regenerative farmer Acadia Tucker, Growing Good Food calls on us to take up regenerative gardening, also known as carbon farming, for the good of the planet. By building carbon-rich soil, even in a backyard-sized patch, we can capture greenhouse gases and mitigate climate change, all while growing nutritious food. To help us get started, and quickly, Tucker draft plans for gardeners who have no space, a little space, or a lot of space. She offers advice on how to prep soil, plant food, and raise the most popular fruits and vegetables using regenerative methods. She shares the gardening tools you need to get started, the top reasons gardens fail and how to fix them, and how to make carbon farming count when the only dirt you have is in pots. The book includes calls to action and insights from leaders in the regenerative movement, including David Montgomery, Gabe Brown, and Tim LaSalle. Aimed at beginners, the book is designed to inspire an uprising of citizen gardeners. Growing Good Food suggests what could happen if more of us saw gardening as a civic duty. By the end of it, you'll know how to grow some really good food and build a healthier world, too. Growing Good Food: A citizen's guide to backyard carbon farming is part of Stone Pier's "Growing Good Food" series. It joins Growing Perennial Foods: A field guide to raising resilient herbs, fruits, and vegetables, also written by Acadia Tucker.

Any home can be a sustainable homestead—whether you’re in the country, city, or suburbs! Everything you need to know about backyard homesteading—from planning and development to growing, preserving, and preparing your own food. Successfully turn your rural property, suburban home, or urban dwelling into a productive food oasis! Whether you have 100 acres of open land or an apartment terrace, Backyard Farming: Homesteading takes the guesswork out of backyard farming and offers a comprehensive primer for anyone looking to grow their own food. With detailed instructions and informative photographs, Kim Pezza walks you step by step through the process of planning and implementing your sustainable lifestyle. You will learn: • What to look for when considering properties for backyard farming • How to develop your property into a homestead, regardless of size and space • Which varieties of produce and livestock are easiest for beginners • The differences between living off-grid and urban and rural homesteading • How to run a homestead that’s functional—and makes money • Delicious recipes using produce from your own farm • And many more tips to help you achieve success! More than ever, people everywhere are returning to the farming lifestyle. Backyard Farming: Homesteading is your first big step to joining the growing movement of homemakers looking for a healthier, happier way of life—and it starts right in your own backyard.

A simple guide to growing fruits, vegetables, nuts & berries, raising chickens, goats, & bees, and making beer, wine, & cider from your backyard. If you want to take control of the food you eat and the products you use, Backyard Homesteading will help you learn how to do it—even if you live in an urban or suburban house on a typical-size lot. Inside, you’ll discover how to turn a yard into a productive and wholesome “homestead” that allows you to grow your own fruits and vegetables and raise farm animals, including chickens and goats. You’ll also find the laws and regulations of raising livestock in populated areas, as well as ways to use and preserve the bounty your land produces. GETTING STARTED Benefits of pure food Family recreation Local regulations Potential yields and savings RAISING VEGETABLES AND HERBS Garden planning/layout Structures/irrigation Vegetable profiles Planting techniques Composting/healthy soil Seasonal gardening GROWING FRUITS, BERRIES, AND NUTS Planting fruit trees and bushes Fruit profiles Organic pest control Grafting and pruning Harvesting methods RAISING CHICKENS The joy of chickens Collecting eggs Care and feeding tips Other small animals RAISING GOATS Benefits of goat milk Structures/fencing Care and feeding tips Other large animals BEEKEEPING Benefits of beekeeping Care and harvesting Building hives Collecting honey HARVEST HOME Canning/drying/freezing Making beer, wine, cider Making jerky, sausage Making jams, jellies Pickling/salting/smoking Building root cellars

This comprehensive guide to homesteading provides all the information you need to grow and preserve a sustainable harvest of grains and vegetables; raise animals for meat, eggs, and dairy; and keep honey bees for your sweeter days. With easy-to-follow instructions on canning, drying, and pickling, you’ll enjoy your backyard bounty all winter long. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, and The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

If you dream of growing, harvesting and eating your own produce, here's how to begin. Author Nicki Trench, who has created her own garden farm from scratch, shares everything there is to know about growing crops, keeping bees and rearing hens.

Get dirty with purpose and grow! "There has never been a better time to transform our spaces into food gardens than today." To achieve the idyllic life of backyard farms and homegrown food, months of dirt, drudgery, and grit is needed. Here’s a handy companion that will give any future food grower just the right push to unleash the farmer within. This book teaches you how to start your own backyard farm in the tropics, following biodynamic, permaculture and organic agriculture principles.