New Books : Agriculture

The first graphic novel guide to growing a successful vegetable garden, from planning, prepping, and planting, to troubleshooting, care, and harvesting. The first graphic novel guide to growing a successful vegetable garden, from planning, prepping, and planting, to troubleshooting, care, and harvesting. "A fun read packed with practical advice, it's the perfect resource for new gardeners, guiding you through every step to plant, grow, and harvest a thriving and productive food garden."-Joe Lamp'l, founder and creator of the OnlineGardeningAcademy Like having your own personal gardening mentor at your side, The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food is the story of Mia, an eager young professional who wants to grow her own vegetables but doesn't know where to start, and George, her retired neighbor who loves gardening and walks her through each step of the process. Throughout the book, "cheat sheets" sum up George's key facts and techniques, providing a handy quick reference for anyone starting their first vegetable garden, including how to find the best location, which vegetables are easiest to grow, how to pick out the healthiest plants at the store, when (and when not) to water, how to protect your plants from pests, and what to do with extra produce if you grow too much. If you are a visual learner, beginning gardener, looking for something new, or have struggled to grow vegetables in the past, you'll find this unique illustrated format ideal because many gardening concepts--from proper planting techniques to building raised beds--are easier to grasp when presented visually, step by step. Easy and entertaining, The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food makes homegrown vegetables fun and achievable.

Every farm needs a cow - open the gates! With an approach built around investing for the long term, Homestead Cows prepares homesteaders and small farmers to open the farm gate to cattle, whether a single milk cow or a small beef herd. Homestead Cows covers the A to Z of husbandry: Cow history, biology, diet, and nutrition Understanding what you want, what's involved, and creating a plan Selecting breeds and determining herd size Housing and facilities, transportation, and equipment Financial management and the dollars and cents of cows Breeding and reproduction Cow health and happiness, including safety, handling, and good husbandry Processing, products, and cooking. Cattle are the most productive, versatile, and low-input sources of food and revenue on the farm and can help regenerate and build soil. The secret to success is excellent management, and Homestead Cows distills decades of hard-won, practical knowledge into an essential guide to successful small-scale cattle farming for every homesteader and farmer.

For indoor gardeners everywhere, Darryl Cheng offers a new way to grow healthy house plants. He teaches the art of understanding a plant's needs and giving it a home with the right balance of light, water, and nutrients. After reading Cheng, the indoor gardener will be far less the passive follower of rules for the care of each species and much more the confident, active grower, relying on observation and insight. And in the process, the plant owner becomes a plant lover, bonded to these beautiful living things by a simple love and appreciation of nature.The House Plant Journal Handbook covers all of the basics of growing house plants, from finding the right light, to everyday care like watering and fertilizing, to containers, to recommended species. Cheng's friendly tone, personal stories, and accessible photographs fill his book with the same generous spirit that has made @houseplantjournal, his Instagram account, a popular source of advice and inspiration for thousands of indoor gardeners.

The transformation of the American West is one of the key topics in the study of United States history and global environmental history. The role of ranching in the West is also central to the growing field of animal history. This volume covers the periods between the early Indigenous acquisition of horses in the 18th century, to the introduction of Hispanic horsemanship techniques and market cattle in the "Old West," and finally to the work of ranching families to sustain their way of life. The documents in this volume reveal not simply the human past, but also the distinct histories of cattle, horses, and the land. Readers will explore intersecting themes of capitalism and beef, environmental change, rural labor, gender and racial politics as debated by westerners themselves, as well as the meaning and power of the cowboy myth in American life. The introduction incorporates recent scholarship and provides a fresh look at this key topic in American history, along with the informative headnotes and rich annotations that help orient the reader within the historical sources.

If you want a vibrant, chemical-free vegetable garden, companion planting is the solution. Did you know tomatoes produce a natural insecticide that can help protect carrots against pests? Or that planting mint near lettuce can repel slugs? Every gardener knows that the key to an abundant harvest in their vegetable garden is controlling pests and disease, while still maintaining a healthy growing environment. But it is possible to have a healthy, thriving vegetable garden without using dangerous chemicals? It is, as long as you know how to pair up the right plants. Organic gardeners have known for years that planting the right plants together is the key to minimizing pests, improving soil quality, and increasing the yield of their gardens, and almost any vegetable you can grow likely has a beneficial companion. Companion planting is the ideal way to avoid using chemicals, while still increasing the efficiency of your garden. Expert organic gardener Brian Lowell will teach you how to use plants to create a beautiful, vibrant vegetable garden that will be free of toxic chemicals. Here's what you'll find inside- . Handy companion planting pairings for all of the most common garden vegetables . Practical, simple photography and colorful illustrations for dozens of beneficial planting configurations . Expert advice from a master gardener that is specifically designed for beginners . Loads of troubleshooting tips for fixing common issues with companion-planted gardens . Tips for setting up the perfect vegetable garden, including practical advice on watering, soil management, troubleshooting, and more

In DIY Chicken Keeping from Fresh Eggs Daily, Lisa Steele shares a variety of fun, useful projects for you and your chickens.

