Soil Science & Management

Book Description

Essential to the understanding of sustainable agriculture, the effect of human activity on soil, and the management of soil and water resources including soil nutrition and other influences, this is a solid reference and learning tool. Non-technical, and easy-to-understand, Soil Science and Management, 4E teaches the essentials of soils from the perspective of farmers, horticulturists, environmentalists, and others who are concerned about how soils work and how they are used most effectively. An emphasis on management and the sustainable use of soils and water resources make it especially relevant to these audiences. Nutrient management, best practices and relevant legal issues and government programs related to soil management make this book a popular addition to the bookshelves of farmers, horticulturists and government agricultural personnel alike.

Customer Reviews:

Textbook.......2006-02-01

I am using this book as a textbook for a Soil Nutrition class. The book is surprisingly interesting considering it is a textbook. It is an excellent reference for soil and soil/plant nutrition questions.

This is an excellent book!.......1997-11-28

What a boring topic, you may think. Who could write a thick book about soil? And who possibly can read it? You may be surprised! If your interest is in the field of landscape architecture, horticulture, forestry, gardening, site engineering e.g. this book will give you a professional knowledge, in a very systematic, approachable way. I will keep Soil Science in my professional library as a reference book.

You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise

Average customer rating:

The best farming-as-a-business handbook I've read to date
Brilliant, Funny, Important
Not for the faint of heart
Love this guy!
Great resource.

You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise
Joel F. Salatin
Manufacturer: Polyface
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Family Friendly Farming: A Multi-Generational Home-Based Business Testament

ASIN: 0963810928

Customer Reviews:

The best farming-as-a-business handbook I've read to date.......2007-08-20

This is the best farming-as-a-business handbook I've read to date. You Can Farm is informative and empowering. Joel Salatin provides examples of how to and how not to farm. Running a farm like a hobby instead of a business is a sure way to fail. Farm enterprises and equipment should also pay for themselves--this includes big trucks and big tractors. Salatin also encourages potential farmers to get their families involved and see if it is something they really want to do.

This book is filled with stories of successes and failures of many people and various farm enterprises. While the book is almost ten years old, it still reflects the current state of farming, a quasi feudal system relegating farmers and food (not to be confused with nutrition or health) to mere inputs and outputs. Salatin also points out that we have very little, if any, knowledge about the materials we ingest many times each day. Many of us (yours truly included) do not know where our "food" came from or what it took to make it.

Once you get beyond Salatin's lamentations on how industrial farming has destroyed food, the environment, and people and his extensive use of modifiers ("Don't let anyone kid you into thinking amalgamated, extruded, irradiated, genetically engineered, adulterated fecal particulate pseudo- food from...), you will experience the valuable insight and encouragement he provides.

For years I asked myself if farming is really possible. It took me a while to get serious about it and then I read You Can Farm. Now, I believe it is possible. I've not only read this book, but as a result, I have read many other farm business-related literature, attended farming conferences, association meetings, and agricultural field-days in order to get more information on what will be the best approach for me to take in my move to the farm. I've also visited with farmers running successful and unsuccessful operations. Farming is possible for me because it provides an opportunity for me to exploit my zeal for innovation, build a successful environmentally friendly business, and healthfully feed and build my family and community.

Brilliant, Funny, Important.......2007-07-22

This book is the key to a better future for humanity.
Moreover, it was so well written and funny; it was just a joy to read.

Not for the faint of heart.......2007-06-03

If you don't like reality checks, don't read this book. With his no-nonsense attitude, Salatin walks you through several opportunities in farming that show tremendous potential as profitable enterprises, and he also tells you what to stay away from and why (e.g. starting a horse or alpaca farm is NOT the best way to break into farming and turn a real profit, no matter how pretty or cuddly they may be).

Yes, occasionally he does break into a radical conservative rant--but who cares what he thinks about healthcare and New York City? What matters to me is that I come away from the book equipped with knowledge that will help me make wiser decisions. For someone like me who's starting from scratch, what I want to know is how I will do things differently after reading this book, and in that regard, this book was EXCELLENT.

The most important message that Salatin drilled through my head with "You Can Farm" is this: Carve your niche first, start the farm later. Most of us have it backwards. Perhaps too many people have seen "Field of Dreams" and assume "Build it, and they will come." It simply doesn't work that way with farming. That's why so many agricultural operations depend on off-farm income and/or go out business completely.

Then there's the little fantasy of having a patch of land to call your own. I'm no stranger to it; I want to own the land I farm, too, for no reason other than I just want to. But it comes at a high cost, and Salatin won't let you forget it: "Land should only be acquired when you know what to do with it, and the size should be less important than location. Be patient and let your farming enterprise drive the land base, rather than the land base driving the farm." If you latch onto a piece of land too early on, you'll probably end up painting yourself into a corner--a tight, unprofitable corner.

