Recommended Reading?

[The_Swede]

See lots of references to books and literature in DD and related discussions throughout TFF, unfortunately seldom remember to take a note at the time! Just looked on amazon and a bewildering amount listed under the header of biodynamic farming, conservation agriculture etc etc...

Please recommend me some relevant background reading - especially interested in arable focused content such as DD, cover, catch and companion cropping, composting, tea's etc.

Thanks

 

[SilliamWhale]

The web is likely to have more current content than books. There are some good ones but you can get most of it for free on web pages.

 

[The_Swede]

Thanks - quite a recent subject I suppose (in terms of reference / relevance to 'mainstream' western agriculture) and like everything still evolving, quite ironic really given that from what I can see from the outset many of its principles and ideas are based on historic to ancient farming practices.

Think you said that Masanobu Fukoka book was worth a read?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Thanks - quite a recent subject I suppose (in terms of reference / relevance to 'mainstream' western agriculture) and like everything still evolving, quite ironic really given that from what I can see from the outset many of its principles and ideas are based on historic to ancient farming practices.

Think you said that Masanobu Fukoka book was worth a read?

It depends what your looking for. The One Straw Revolution is an interesting book, Farmers for Forty Centuries is another one that's good too. These sort of books are the ones that can help form opinion and direction but for stuff more applicable to the farm is be looking online more.

It depends what you really are looking for. There are lots of good books about and I used to be a big bookworm but still leaning more to the net for info now because sometimes feel authors of books take a long time to get a point across.

 

[The_Swede]

I know what you mean, recall reading some Tudge books when at university - they were certainly hard going at times!

 

[SilliamWhale]

I know what you mean, recall reading some Tudge books when at university - they were certainly hard going at times!

Sow as you real by Colin Tudge is a great book! I found it quite easy reading

 

[The_Swede]

I vaguely recall one chapter (don't recall the title) where over the course of many many pages subsistence style rice production appeared to being described as the saviour of humanity,this was repetitive and tough going.

That said some of his more fundamental points, that it must be noted were made decades ago now, are only in much more recent times gaining ground so to speak... this forum being a fair demonstration of that in my opinion.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I vaguely recall one chapter (don't recall the title) where over the course of many many pages subsistence style rice production appeared to being described as the saviour of humanity,this was repetitive and tough going.

That said some of his more fundamental points, that it must be noted were made decades ago now, are only in much more recent times gaining ground so to speak... this forum being a fair demonstration of that in my opinion.

Well who feeds the most people, subsistence style rice farmers or the men in a John Deere cap?

 

[The_Swede]

That is of course true, just didn't think it was a design for life as such... professional farmers feeding many folks allows for those to do other jobs that are useful to society being my thinking.

 

[marco]

right ok, i'm going to get this going,BUT PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING, when one person post a book cut and paste onto your reply then add your book so we can get a list made up.

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

 

[SilliamWhale]

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

I'll add some more which I've read and liked and learnt a bit from:

Soil, Grass and Cancer - Andre Voisin
For the love of land - Jim Howell
Forty Chances - Howard Buffett
Comeback Farms - Greg Judy
Direct Drilling - Harry Allen
Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer
Agricultural testament - Albert Howard
Meat - Simon Fairlie
Regenerating Agriculture - Jules Pretty
Road back to Nature and One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Agri-Culture - Jules Pretty
How Soils work - Paul Syltie
Various books by Ken Thompson (gardening ecologist but good)
Sheep - Alan Butler
The environment and zero tillage - John Landers
Truth about organic gardening - Jeff Gillman (good on pesticide info)
Guns germs and steel - jared diamond
secrets of the soil and secret life of plants - tompkins and bird
plan b - lester brown
Carbon Fields and killing of the countryside - Graham harvey
Phosphorous - john emsley
Teaming with Microbes and Teaming with Nutrients
Growing Green - Ian Tolhurst
No Dig gardening - Charles Dowding
Alchemy of Air - Thomas Hager
A green history of the world - clive ponting (fascinating)

 

[balbirniefarm]

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

I'll add some more which I've read and liked and learnt a bit from:

Soil, Grass and Cancer - Andre Voisin
For the love of land - Jim Howell
Forty Chances - Howard Buffett
Comeback Farms - Greg Judy
Direct Drilling - Harry Allen
Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer
Agricultural testament - Albert Howard
Meat - Simon Fairlie
Regenerating Agriculture - Jules Pretty
Road back to Nature and One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Agri-Culture - Jules Pretty
How Soils work - Paul Syltie
Various books by Ken Thompson (gardening ecologist but good)
Sheep - Alan Butler
The environment and zero tillage - John Landers
Truth about organic gardening - Jeff Gillman (good on pesticide info)
Guns germs and steel - jared diamond
secrets of the soil and secret life of plants - tompkins and bird
plan b - lester brown
Carbon Fields and killing of the countryside - Graham harvey
Phosphorous - john emsley
Teaming with Microbes and Teaming with Nutrients
Growing Green - Ian Tolhurst
No Dig gardening - Charles Dowding
Alchemy of Air - Thomas Hager
A green history of the world - clive ponting (fascinating)

Pretty comprehensive list here.
I'd like to add
The Living Soil by Eve Balfour

 

[BigBarl]

Just started advanced biological farming by Gary Zimmer, very interesting so far

 

[RTK Farmer]

Ploughman's Folly' by Edward H. Faulkner
Recommended today Prof Thomas Mueller at Agrii Throws Farm Soil & Water conference. On Amazone S/H.

 

[mikep]

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
You will need a bit of Douglas Adams to unwind if you read more than two of the above.

 

[marco]

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

I'll add some more which I've read and liked and learnt a bit from:

Soil, Grass and Cancer - Andre Voisin
For the love of land - Jim Howell
Forty Chances - Howard Buffett
Comeback Farms - Greg Judy
Direct Drilling - Harry Allen
Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer
Agricultural testament - Albert Howard
Meat - Simon Fairlie
Regenerating Agriculture - Jules Pretty
Road back to Nature and One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Agri-Culture - Jules Pretty
How Soils work - Paul Syltie
Various books by Ken Thompson (gardening ecologist but good)
Sheep - Alan Butler
The environment and zero tillage - John Landers
Truth about organic gardening - Jeff Gillman (good on pesticide info)
Guns germs and steel - jared diamond
secrets of the soil and secret life of plants - tompkins and bird
plan b - lester brown
Carbon Fields and killing of the countryside - Graham harvey
Phosphorous - john emsley
Teaming with Microbes and Teaming with Nutrients
Growing Green - Ian Tolhurst
No Dig gardening - Charles Dowding
Alchemy of Air - Thomas Hager
A green history of the world - clive ponting (fascinating)
The Living Soil by Eve Balfour
Ploughman's Folly' by Edward H. Faulkner

IF YOU COULD CUT AND PASTE THE LAST REPLY TO KEEP THE LIST GOING THAT WOULD BE GREAT

 

[Old Tip]

The books by Newman Turner are very interesting if your into pasture as well as corn, very out of date now but great reading, a man well ahead of his time

 

[martian]

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

I'll add some more which I've read and liked and learnt a bit from:

Soil, Grass and Cancer - Andre Voisin
For the love of land - Jim Howell
Forty Chances - Howard Buffett
Comeback Farms - Greg Judy
Direct Drilling - Harry Allen
Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer
Agricultural testament - Albert Howard
Meat - Simon Fairlie
Regenerating Agriculture - Jules Pretty
Road back to Nature and One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Agri-Culture - Jules Pretty
How Soils work - Paul Syltie
Various books by Ken Thompson (gardening ecologist but good)
Sheep - Alan Butler
The environment and zero tillage - John Landers
Truth about organic gardening - Jeff Gillman (good on pesticide info)
Guns germs and steel - jared diamond
secrets of the soil and secret life of plants - tompkins and bird
plan b - lester brown
Carbon Fields and killing of the countryside - Graham harvey
Phosphorous - john emsley
Teaming with Microbes and Teaming with Nutrients
Growing Green - Ian Tolhurst
No Dig gardening - Charles Dowding
Alchemy of Air - Thomas Hager
A green history of the world - clive ponting (fascinating)
The Living Soil by Eve Balfour
Ploughman's Folly' by Edward H. Faulkner