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) is best known for developing new uses for agricultural crops and teaching methods of soil improvement to southern farmers. This annotated selection of his letters and other writings from the collections at the Tuskegee Institute and the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, reveals the forces that shaped his creative genius--including the influence of persistent racism. His letters also show us Carver's deep love for his fellow man, whether manifested in his efforts to treat polio victims in the 1930s or in his emotionally charged friendships that lasted a lifetime.   With a new chapter on the oral history interviews Dr. Kremer conducted (several years after publication of the first edition) with people who knew Carver personally, and the addition of newly uncovered documents and a bank of impressive photographs of Carver and some of his friends, this second edition of our classic title commemorates the 75th anniversary of Carver's death on January 5, 2018.  

Growing Vegetables (The First-Time Gardener) is an essential tool for newbie gardeners, handing them all the practical and inspirational know-how they need to grow a fruitful garden, even if its their very first time sinking a seed into the soil.

The book covers the life history and control of over 200 species of harmful insects present in the Mediterranean Basin, and the information provided may also apply to other areas with a Mediterranean or subtropical climate, such as in areas of North and South America, southern Africa, Asia and Australia. The over 400 colour photographs gathered here will help the reader identify many of the cited species of insects.

Organic Food and Farming: A Reference Handbook is a valuable resource for students and general readers curious about the history, evolution, and growth of the organic food movement. Organic Food and Farming: A Reference Handbook begins with a deep dive into the origins of organic farming, offering a clear discussion of what constitutes organic production and how that has changed over time. Next, the volume provides a comprehensive overview of growth of organics as both an industry and a social movement and the inherent challenges that occur from trying to be both. The book additionally covers controversial issues and challenges, along with good news about what is working and what is possible. Included are essays by scholars, farmers, and experts working with NGOs as well as profiles of key people and organizations in the organic sector. Additional chapters include data and documents, a comprehensive resource list, and a detailed chronology of the key events in the history of the organic sector. Distinguishing it from others that laud or dismiss organic food and farming practices is this book's objective nature, which allows it to be used as a definitive resource on the topic. Chronology of the years 1840-2019, including more than 100 entries describing key moments in the history of organic farming and food Essays by organic farmers and scholars, including one by Grace Gershuny, author, educator, and one of the original USDA National Organic Program staff members who helped write the original regulations A comprehensive overview of growth of organics as both an industry and a social movement and the inherent challenges that occur from trying to be both Survey of the history of organic food and farming that helps readers identify key issues in an easy-to-understand fashion

What we do to the soil, we do to ourselves. Soil is the unlikely story of our most maligned resource as swashbuckling hero. A saga of bombs, ice ages and civilisations falling. Of ancient hunger, modern sicknesses and gastronomic delight. It features poison gas, climate collapse and a mind-blowing explanation of how rain is formed. For too long, we've not only neglected the land beneath us, we've squandered and debased it, by over-clearing, over-grazing and over-ploughing. But if we want our food to nourish us, and to ensure our planet's long-term health, we need to understand how soil works - how it's made, how it's lost, and how it can be repaired. In this ode to the thin veneer of Earth that gifts us life, commentator and farmer Matthew Evans shows us that what we do in our backyards, on our farms, and what we put on our dinner tables really matters, and can be a source of hope. Isn't it time we stopped treating the ground beneath our feet like dirt?

The book covers the life history and control of over 200 species of harmful insects present in the Mediterranean Basin, and the information provided may also apply to other areas with a Mediterranean or subtropical climate, such as in areas of North and South America, southern Africa, Asia and Australia. The over 400 colour photographs gathered here will help the reader identify many of the cited species of insects.

Susan Knilans and Jacqueline Freeman are in love with bees. So in love that they observe their bees-their work, communication, seasonal activity, and more-for hours each day. And with observation came realization: when bees are allowed to live as they would in nature (with smaller hives, no chemicals, freedom to swarm, and little-to-no human interference), they will thrive. Accordingly, Knilans and Freeman have spent decades perfecting the revolutionary practice of preservation beekeeping, guided by the simple question, "What do the bees want?" A surprising page-turner, this instructional book tells the story of their successes and failures, demonstrating what was learned along the way. Sharing preservation beekeeping's key tenets, the authors provide concrete, simple ways to implement their approach, from finding the right hive location to honing observation skills. This preservation manifesto is a vital addition to any beekeeper's library, imparting all the joys of a beekeeper's life.