And that brings me to Salatin's next major point: Stay flexible. In order to succeed in farming, you've got to be an opportunist. That means you've got to have an eye for chances to fill a niche, and be adaptive enough to fill them. If you invest in a specific type of farming, if you weigh yourself down with unnecessary expenses, or if you're too hung up on waiting for the "perfect" opportunity, then the REAL opportunities will pass you by.

This book is for farming ENTREPRENEURS: people who need to turn a solid profit from farming in order to pursue it at all. If you're interested in having a farm more for a lifestyle than for a living, or if you don't mind working an outside job, or if you're at all squeamish about livestock and everything it entails (including "processing" and "culling"), then you may prefer titles by Eliot Coleman and the like. But if you want to learn how to approach farming as a business, this is a must-have.

Love this guy!.......2007-05-12

Though Joel has some strong opinions that some may struggle with, when I finished this book I believed him--I CAN farm! He gives great advice about pitfalls to avoid and issues to consider.

Great resource........2007-03-09

Not only a good read on farming, but I'd recommend to any entrepreneur-minded person. You might not agree with every social stance that the author takes, but he does offer thought provoking insights into the food system and the American consumer. I appreciate his take on living below your means, working hard and striving for innovation.

Average customer rating:

Logsdon is Amazing
Old School Wisdom
Classic
Five acres...
Dissappointed- Not a Good Referance Book

Five Acres and Independence
Maurice G. Kains
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach (Down-To-Earth Book)
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Handy Farm Devices: And How to Make Them

ASIN: 0486209741

Book Description

This classic of the back-to-the-land movement is packed with solid, timeless information. Written by a renowned horticulturist, it has taught generations how to make their land self-sufficient, with explanations of organic farming techniques and reliable advice on other topics, including irrigation, livestock, crops, greenhouses, fertilizers, much more. 95 figures.

Customer Reviews:

Logsdon is Amazing.......2007-09-24

Mr. Logsdon is a real farmer. Really! I say that without the sarcastic pun that he assigns to it. I am so thirsty for a knowledge of farming, and while I like the Extension Agency employees (they are dedicated and anxious to help), it is essential to read the truth about farming -- without the influence of the large agriculture bastards who have taken the nutrition out of our food and reingineered seeds to withstand extremely toxic Roundup sprayed over the fields! We eat that stuff! Anyone who wants live a productive life and touch the earth should Logsdon, Kingsolver, and other experienced small farmers. Thank you, Mr. Logsdon for documenting the experiences of farming and land/water stewardship. You are a gem!

Old School Wisdom.......2007-05-26

Do not buy this book to find the latest and greatest information on farming or living independently. But if you want "Old School" wisdom etc on farming and independent living get this book. Many of the principles in the book are timeless and apply as much today as they did when the book was written.

Classic.......2007-05-12

I've owned this book for over 30 years. I had a copy, loaned it out, didn't get it back, and bought another. It is essentially a compendium of articles. Though some are dated, most have at least one piece of useful information for those wishing to try pre-chemical farming.

Five acres..........2006-06-30

Interesting book for those who would like to be more self-sufficent and gain economic independence. It was written at a time when it was more feasible to be totally self-sufficent by going back to the land. Some of it is quite detailed and would require some skills that not everyone possesses. However it has good ideas and most of the projects are easy to follow.

Dissappointed- Not a Good Referance Book.......2005-07-06

I bought this book hoping I could find alot of information to start a small hobby farm on my 4 1/2 acres. The description of the book made it sound like it was very informative about raising animals, gardening, etc.

This book does cover all aspects. I wanted ideas on which animals are better to raise and such, particularly goats. I was very dissappointed on the section on farm animals. The writer wrote a bit about cows (probably because he raised them), he mentioned goats in about two sentences. All articles were so short and they were not helpful.

If you want to have a book just to read and not really use as a reference go ahead and purchase it. All the articles I wanted to know were all hard to find, had little information (really no information) and I felt that the writer just gave his own personal opinions and not facts.

For me I was dissappointed and now looking to find another reference guide to help me on my way to have a lovely hobby farm. I needed informtion on gardening, making maple syrup, canning/freezing, raising goats, raising beef cows, raising ducks and so forth. This book was not helpful at all. :( :( :(

The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book)

Average customer rating:

Amazing Book... A must have for organic gardening
Get This Book
Wooo...
My new constant companion
simply down to earth - literally

The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A Gardener's Supply Book)
Eliot Coleman
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals
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How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops)
Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow (Good Earth)

ASIN: 093003175X

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Book... A must have for organic gardening.......2007-07-15

This book is awesome. Eliot presents an abundance of information. The information is organized and clear. Eliot does not assume what we already know, and what we have at our disposal. For example, many books will tell you how to create a mulch pile. You need this much brown matter, this much green matter, ... . That is all fine and dandy, but where do I magically get all of this material! Eliot understands this and explains many ways we can obtain the mulch material. He also does not assume your knowledge basis. For example, he will explain what and how a lugume works. This book is a constant resource for the organic gardener.

