Books in Sustainable Living

Folks, This Ain't Normal A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World

From farmer Joel Salatin's point of view, life in the 21st century just ain't normal. In FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL, he discusses how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Salatin has many thoughts on what normal is and shares practical and philosophical ideas for changing our lives in small ways that have big impact. Salatin, hailed by the New York Times as "Virginia's most multifaceted agrarian since Thomas Jefferson [and] the high priest of the pasture" and profiled in the Academy Award nominated documentary Food, Inc. and the bestselling book The Omnivore's Dilemma, understands what food should be: Wholesome, seasonal, raised naturally, procured locally, prepared lovingly, and eaten with a profound reverence for the circle of life. And his message doesn't stop there. From child-rearing, to creating quality family time, to respecting the environment, Salatin writes with a wicked sense of humor and true storyteller's knack for the revealing anecdote. Salatin's crucial message and distinctive voice--practical, provocative, scientific, and down-home philosophical in equal measure--make FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL a must-read book.

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Haying Independence The Ultimate Guide to Small-Farm Hay Production with Your Compact Tractor

Are you ready to increase your farm's sustainability by baling hay for your own animals? Are you tired of paying high prices for hay and disappointed by the quality of hay available on the market? Are you fed up with your contract hay baler who doesn't think your field is a priority? Do you own a compact tractor that you love and simply want to find hay machinery that will work for your needs? If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then I have great news for you! Haying Independence provides a step-by-step guide to achieving all this and more! Inside, you'll learn how to successfully: <ul><li>Assess your farm's forage needs.</li><li>Choose, repair, and maintain hay equipment sized for your farm including mowers, rakes, tedders, and balers.</li><li>Follow the baling process of mowing, curing, tedding, raking, and baling.</li><li>Store, feed, and market your hay.</li></ul>So, don't pay any attention to the farmers who laughed you out of the local coffee shop when you asked if you could bale hay with a compact or even subcompact tractor. You CAN as this book will give you all the information you need to bring Haying Independence to your small farm today! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marti Livengood Goodwin spent forty years of her life on a small farm in west-central Indiana. During that time, the farm maintained both a poultry and sheep operation and produced the grain and forage used to feed its livestock. Marti and her husband, Pat, took the knowledge they gained on the farm and became dealers of small-farm machinery in 2009. This venture quickly evolved into the creation of Tractor Tools Direct in 2012, America's premier online source for small-farm hay equipment, where Marti serves as lead content writer and blogger. For more information on Marti, Pat, and Tractor Tools Direct, please visit TractorToolsDirect.com.

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Homestead Tsunami Good for Country, Critters, and Kids

From his 66-year farm, food, and family experience, Joel Salatin explains why thousands of Americans are selling their urban homes, cashing out retirement funds, and heading to the country. The exodus is both a goodbye to one life and an embrace of another. When society breaks down, people head away from the city. For food security, health, and satisfaction, homesteads offer a haven of hope and help when much seems hopeless and helpless. While fear motivates people to change, only faith sustains. This book offers multiple reasons for modern homestead living. Some are: • Secure, stable, safe food. • Healthy, happy children. • Superior immune function. • Community and connections. • Meaningful work. • Creation stewardship immersion. In his 16th book, Salatin offers the homestead why to those contemplating the jump, those trying to dissuade their friends from jumping, and those who regret having jumped. Despite its sweat and disappointments, homesteading offers incalculable benefits that feed the soul, soil, and spirit. Homestead Tsunami digs deep into the ethos of today’s best pension plan: living and learning proximate to people who know how to build things, repair, things and grow things. A better life awaits.

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Pitchfork Pulpit Wisdom and Practice in a Self-Reliant Life

For six years Joel Salatin's Pitchfork Pulpit column in The Mother Earth News magazine inspired and challenged readers. These columns, in the order they ran, preserve that timeless writing legacy for today's homesteading, small farming, and self-reliance community. As America's iconic and fearless bootstrap farmsteader, Joel Salatin captures principles of practical success and philosophical wisdom in this series of essays originally published in Mother Earth News magazine. From stewarding a woodlot to managing aromatically-appealing chickens, his dirt-under-the-fingernails experience coaches readers to self-reliant success. Untangling from industrial corporate systems dependency is a lifelong process, and one that jumpstarts with this trove of advice.

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Polyface Micro Success with Livestock on a Homestead Scale

“I love your ideas, but I only have a few acres. How do I do this at my scale?” Success with domestic livestock does not require large land bases. Joel Salatin and his family’s Polyface Farm in Virginia lead the world in animal-friendly and ecologically authentic, commercial, pasture-based livestock production. In Polyface Micro he adapts the ideas and protocols to small holdings (including apartments)! Homesteaders can increase production, enjoy healthy animals, and create aesthetically and aromatically pleasant livestock systems. Whether you’re a new or seasoned homesteader, you’ll find tips and inspiration as Joel coaches you toward success and abundance.

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The Green Life Beyond the Tractor Seat

FULL COLOUR EDITION (Also available in B&W) HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IT TAKES TO LIVE THE DREAM 'GREEN LIFE'? Author Derek Palmer shares the real-life story of how he and his wife turned 50 acres of scrubland into a sustainable, organic farming enterprise. A married couple, nearing retirement age find themselves in the middle of an Aussie bush block, living in an old caravan among rogue cattle, wild dogs and snakes. Through the years of the trials and tribulations that follow, these 50 acres of scrub evolve into "Loradel Park" - a viable, sustainable and organic farm and home. An inspiring story revealing family love, strong friendships, innovation and an undying determination to succeed. It expresses the sheer joy and heartbreak, the successes and failures that go hand in hand with life on the land and introduces some incredible characters, both two-legged and four. Including hands-on know-how and observations gleaned over the years, this book offers an example or illustration of a sustainable lifestyle and hopefully will encourage others who are contemplating living the 'Green Life'.

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The Green Life Beyond the Tractor Seat

(Black and White edition - also available in colour) Have you ever wondered what it takes to live the dream 'Green Life'? Author Derek Palmer shares the real-life story of how he and his wife turned 50 acres of scrubland into a sustainable, organic farming enterprise. A married couple, nearing retirement age find themselves in the middle of an Aussie bush block, living in an old caravan among rogue cattle, wild dogs and snakes. Through the years of the trials and tribulations that follow, these 50 acres of scrub evolve into "Loradel Park" - a viable, sustainable and organic farm and home. An inspiring story revealing family love, strong friendships, innovation and an undying determination to succeed. It expresses the sheer joy and heartbreak, the successes and failures that go hand in hand with life on the land and introduces some incredible characters, both two-legged and four. Including hands-on know-how and observations gleaned over the years, this book offers an example or illustration of a sustainable lifestyle and hopefully will encourage others who are contemplating living the 'Green Life'.

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