Modern farmers must be prepared for shifts in public perception. This means one must strive to advance their skills and knowledge at all times. As farmers seek to educate themselves, it helps to read on the latest developments in the field. Here are some of the latest titles you should check out.
Working With Nature – Shifting Paradigms
The modern approach to agriculture stems from the standpoint that nature and your farm are not only two separate entities, but also competing concepts. This is what sparks overuse of things like herbicides and pesticides. This book, however, offers a different approach.
Working With Nature goes into detail of how weeds and plants can be used together to achieve sustainable farming, without the use of pesticides or machinery.
The Organic Method Primer
This is an older book and is rather hard to find, but one every farmer should have on deck to prepare for producing food in organic and sustainable ways. It goes into the principles of organic farming, explaining the details and logistics of how to achieve it.
The book may be a bit overwhelming if you’re new to agriculture, and isn’t recommended for beginners.
The Rodale Book of Composting
The most damaging thing an average farmer does to their soil is the use of fertilizer. The goal should be to slowly faze it out, and focus on organic mulch instead. The Rodale Book of Composting is an essential guide for achieving this, explaining processes for both small gardeners and professional farmers.
The great thing about composting is it additionally provides an extra source of income for your farm, taking and re-using the waste of other farms in your area.
The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
If you plan to start a small garden, this is the book for you. The Gardener’s A-Z Guide teaches you the process from start to finish. It is not scalable, however, meaning you can’t use it as a guide for launching an actual farm.
Take into account your climate, and any hidden costs of choosing plants and machinery. These are the details that separate your garden from all others.
The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits & Berries
Orchards are amongst the most profitable agriculture businesses you can start, and are often overlooked by farmers. They take time and patience, but this book is a great way to learn the details of the trade before you begin.
The book includes a seasonal calendar to help you make your orchard profitable throughout the year, allowing you to earn and sell while waiting for the next season of fruit to become available.
Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual
Permaculture is a topic on everyone’s mind as of late, due to its holistic approach to farming that allows you to preserve nature while still turning a profit from your work.
This is not a book for the beginners in the field. It is best for those who are already seasoned farmers, wishing to make changes to your existing setup.
Secrets of the Soil
Soil is a farmer’s most vital asset. This book will teach you how to treat it as a living organism, covering a variety of theories on how to treat soil. You should familiarize yourself with these techniques even if you choose not to use them. This allows you to pick and choose from best practices, to decide which are right for you.
Which of these books you plan to read in 2020 and why?
Get also inspired by our Great Farm Books Reading List.