A great book!

Get This Book.......2007-03-17

I live in Northwest Washington. Cool, dry in July in August, generally mild and wet the rest of the year. If you are thinking tomatoes, long season sweet corn, peaches, melons, peppers, etc. you are on the wrong side of the state - try Eastern Washington. Either way, or where ever you grow, this is the bible. Its the most comprehensive, holistic guide I know. You might also read other guides, embellish or adapt Eliot's system to fit your situation, but you won't find a better collection of techniques to start from! Get this book!

Wooo..........2007-02-09

Got me hiped up for my next several years here in Missouri. Practical, simplified systems for both the new and novice organic gardener. Definitely a fun read. Bring your highlighter. Thank you to the author, and all of the great shoulders that he stood on to get to this point...

My new constant companion.......2006-12-22

Mr. Coleman has packed so much information into this wonderful book! I have started to use many of his suggestions. Keeping the costs of growing food down was one of the first subjects that caught my attention.

simply down to earth - literally.......2006-08-11

This is absolutely the best, straightforward, down to earth, organic gardening book I have ever read. No hype, no buzzwords, no new age crap, no agenda. Simply down to earth - literally.

Hartmann's Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Hartmann's Plant Science: Growth, Development, and Utilization of Cultivated Plants (4th Edition)
Margaret McMahon , Anton M. Kofranek , and Vincent E. Rubatzky
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0131140752

Book Description

Written by some of the most respected innovators in the field, this comprehensive text takes an in-depth look at the environmental, cultural and social factors that influence how plants are grown and used worldwide. The newest edition cites the most recent statistics, production methods and issues concerning the production and utilization of plants. It offers several web-based resources including a free companion website with practice questions andonline crop fact sheets that give information at a local level. Along with information on climate and environment, it also explores plants’ tremendous economic impact in both developed and developing nations. Introduces the basics of plant science including the ecosystem; climate; managing soil, water and fertility; and pest management. Examines plant structure, chemistry, growth and development; genetics and biodiversity and their relationship to crop growing and utilization systems. Covers multiple crop types and growth settings including nursery, landscape and greenhouse. Also discusses how crops are preserved, transported and marketed. For anyone interested in how plants are cultivated and utilized.

Average customer rating:

Easily Available Right Now
Read the review below this one
Appeals to surprisingly broad spectrum!
EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF PERMACULTURE

Introduction to Permaculture
Bill Mollison
Manufacturer: Tagari Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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PERMACULTURE: A Designers' Manual
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining World (Practical Steps)
How to Make a Forest Garden

ASIN: 0908228082

Customer Reviews:

Easily Available Right Now.......2006-02-03

Introduction To Permaculture is currently sold by Seeds Of Change seed company for the publishers' list price[...]. I trial lots of seeds every year (zone 7)and can recommend three varieties they sell as truly remarkable- Zapotec Pleated tomato, Satsuki Madori cucumber, and Red Ruffled pimento pepper.

Read the review below this one.......2001-08-25

A lot of fellow americans it seems are rating other books authored by Americans on this subject higher than the two original books on this concept. If its not written expressly for the american market local consumers seem willing to ignore this and other outstanding titles. While there are books written purely for American and British Permaculturists these books are not necessarily better for people buying for that area. This book and its companion, A Designers Manual are too well written to be applied to just one region. These books are applicable to any climate or geology of any area of the planet, and that includes anywhere in the U.S. including Alaska and Hawaii. Read the reveiw below mine he explains more eloquently why this book and the more in depth version, Peramculture a Designers Manual, are perhaps the most important books you will ever read. The original and best books on Permaculture this book and, Permaculture a Designers Manual... if you are serious about helping the environment and saving money on your food bill at the same time then do yourself a favour and get one or both of these books.

Appeals to surprisingly broad spectrum!.......2000-03-05

A reviewer is well advised to be mindful of the arrogance that is intrinsic to criticizing another's work.

Intro to Permaculture is a book of breath-taking scope. I can only write with authority about those parts that apply to my middle-class, Mid-Western (US) frame-of-reference.

While reading the book, I carried it to work and to my daughter's soccer practice. I have never had so many people ask, "What's that?", pick up the book and start leafing through it. *Every* person who picked it up found some illustration that resonated with them and they started reading. I never had THAT happen before. Observation #1, World-class illustrations that are well linked to the text.

This is a good book to read with a highlighter (pen). These are just a few of the lines I highlighted:

Chapter 1:

"-harmony with nature is possible only if we abandon the idea of superiority over the natural world.

-The core of permaculture is design...To enable a design component we must put it in the right place...Each important function is supported by many elements...The key to using biological resources is management...

-the importance of diversity is not so much the number of elements in a system; rather it is the number of functional connections between these elements. It is not the number of things, but the number of ways things work....

-Edges are places of varied ecology. Productivity increases at the boundary between two ecologies because resources from both systems can be used...There is hardly a sustainable traditional human settlement that is not sited on those critical junctions of two natural economies."