A clear illustration of the important role of aquaculture in supporting food security, livelihoods, and economic development around the world This new edition of Aquaculture: Farming Aquatic Animals and Plants covers important aspects of the culture of fish, shellfish, and algae in freshwater and marine environments. Subject areas covered include principles of aquaculture, water quality, environmental impacts of aquaculture, desert aquaculture, reproduction, life cycles and growth, genetics and stock improvement, nutrition and feed production, diseases, vaccination, post-harvest technology, economics and marketing, and future developments of aquaculture. Separate chapters also cover the culture of algae, carps, salmonids, tilapias, catfish, marine and brackish fishes, soft-shelled turtles, barramundi, marine shrimp, mitten crabs, and other decapod crustaceans, bivalves, gastropods, and ornamental species. This edition also provides greater coverage of aquaculture in China, reflecting the country's importance in the global scene.  Providing core scientific and commercially useful information, and written by 35 eminent international authors, this expanded and fully updated Third Edition of Aquaculture is essential reading for all students and professionals studying and working in aquaculture. Fish farmers, hatchery managers, and those in aquaculture support and supply industries, such as feed manufacturing, will find an abundance of commercially useful information within this important and now established book. Describes the multitude of developments that have occurred within the aquaculture field over the last 15 years Includes a major revision of production statistics and trends, discussion of technical developments, and revised and extended coverage provided by broader international authorship Brings together 35 internationally recognized contributors, including a number of new contributors Aquaculture: Farming Aquatic Animals and Plants, Third Edition is a recommended text for students of the subject and a concise reference for those working in or entering into the industry.

"Part essay collection, part gardening guide, The Heirloom Gardener encourages readers to embrace heirloom seeds and traditions, serving as a well-needed reminder to slow down and reconnect with nature." --Modern Farmer Modern life is a cornucopia of technological wonders. But is something precious being lost? A tangible bond with our natural world--the deep satisfaction of connecting to the earth that was enjoyed by previous generations? In The Heirloom Gardener, John Forti celebrates gardening as a craft and shares the lore and traditional practices that link us with our environment and with each other. Charmingly illustrated and brimming with wisdom, this guide will inspire you to slow down, recharge, and reconnect.

Operations Management in Agriculture bridges the knowledge gap on operations management for agricultural machinery. It complements traditional topics (cost of using and choosing machinery) with advanced engineering approaches recently applied in agricultural machinery management (area coverage planning and sequential scheduling). The book covers new technologies in bio-production systems (robotics, IoT) and environmental compliance by employing a systems engineering perspective with focuses on sub-systems, including advanced optimization, supply chain systems, sustainability, autonomous vehicles and IT-driven decision-making. It will be a valuable resource for students studying decision-making and those working to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of production through machinery choice.

The author of the heartwarming Craig and Fred tells the deeply emotional and inspiring story of the next phase of their lives together: working closely with prison inmates in Maine who raise and train puppies to become service dogs. Former US Marine Craig Grossi and his dog Fred appeared on the "Today Show' and 'Rachael Ray', and in schools, bookstores, and military bases across America as they told the uplifting story of how Craig found Fred, a stray, while serving in Afghanistan--and brought him home. During their travels, Craig was invited to speak at Maine State Prison--the penitentiary that inspired Stephen King's famous "Shawshank." While there, he met a group of very special inmates, participants in a program run by the non-profit America's Vet Dogs. Craig discovered that many of the prisoners are veterans--former soldiers serving their country in an entirely different way: by transforming purebred Labrador Retrievers from floppy puppies into indispensable companions for disabled vets. These service dogs literally and figuratively open doors for men and women, offering hope and a renewed sense of freedom.  Yet these disabled vets are not the only lives changed by these dogs. The inmates who train them "are given a purpose, they're given experience, and most importantly they're given a sense of self-worth," Craig explains. "The men at Maine State are given a second chance--something that I believe everyone deserves." For Craig, the visit had a profound impact. "There was something special going on inside its walls and it was calling out to me. I quickly realized that the program and its men had something to show the world." In this emotionally powerful book, he introduces these men and challenges us to look deeper, to see them as human beings deserving of a new shot at life. "We're quick to give second chances to celebrities, politicians and famous athletes when they screw up," Craig reminds us, "but when it comes to those who've been convicted for their mistakes, we too often dismiss them as forever lost." Second Chances poignantly shows that no life is irredeemable and that each of us can make a difference if given the opportunity.