Showing titles in Agricultural & Food Sciences

Looking to start your own small-scale farm? Want to ensure that your agriculture practices are sustainable and successful? Look no further than our brand new eBook! With 17 chapters covering everything from choosing the right plot of land to long-term planning and sustainability, this eBook is the ultimate guide to small-scale agriculture. Learn about the principles of sustainable farming and how to maintain soil health and fertility, conserve water, and select appropriate crops for your land. Discover the benefits of small livestock management and fruit and nut orchards. In addition to ...

Nature, it has been said, invites us to eat by appetite and rewards by flavor. But what exactly are flavors? Why are some so pleasing while others are not? Delicious is a supremely entertaining foray into the heart of such questions. With generous helpings of warmth and wit, Rob Dunn and Monica Sanchez offer bold new perspectives on why food is enjoyable and how the pursuit of delicious flavors has guided the course of human history.

Honey bees - and the qualities associated with them - have quietly influenced American values for four centuries. During every major period in the country's history, bees and beekeepers have represented order and stability in a country without a national religion, political party, or language. Bees in America is an enlightening cultural history of bees and beekeeping in the United States. Tammy Horn, herself a beekeeper, offers a varied social and technological history from the colonial period, when the British first introduced bees to the New World, to the present, when bees are being used by the American military to detect bombs.

The most popular drug in America is a white powder. No, not that powder. This is caffeine in its most essential state. And Caffeinated reveals the little-known truth about this addictive, largely unregulated drug found in coffee, energy drinks, teas, colas, chocolate, and even pain relievers. Drawing on the latest research, Caffeinated brings us the inside perspective at the additive that Salt Sugar Fat overlooked.

Acclaimed health journalist and National Geographic contributor Maryn McKenna documents how antibiotics transformed chicken from local delicacy to industrial commodity. Consumed more than any other meat in the United States, chicken is emblematic of today's mass food-processing practices and their profound influence on our lives and health. Tracing its meteoric rise from scarce treat to ubiquitous global commodity, McKenna reveals the astounding role of antibiotics in industrial farming, documenting how and why "wonder drugs" revolutionized the way the world eats.

In Mastering Farming Tools and Techniques, you'll discover how to choose and use the right sustainable agriculture tools to optimize every aspect of your farm’s operations. From soil preparation and irrigation systems to crop management and harvesting, this guide covers it all with a clear, practical approach that’s easy to follow. You’ll learn how to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and ensure long-term farm sustainability by embracing farm management best practices that make a real difference.

The riveting eight-thousand-year story of wine, nectar of the gods and the pleasure and support of man As far back as history can reach, wine has been intertwined with the growth and development of the human race. Over eight millennia, this remarkable drink has influenced cultures, built...

Farmacy demands a food revolution. With our bodies ailing and our mental health straining, humanity needs a radically different way of eating and farming. Tracing a path from the health of the soil to the health of human beings, Farmacy highlights how food is the connecting agent between our mental, physical and planetary wellbeing.

Weeds — Control Without Poisons demonstrates the necessity in agriculture today for a more holistic, eco-centered perspective. The author explains what 50 years of deadly chemicals have already done to our soil and our bodies, demonstrating that this process does not work in any long-term commonsense agricultural system and offering alternatives to chemicals. Charles Walters explores the workings of soil ecosystems and provides specifics on a host of weeds — why they grow, what soil conditions spur them on or stop them, what they say about your soil, and how to control them without the ...

This collection of essays reveals a carefully organized and convincing explanation by Albrecht about the interconnection between soil, plants and animals that everything is related to everything else. In these papers Albrecht reveals the importance of the balance equation, that it isn't enough to have nutrient to soil connections, it is the ratio of one element to another that counts. Albrecht's insight further reveals that an ounce of prevention in the form of balanced plant nutrition from fertile soils is better than a pound of cure using dangerous poisons. Albrecht's work provides an ...

Master sustainable living—achieve self-sufficiency without breaking the bank, even if you're starting from scratch! Do you dream of transforming your living space into a thriving homestead but feel overwhelmed by where to start? Imagine the joy of growing your own food, the satisfaction of harvesting rainwater, and the peace of mind from energy independence—all within your reach. The Practical Guide to Homesteading is your roadmap to achieving this transformation, bringing you affordable, step-by-step strategies for living sustainably off-grid, catered specifically to beginners.

In March of 2009, Erin Byers Murray ditched her pampered city-girl lifestyle and convinced the rowdy and mostly male crew at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Massachusetts, to let a completely unprepared, aquaculture-illiterate food-and-lifestyle writer work for them for a year to learn the business of oysters. The result is Shucked - part love letter, part memoir, and part documentary about the world's most beloved bivalves.

Mason Bee Revolution explains how docile, hard-working, solitary mason bees (and their compatriots, the leafcutter bees) are even more productive pollinators than honeybees, and keeping them can be a fun, easy, backyard hobby for gardeners, conservationists, foodies, and families everywhere. While scientists search for answers to save the honeybee, Dave Hunter and his company, Crown Bees, are leading the effort to increase the population of other highly efficient pollinators.

Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Green Grass in the Spring: A Cowboy's Guide for Saving the World and learn about land stewardship and holistic land management.

Ready to create rich, living soil and a thriving garden while reducing waste? Composting Simplified for Beginners is your friendly, practical guide to turning everyday kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost — even if you’ve never composted before.

Do you really know what’s for dinner? The Blue Plate is the perfect dinner companion for food lovers who also care about the planet. Ecologist Mark Easter offers a detailed picture of the impact the foods you love have on the earth. Organized by the ingredients of a typical dinner party...

Greenhouse Gardening Feels Overwhelming? This Book Makes It Simple, Affordable, and Totally Beginner-Friendly. Have you ever imagined harvesting crisp lettuce in the middle of winter or stepping into a warm, plant-filled space while snow falls outside? Maybe you've thought about growing your own fresh herbs, tomatoes, or microgreens year-round—but every time you start researching greenhouse gardening, you hit a wall of confusing information, expensive equipment, and advice that seems made for experts, not beginners. You’re not alone. Most first-time greenhouse gardeners feel overwhelmed...

One of the leading authorities on biological farming, Gary Zimmer is recognized for improving farming by restoring soils. Arguing that an optimally productive soil contains a balance of inorganic minerals, organic materials and living organisms, he relies less on modern improvements than on "the things we’ve learned by improving fertility in a natural, sustainable way over many years." This book offers invaluable scientific support for committed organic farmers as well as conventional farmers who'd like to reduce chemical inputs and use natural processes to their advantage. Advancing ...

Goats thrive on fully organic natural care. As natural browsers, they have higher mineral requirements than other domestic animals, so diet is a critical element to maintaining optimal livestock health. In Natural Goat Care, consultant Pat Coleby shows how to solve health problems both with natural herbs and medicines and the ultimate cure, bringing the soil into healthy balance. Topics include: correct housing and farming methods; choosing the right livestock; diagnosing health problems; nutritional requirements and feeding practices; vitamins and herbal, homeopathic and natural remedies; ...

Brand New for 2025 with The Latest Information! ★★★★★ "Go from panic to prepared with the tips in this remarkable book!" - Cindy N. Achieve self-reliance and ensure family safety in emergencies, regardless of your starting point! “70% of the nation’s transmission lines are over 25 years old, leaving us vulnerable to both natural and man-made disasters!” – Energy.gov Are you exhausted from feeling unprotected against disasters and lacking the necessary skills to safeguard your home and loved ones? Have you ever contemplated how you would cope when the grid collapses, facing...