Chapter 2

"All designs that involve life forms undergo a long-term process of change; even the "climax" state of a forest is an imagined concept.

-The site is full of information on every natural subject, and we must learn to read it...By observing the landscape we draw inspiration from the survival strategies followed by natural systems, and imitate them using species of more direct use to us.

-external resources are often critical..in establishing a (biological) system...It is also important to take your own resources into account...skills

-Two properties, located only a few miles apart, can vary in rainfall, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity...This important basic step can mean the difference between living in pleasant surroundings or in miserable conditions on a property that will probably change hands every few years.

-Vegetation has a profound effect on microclimate. it is the planting and use of vegetation (forest, woodland, windbreak, shrubs, and vines) that most shapes the microclimate of the site.

-The most common errors in house siting are: Building at the top of an exposed ridge or hill...Locating a house in the bush, setting up a conflict..for light, nutrients, and space...Building..anywhere inevitable disaster threatens."

There are a total of eight chapters and five appendices. In the past, I have spent twice as much for books with half as much useful information (although never from Amazon ;-) ). I feel that I got more than my money's worth. I (Joe) take full responsibility for any creative spelling cause by my fat fingers or spurious line "breaks" caused by my word processor.

EXCELLENT INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF PERMACULTURE.......1998-12-29

Takes you from wo to go and is packed full of ideas. Great bedtime reading

Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition

Average customer rating:

Be an Expert Farmer with one book
Knott's handbook review
Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition
A helpful reference tool
Fantastic reference work to answer disease&insect problems

Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition
Donald N. Maynard , and George J. Hochmuth
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-Up to Market (Nraes (Series), 104.)
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ASIN: 0471131512

Book Description

In any season and any year, the most reliable farming tool between two covers . . .

KNOTT'S HANDBOOK FOR VEGETABLE GROWERS

Fourth Edition

This classic handbook is considered by generations of commercial growers as the standard reference tool for growing vegetable crops. Filled with information, largely in the form of tables and charts, from hard statistics on vegetable production and consumption to fascinating esoterica, such as vegetable botanical names and vegetable names in nine languages (French for cauliflower is chou-fleur; a Spanish onion is a cebolla), Knott's Handbook is part Farmer's Almanac, part encyclopedia, and part dictionary. But with its detailed, practical specifics on planting rates, schedules, and spacing; soils and fertilizers; methods for controlling diseases; greenhouse vegetable and crop production; insect pest identification; harvesting and storage; and vegetable marketing, it's an indispensable helpmate to the farmer in the field and in the marketplace.

Thoroughly updated and expanded to reflect the latest technical advances in vegetable growing, the Fourth Edition contains new information on water management with drip irrigation; seed priming and seed germination tests; plant tissue testing; petiole sap testing; windbreaks; and weed management. A revised discussion of allowable pesticide and herbicide use as well as the newest in worker protection standards makes the Fourth Edition even more relevant to today's commercial grower.

The new edition of Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers comes in a convenient portable size and features a sturdy flexible cover with pages that lie flat, on the desk or in the field. Fulfilling James Edward Knott's original vision of a concise, comprehensive, and eminently useable handbook, this new edition of the 1957 classic is the ultimate day-to-day field reference, and as indispensable to a farmer's work as good weather.

Customer Reviews:

Be an Expert Farmer with one book.......2007-06-09

Some years ago I used this book to build a very large farming company. I had no experience and little money but in 5 years I was farming 6000 acres of row crop. This book is fantastic. Eventually I had lots of AG engineers on staff, but this was the book that taught me how to monitor them. I recommend it to anyone, from a gardener to a an agribusinessman. It is wonderful and the current edition is great.

Knott's handbook review.......2005-10-19

Very comprehensive but somewhat esoteric. This handbook is not for casual reading, but yields results for specific research. The more the book is consulted, one has a better understanding of how the information is presented. The handbook contains a wealth of material.

Knott's Handbook for Vegetable Growers, 4th Edition.......2005-08-11

I give it five stars. This book, which contains a variety of information from a wide number of sources, is not a "how-to" book. Its information is mostly in table form, so the book's main use is as a reference. Some chapters, such as the one on water and irrigation, contain information I've never seen anywhere else, except in technical publications. The chapter contains line illustrations and descriptions that are accessible to the layman. The chapter on vegetable pests also contains (black and white) line illustrations of the insects. Rather than try to list all the information this book contains, I list the table of contents:

Preface

Part 1: Vegetables and the Vegetable Industry
Botanical Names of Vegetables
Names of Vegetables in Nine Languages
Vegetable Production Statistics
Consumption of Vegetables
Nutritional Composition of Vegetables
Selection of Vegetable Varieties

Part 2: Plant Growing and Greenhouse Vegetable Production
Transplant Production
Plant Growing Containers
Seeds and Seeding
Temperature and Time Requirements
Plant Growing Mixes
Soil Sterilization
Fertilizing Transplants
Plant Growing Problems
Hardening Transplants