New Roots for Agriculture by Wes Jackson. Written 40 odd years ago, but bang on the money and very thought provoking

IF YOU COULD CUT AND PASTE THE LAST REPLY TO KEEP THE LIST GOING THAT WOULD BE GREAT

 

[Farmer Roy]

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

I'll add some more which I've read and liked and learnt a bit from:

Soil, Grass and Cancer - Andre Voisin
For the love of land - Jim Howell
Forty Chances - Howard Buffett
Comeback Farms - Greg Judy
Direct Drilling - Harry Allen
Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer
Agricultural testament - Albert Howard
Meat - Simon Fairlie
Regenerating Agriculture - Jules Pretty
Road back to Nature and One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Agri-Culture - Jules Pretty
How Soils work - Paul Syltie
Various books by Ken Thompson (gardening ecologist but good)
Sheep - Alan Butler
The environment and zero tillage - John Landers
Truth about organic gardening - Jeff Gillman (good on pesticide info)
Guns germs and steel - jared diamond
secrets of the soil and secret life of plants - tompkins and bird
plan b - lester brown
Carbon Fields and killing of the countryside - Graham harvey
Phosphorous - john emsley
Teaming with Microbes and Teaming with Nutrients
Growing Green - Ian Tolhurst
No Dig gardening - Charles Dowding
Alchemy of Air - Thomas Hager
A green history of the world - clive ponting (fascinating)
The Living Soil by Eve Balfour
Ploughman's Folly' by Edward H. Faulkner

New Roots for Agriculture by Wes Jackson. Written 40 odd years ago, but bang on the money and very thought provoking

IF YOU COULD CUT AND PASTE THE LAST REPLY TO KEEP THE LIST GOING THAT WOULD BE GREAT

A SAND COUNTY ALMANAC, Aldo Leopold. Changed my life.

 

[The Ruminant]

Holistic Management by allan savory

Advanced biological farming by gary zimmer

Notill seeding in conservation agriculture by baker http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/al298e/al298e00.htm

dirt the erosion of civilisation http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Civilizations-David-R-Montgomery/dp/0520248708

managing cover crops profitably 3rd edition http://www.mccc.msu.edu/documents/ManagingCCProfitably.pdf

The sare website, lots of books to buy or download for free, http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center

Acres usa loads of books, albrecht and kinsey and many more, http://www.acresusa.com/store

I'll add some more which I've read and liked and learnt a bit from:

Soil, Grass and Cancer - Andre Voisin
For the love of land - Jim Howell
Forty Chances - Howard Buffett
Comeback Farms - Greg Judy
Direct Drilling - Harry Allen
Rebel Farmer - Sepp Holzer
Agricultural testament - Albert Howard
Meat - Simon Fairlie
Regenerating Agriculture - Jules Pretty
Road back to Nature and One Straw Revolution - Masanobu Fukuoka
Agri-Culture - Jules Pretty
How Soils work - Paul Syltie
Various books by Ken Thompson (gardening ecologist but good)
Sheep - Alan Butler
The environment and zero tillage - John Landers
Truth about organic gardening - Jeff Gillman (good on pesticide info)
Guns germs and steel - jared diamond
secrets of the soil and secret life of plants - tompkins and bird
plan b - lester brown
Carbon Fields and killing of the countryside - Graham harvey
Phosphorous - john emsley
Teaming with Microbes and Teaming with Nutrients
Growing Green - Ian Tolhurst
No Dig gardening - Charles Dowding
Alchemy of Air - Thomas Hager
A green history of the world - clive ponting (fascinating)
The Living Soil by Eve Balfour
Ploughman's Folly' by Edward H. Faulkner

New Roots for Agriculture by Wes Jackson. Written 40 odd years ago, but bang on the money and very thought provoking

A SAND COUNTY ALMANAC, Aldo Leopold

Man, Cattle and Veld by Johann Zeitsman

IF YOU COULD CUT AND PASTE THE LAST REPLY TO KEEP THE LIST GOING THAT WOULD BE GREAT