Description

Start a mini farm on a quarter acre or less, provide 85 percent of the food for a family of four and earn an income.Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family’s food on just a quarter acre—and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require. Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertility practices, composting, dealing with pest and disease problems, crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. Because self-suf?ciency is the objective, subjects such as raising backyard chickens and home canning are also covered along with numerous methods for keeping costs down and production high. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations.ContentsTitle Page Copyright Page List of Tables Dedication Acknowledgments Introduction1 – Overview of Intensive Agriculture2 – How Mini-Farming Works for You3 – Raised Beds4 – Soil Composition and Maintenance5 – Compost6 – Plant Nutrients In-depth7 – Time and Yield8 – Watering and Irrigation9 – Crop Proportions and Sizing10 – Pest and Disease Control11 – Seed Starting12 – Selecting and Saving Seed13 – Season Extension14 – Fruit Trees and Vines15 – Raising Chickens for Eggs16 – Raising Chickens for Meat17 – The Markham Farm Chicken Plucker18 – Public Domain Thresher Designs19 – Preserving the Harvest20 – Selling Your Produce21 – Putting It All Together Bibliography Alphabetical IndexNotesAverage Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  (521 customer reviews)Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)#1 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > Fruit#1 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > Reference#1 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > By Technique > OrganicPaperback: 240 pagesPublisher: Skyhorse Publishing (April 1, 2010)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1602399840ISBN-13: 978-1602399846ASIN: B004ULMJ2C