Crop Production
Cultural Management
Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
Soilless Culture
Nutrient Solutions
Tissue Composition

Part 3: Field Planting
Temperatures for Vegetables
Scheduling Successive Plantings
Time Required for Seedling Emergence
Seed Requirements
Planting Rates for Large Seeds
Spacing of Vegetables
Precision Seeding
Seed Priming
Vegetative Propagation
Polyethylene Mulches
Row Covers
Windbreaks

Part 4: Soils and Fertilizers
Organic Matter
Soil-Improving Crops
Manures
Soil Texture
Soil Reaction
Salinity
Fertilizers
Fertilizer Conversion Factors
Nutrient Deficiencies
Micronutrients
Fertilizer Distributors

Part 5: Water and Irrigation
Water and Irrigation
Rooting of Vegetables
Soil Moisture
Surface Irrigation
Overhead irrigation
Drip or Trickle Irrigation
Water Quality

Part 6: Vegetable Pests and Problems
Air Pollution
Integrated Pest Management
Pesticide-Use Precautions
Equipment and Application
Nematodes
Diseases
Insects
Wildlife Control
Herbicides
Equipment and Application
Weed-Control Practices
Effectiveness and Longevity of Herbicides

Part 8: Harvesting and Storage
Predicting Harvest Dates and Yields
Cooling Vegetables
Storage Conditions
Chilling and Ethylene Injury
Vegetable Quality
U.S. Standards for Vegetables
Storage Sprout Inhibitors
Containers for Vegetables
Vegetable Marketing

Part 9: Seed Production and Storage
Seed Labels
Seed Germination Tests
Seed Purity and Germination Standards
Seed Production
Seed Yields
Seed Storage

Part 10: Appendix
Sources of Vegetable Information
Sources of Vegetable Seeds
Periodicals for Vegetable Growers
U.S. Units of Measurement
Conversion Factors for U.S. Units
Metric Units of Measurement
Conversion Factors for U.S. and Metric Units
Conversions for Rates of Application
Water and Soil Solution Conversion Factors
Heat and Energy Equivalents and Definitions

Index

A helpful reference tool.......1999-09-23

First published in 1956, this handbook is an indispensable, up-to-date companion both in the field and in the marketplace. Topics include the vegetable industry, greenhouse vegetable production, soils and fertilizers, water, pests, weed control, harvesting, storage, and seed production. Packed with quick-access graphs, tables, charts, and line drawings, the 4th edition offers new information on drip irrigation, seed germination, plant tissue and sap testing, windbreaks, and weed management. It also gives advice on allowable pesticide and herbicide use and on the latest worker protection standards. The appendix contains sources of vegetable information, providers of vegetable seeds, periodicals for vegetable growers, and U.S. units of measurement and the metric conversion factors. A change from the spiral-bound 3rd edition is a sturdy, flexible cover to help hold pages flat.

Fantastic reference work to answer disease&insect problems.......1999-08-24

I use this book as my first reference work to answer disease and insect problems in vegetables for the public. The layout is extremely easy to use. Each section is very clear and concise. This work is also used for establishing small plot research design that is comprable to the large scale production fields. All the information one needs is in this handbook for vegtable trials and for large scale production. There is very little else on the market that is as comprehensive as this publication and as accurate regarding information provided.

Average customer rating:

Moved...
"The Farming of Bones" is a chronological work of art.
A Must Read! A Beautiful Book!
Fantastic/Horrific story
The Lovesong of Amabelle....

The Farming of Bones
Edwidge Danticat
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Breath, Eyes, Memory (Oprah's Book Club)
The Dew Breaker
Krik? Krak!
Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola
Drown

ASIN: 0140280499

Amazon.com

In a 1930s Dominican Republic village, the scream of a woman in labor rings out like the shot heard around Hispaniola. Every detail of the birth scene--the balance of power between the middle-aged Señora and her Haitian maid, the babies' skin color, not to mention which child is to survive--reverberates throughout Edwidge Danticat's Farming of Bones. In fact, rather than a celebration of fecundity, the unexpected double delivery gels into a metaphor for the military-sponsored mass murder of Haitian emigrants. As the Señora's doctor explains: "Many of us start out as twins in the belly and do away with the other."

But Danticat's powerful second novel is far from a currently modish victimization saga, and can hold its own with such modern classics as One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Color Purple. Its watchful narrator, the Señora's shy Haitian housemaid, describes herself as "one of those sea stones that sucks its colors inside and loses its translucence once it's taken out into the sun." An astute observer of human character, Amabelle Désir is also a conduit for the author's tart, poetic prose. Her lover, Sebastian, has "arms as wide as one of my bare thighs," while the Señora's complicit officer husband is "still shorter than the average man, even in his military boots."

The orphaned Amabelle comes to assume almost messianic proportions, but she is entirely fictional, as is the town of Alegría where the tale begins. The genocide and exodus, however, are factual. Indeed, the atrocities committed by Dominican president Rafael Trujillo's army back in 1937 rival those of Duvalier's Touton Macoutes. History has rendered Trujillo's carnage much less visible than Duvalier's, but no less painful. As Amabelle's father once told her, "Misery won't touch you gentle. It always leaves its thumbprints on you; sometimes it leaves them for others to see, sometimes for nobody but you to know of." Thanks to Danticat's stellar novel, the world will now know. --Jean Lenihan

Book Description

From the bestselling author of Breath, Eyes, Memory, a passionate and profound novel of two lovers struggling against political violence

The Farming of Bones begins in 1937 in a village on the Dominican side of the river that separates the country from Haiti. Amabelle Desir, Haitian-born and a faithful maidservant to the Dominican family that took her in when she was orphaned, and her lover Sebastien, an itinerant sugarcane cutter, decide they will marry and return to Haiti at the end of the cane season. However, hostilities toward Haitian laborers find a vitriolic spokesman in the ultra-nationalist Generalissimo Trujillo who calls for an ethnic cleansing of his Spanish-speaking country. As rumors of Haitian persecution become fact, as anxiety turns to terror, Amabelle and Sebastien's dreams are leveled to the most basic human desire: to endure. Based on a little-known historical event, this extraordinarily moving novel memorializes the forgotten victims of nationalist madness and the deeply felt passion and grief of its survivors.

* New York Times Notable Book
* Named one of the Best Books of the Year by People, Entertainment Weekly, Chicago Tribune, Time Out New York, Publishers Weekly, and the American Library Association
* The author was nominated for a National Book Award and named one of the "20 Best Young Novelists" by Granta

"A remarkable new novel . . . Danticat writes in wonderful, evocative prose, and she is especially adept at treading the path between oppression and grace. At times, it's a particularly painful path, but, always, a compelling one." --The Boston Sunday Globe

"[With] hallucinatory vigor and a sense of mission . . . Danticat capably evokes the shock with which a small personal world is disrupted by military mayhem . . . The Farming of Bones offers ample confirmation of Edwidge Danticat's considerable talents." --The New York Times Book Review

"It's a testament to her talent that the novel, while almost unbearably sad, is still a joy to read." --Newsweek

Penguin Readers Guide Available

Customer Reviews:

Moved..........2007-01-11

This was the first book I read from this author and I can tell you, it will not be the last. The writing is amazing. This author has an amazing gift with imagery! She will make you see (and feel) what she is writing about as if you are there in the story. It simply took my breath away! A must read. Tears came from my eyes as I read the last few lines in the book. The story captivated me.

"The Farming of Bones" is a chronological work of art. .......2006-12-12

Danticat moves beyond the stream of consciousness of "Krick Krack" and takes us on a voyage to the Dominican Republic and opens our hearts to the drama of a terrifyingly real era of hatred personified. Moving away from the quiet life of a plantation type existence.

The novel lands us in a holocaust situation where the host country becomes murderous and ravenous. The exciting adventure builds from a quiet from a pastoral love story into a fight for survival of Annabelle, the main character, who will be caught in your mind for days afterwards. Sebastien and Annabelle make an adoring couple, even though they are so young. Danticat masterfully evokes the atmosphere of hatred and terror of the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans through the eyes of Amabelle, who at the same time have only a few memories of her childhood and is incredibly uncertain future.

I thought this book was an excellent representation of how life was treated back in 1937 in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Not only was this a pure love story, but it was so factual and real. Danticat does an excellent job with her writing this novel, and deserves an applause. This book was touching and gripping at the same time. As a Haitian American I have always had an interest in understanding the history and problems which exist and have existed in Haiti, but in reading several texts I often find that the language of the genre is often uninteresting. For me Danticat changes that, she takes a historical event in Haitian history and structures it magnificently through the eyes of her young female character. I am glad that there is someone like Ms. Danticat in the literary world to help young Haitians like myself gain a better understanding of Haiti and its culture.

A Must Read! A Beautiful Book!.......2006-10-13

A beautiful book inside and out, I donated my copy to my school library where I work. I think this book about the life in Hispaniola or Haiti and Dominican Republic from the Haitian author's point of view is done poetically. If you have any interest in reading about the life and times in Haiti, this book should be on your must read list. It is one of those books that you don't forget about easily. You remember the story, the plot, the characters, and the crisis in Haiti at the time. Now with Haitian immigrants in our country, the problems are still there and we must not forget them too. This book is a beautiful piece of work that should be read in the classroom.

Fantastic/Horrific story.......2006-08-16

This book is a must read for anybody truly wanting to understand Haiti's history and its relationship to its neighboring countries. Although I felt like the story kind of fell apart at the end, none the less, it was a terrific, informative, important story to be told.

The Lovesong of Amabelle...........2006-07-04

Danticat's depiction of the life and times of Amabelle and her life-long love, Sebastien, is once again truly captivating. Set in the Dominican Republic in 1937, the author provides the backdrop for what came to be one of the most horrifically violent massacres in Haitian history. Yet, similar to Breath, Eyes, Memory, the scenery/historical backdrop does not fully dominate the text; that is, the individual stories of Amabelle and Sebastien are not shadowed by the Haitian massacre, but rather framed by it. The creative effect which Danticat achieves is very simple: she is able to render a distant massacre into a personal event which has the capacity to touch the lives and consciousness of the readers, moving us to action. Essentially, she brings public Haitian history into a private sphere by presenting the lives and tribulations of Amabelle and Sebastien. And, like the other texts which came before them, The Farming of Bones truly strikes a chord. Its simple truths resonate, and the characters are vivid, honest, and three-dimensional. A very public story becomes a personal one which brings the reader at the forefront of the Haitian massacre atrocities, as well as face to face with Amabelle and those who fell and rose before her.

Greener Pasture on Your Side of the Fence: Better Farming Voisin Management-Intensive Grazing (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Murphy teach us the basics, once again.
Exelente libro para el manejo del pastoreo
Rational vs Rotational - This concept could change your farming life forever...
Greener Pasture on Your Side of the Fence: Better Farming Vo
Has what it takes!

Greener Pasture on Your Side of the Fence: Better Farming Voisin Management-Intensive Grazing (4th Edition)
Bill Murphy
Manufacturer: Arriba Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

All Flesh Is Grass: Pleasures & Promises Of Pasture Farming
Grass Productivity (Conservation Classics)
Salad Bar Beef
Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle: Health/Handling/Breeding
The Contrary Farmer (Real Goods Independent Living Book)

ASIN: 0961780738

Book Description

This book explains in detail why and how to use management intensive grazing, and what to expect from its use for most kinds of livestock. I provide many examples to illustrate fine points, including producing milk, beef, and lamb on pasture alone, nutrient cycling, grounding energizers, recovery periods, economics, and much more. I present everything that I learned during 17 years of using Voisin management on my own farm, and answer all questions that have been asked me during conferences and farm visits with farmers. This book shows a way to increase your farm's profitability and reduce its labor demand -- thereby improving your quality of life -- while properly and responsibly caring for the land and the plants and animals that live on it.

Customer Reviews:

Murphy teach us the basics, once again........2007-01-11

Murphy's book is a comprehensive review of Voisin Grass Productivity book complemented with his own experience in Vermont.
I read it and found it very helpful in my search for milk production productivity and profits in my dairy farm in the Coffee area of Colombia.
I am still looking for books or experiences with Voisin rational grazing in the Tropics, where we use mainly grass to feed our cows outside and have followed feed companies advise on supplementing grains and feedstuffs, without questioning prices of grass, milk, corn silage and supplemental feeds.
If Murphy worked with the Voisin system in Brasil it would be great to have his experience written in a second book for Latin America.

Exelente libro para el manejo del pastoreo.......2007-01-10

Una muy completa y acertada visión del ecosistema pastizal y su profunda relación con una alta y sustentable productividad, contiene mucho conocimiento practico de como son las cosas en el campo.

Rational vs Rotational - This concept could change your farming life forever..........2005-08-28

Challenge your thinking and change your ways. Your pastures will thrive, your animals will be healthier and you'll have more time to lay in the hammock instead of throwing hay bales around. Andre Voisin, a French farmer, biologist and chemist--as well as a teacher at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine in Paris, designed a system that he calls "rational grazing" (as opposed to the generic term "rotational grazing"). Rational grazing takes into account the needs of the animal and plant, rather than the animal alone. The term "rational grazing" can mean two things: the thinking way of grazing management, or a system for rationing out the forage. Interested? Then read the book!

Greener Pasture on Your Side of the Fence: Better Farming Vo.......2002-12-24

Loved this book - although I have only one horse and can not do some of the intensive grazing techniques, I do have a better understanding about maintaining the pastures. This has been very useful and will enable me to get together with the neigbors and do several horses on the pastures in rotation. We will all have more edible forage for the horses.

Has what it takes!.......2001-12-06

I'm reading this book for the third time - there's just too much info to digest in one reading. We are just starting with cattle and are using this book as our bible. It not only explains the many advantages of raising animals using managment intensive grazing (more profit, environmentally friendly, humane, better nutrition, ease of animal handling), it goes into great detail on HOW to do it. My husband used the chapter on fencing to select products that have received many positive comments from visitors to the farm. I especially enjoyed reading about pasture plant diversity and how cattle "harvest" it. Our cattle look (and taste) great, much to the shock of long-time cattle farmers in our community who are surprised that two greenhorns like us can do so well. We attribute our success to this book and highly recommend it.

Small Scale Livestock Farming: A Grass-Based Approach for Health, Sustainability, and Profit

Average customer rating:

I loved this book
lots of frosting very little cake.
Excellent Resource
Is This High School Biology???
Inspiring .....

Small Scale Livestock Farming: A Grass-Based Approach for Health, Sustainability, and Profit
Carol Ekarius
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle: Health/Handling/Breeding
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You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise
Five Acres and Independence

ASIN: 1580171621

Book Description

Starting a small-scale livestock farm? First, you need this book! Yes, you can have a prosperous farm and achieve the lifestyle of your dreams ; and farming expert Carol Ekarius will show you how. Small farms can pay big dividends, Ekarius explains, but hard work alone isn't enough: Success demands knowledge and effective management. Ekarius's natural, organic approach to livestock management produces healthier animals, reduces feed and healthcare costs, and maximizes your profit. Through case studies of successful farmers, nitty-gritty details on every facet of livestock farming, and fascinating insights for working with nature instead of against it, you'll learn to make your farm thrive. Small-Scale Livestock Farming will help you: * Determine what you want from your farming life (even if your farm is simply a few backyard animals) * Choose suitable livestock * Understand housing, fencing, and feeding needs of livestock * Learn about reproducing stock and caring for your animals' hea

Customer Reviews:

I loved this book.......2007-05-10

Small Scale LivestockFarming:... is a simple easy to read text containing a broad overview of many more topics with more depth than expected and providing numerous references for areas which the text is not indepth enough for your needs. This book had to be the best money spent on a starting source for related knowledge. It is highly recomended to anyone intested in this subject.

lots of frosting very little cake. .......2007-04-18

I was put off by the author so I had a difficult time finishing this book.

The section on biology was nothing more than an eighth grade biology course and really unnecessary.

It appears that information that would be easily gleaned from other sources was abundant but firsthand knowledge was seriously lacking.

I didn't like her double standards. She advises readers to "Feel free to mark up" (page 116). She prices her meat to rural buyers slightly higher than the local butcher but she would have raised her prices even higher if she had lived closer to urban buyers. I can understand pricing higher if you have to drive farther to get to the city but that's not the advice. Then, in a story on fighting a factory farm on pages 124 & 125 she dubs a local man "Joe Greed". According to the story he sued because he had planned to sell his land to the factory farm envisioning lots of dollars in his pockets but with the new zoning laws he wasn't able to. If he's Joe Greed then she's "Carol Greed" for wanting urbanites to pay more simply because they live in the city. I don't agree with either of them.

I wonder if she's taken to writing books on farming intended to sell to city folks who only dream of country living and will never know her advice is of little help.

It was the little things that made this book bothersome such as her advice to have a silage pile but according to the author a farmer needs lots of specialized equipment for this. In the book The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It Seymour describes how to harvest by hand. For those modern small scale farms an electric weed whacker makes it a little easier. Cut it, turn it, stack it right in the fields and cover it with a tarp, voila, a silage pile. Fence it in order to control feeding and your done, nothing special needed.

One other point that I found difficult was her statement that she followed all the guidelines to be organic but wasn't certified, but mostly she advises to call a vet. I would have excepted that advice if the author would have included some information on how to get the vet to help without the use of antibiotics. According to the author antibiotics negate an organic animal standing and it must be sold as conventional. She gives 3 or 4 treatments for ailing animals and acknowledges successes with alternative treatments even names a few but that's it. I would expect someone that was farming organically to have a wealth of knowledge and include it when writing on the subject.

Excellent Resource.......2003-10-22

My brother gave this book to me for my birthday, and it has been great. We are new to farming, and it has helped us determine how to move forward, and to plan for our operation. We're retired, but we need this to pay some income, and that is what this book is all about, making money, but doing it so you don't screw up the land. The author has lots of excellent advice not only on caring for your animals, but also on direct marketing to get a bigger share of the consumer's dollar. She writes with a down to earth style that I really appreciate.

Is This High School Biology???.......2003-08-02

I was looking for a substantial book about small-scale livestock farming, and instead I was treated to a very basic introduction to agriculture. This book would make a great high school agriculture text, but beyond that it falls short of providing any real, useful, institutional knowledge that I was looking for. For example, in the book the author reviews basic high biology concepts such as the water cycle, the food chain, and the energy pyramid. She also reminds readers how to round up or round down. And if that were not insulting enough, she then informs readers that to be a successful farmer, you must dress like a farmer; "clean bib overalls and a straw hat, or a plaid shirt, jeans, and a cowboy hat." Give me a break. Again, if you want a simplistic, new age, farming book of little practical use by an author who has less than a decade of farming experience, this book is for you. If you want a no-frills, no-fluff, useful, dirt under your nails, John Deere farmer kind of a book, I would look elsewhere and I would suggest Gene Logsdon's The Contrary Farmer.

Inspiring ............2003-05-30

I got this book only a few months ago and I must say it has been a wealth of information. I learned about toxic plants, diseases, grazing management, budgeting your opperation effiecently, and also info on different feeding scales of species. Not to mention everything on this book but it has been an eye opening experience to learn from this knowledge and then apply it to my life.

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