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NEW!
21st
Century Greens by David
Kennedy Price: 2011, $24.00,
257 pages.
Based on decades of research,
this book explores the mostly
untapped potential of many
leaf crops. With over 1,000
species of plants having
edible leaves that are low
in calories, this is a large
group underutilized for
human food. But not all
greens have traits that
are valuable as human foods.
Fibrous cell walls, strong
flavors and a societal dislike
have restricted them in
our diet today. 21st Century
Greens will change how you
look at and use this valuable
resource. Including how
to grow, prepare and preserve
over 100 unique leaf crops.
Discover a new world of
green leafy vegetables and
how they can help build
the food system we need
for the 21st Century.
NEW!
Creating a Forest
Garden
by Martin Crawford 2010,
380pp,
$50
Creating
a Forest Garden gives
readers all the information
they need to create their
own multilayered garden
of edible, and other useful
plants, along with plenty
of background on the many
benefits of agroforestry.
Creating
a Forest Garden is suitable
for readers growing in
small gardens or on much
larger plots, including
commercial growers. The
book covers:
* How forest gardens work
* Designing the forest
garden
* A comprehensive directory
of over 500 trees, shrubs
and ground level plants
suitable for the forest
garden.
* Detailed advice on paths,
windbreaks, harvesting,
maintenance, wildlife
and pests.
Creating
a Forest Garden covers
an exciting range of useful
crops including bamboo
shoots, goji berries and
yams alongside more familiar
fruits such as apples
and raspberries.
The
Woodland Year
by Ben
Law $49 $40, 2008,
176pp.
Packed
with stunning colour photographs,
The Woodland Year is an
intimate month-by-month
journey through Ben Law's
yearly cycle of work,
his naturally attuned
lifestyle and his deep
understanding of his woods.
Each month also includes
guest contributions from
woodlanders in other parts
of England and Wales.
The Woodland Year provides
a fascinating insight
into every aspect of sustainable
woodland management; the
cycles of nature, seasonal
tasks, wild food gathering,
wine
making, mouthwatering
and useful recipes, coppice
crafts, round pole timber
frame eco-building (pioneered
by Ben in the UK), nature
conservation, species
diversity, tree profiles
and the use of horses
for woodland work. This
is a profound book that
is both practical and
poetic. It describes a
way of life that is economically
and ecologically viable
and sets a new standard
for managing our woods
in a low impact, sustainable
way. As such, it holds
some of the fundamental
keys to how we can achieve
a lower carbon society.
One
of Ben Law's remarkable
gifts, besides being arguably
Britain's greatest living
woodsman, is a knack for
inspiring others. The
Woodland Year is a month-by-month
journey through Ben's
woodland in the Sussex
Weald, and a celebration
of every aspect of sustainable
woodland management. In
words that are often lyrical
but always ungilded, he
describes a way of life
that is both economically
and ecologically viable.
As such, it holds some
of the fundamental keys
to how we can achieve
a more sustainable, lower
carbon society. Ben is
a true pioneer and is
quite simply creating
a woodland renaissance
in Britain. Read this,
and you will surely want
to be part of it. --From
the Foreword by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Edible
Forest Gardens
Volume 1 & 2
by Dave Jacke with Eric
Toensmeier, 8 x 10, 450 pages,
520pp. $75ea., $135 for
both (same shipping rate
for both volumes as for
Vol 2 alone)
Volume I: Ecological Vision
and Theory for Temperate-Climate
Permaculture, Volume II
Ecological Design and Practice
for Temperate-Climate Permaculture
Essentially,
edible forest gardening
is the art and science
of putting plants together
in woodland-like patterns
that forge mutually beneficial
relationships, creating
a garden ecosystem that
is more than the sum of
its parts. You can grow
fruits, nuts, vegetables,
herbs, mushrooms,
other
useful plants, and animals
in a way that mimics natural
ecosystems. You can create
a beautiful, diverse, high-yield
garden that is largely self-maintained.
Edible
Forest Gardens is a groundbreaking
two-volume work that spells
out and explores the key
concepts of forest ecology
and applies them to the
needs of natural gardeners
in temperate climates.
Volume I lays out the
vision of the forest garden
and explains the basic
ecological principles
that make it work. In
Volume II, Dave Jacke
and Eric Toensmeier move
on to practical considerations:
concrete ways to design,
establish, and maintain
your own forest garden.
Along the way they present
case studies and examples,
as well as tables, illustrations,
and a uniquely valuable
“plant matrix”
that lists hundreds of
the best edible and useful
species.
Taken
together, the two volumes
of Edible ForestGardens
offer an advanced course
in ecological gardening—one
that will forever change
the way you look at plants
and your environment.
About
the Authors: Dave Jacke
is the owner of Dynamics
Ecological Design Associates
and a longtime permaculture
teacher and designer.
He lives in Keene, New
Hampshire. Eric Toensmeier
is a plant researcher,
agricultural educator,
and permaculturist who
lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
Mycelium
Running
by Paul
Stamets
2005, 352pp.,$35
More
mushrooms, less pollution!
Yes, you heard right:
growing more mushrooms
may be the best thing
we can do to save the
environment. Microscopic
cells called "mycelium"—the
fruit of which are mushrooms
—recycle carbon,
nitrogen, and other essential
elements as they break
down plant and animal
debris in the creation
of rich new soil. What
fungi expert Paul Stamets
has discovered is that
mycelium also breaks down
hydrocarbons —the
base structure in many
pollutants. So, for instance,
when soil contaminated
with diesel oil is inoculated
with strains of oyster
mushroom mycelia, the
soil loses its toxicity
in just eight weeks. In
MYCELIUM RUNNING, Stamets
discusses this
revolutionary trend in
mushroom cultivation and
provides tips for choosing
the appropriate species
of fungi for various environmental
purposes.
"As
a physician and practitioner
of integrative medicine,
I find this book exciting
and optimistic because
it suggests new, nonharmful
possibilities for solving
serious problems that
affect our health and
the health of our environment.
Paul Stamets has come
up with those possibilities
by observing an area of
the natural world most
of us have ignored. He
has directed his attention
to mushrooms and mycelium
and has used his unique
intelligence and intuition
to make discoveries of
great practical import.
I think you will find
it hard not to share the
enthusiasm and passion
he brings to these pages."
– From the foreword
by Andrew Weil, MD, author
of Eating Well for Optimum
Health
"Stamets
is a visionary emissary
from the fungus kingdom
to our world, and the
message he's brought back
in this book, about the
possibilities fungi hold
for healing the environment,
will fill you with wonder
and hope." –
Michael Pollan, author
of Botany of Desire
"Stamets
has done a unique public
service. This visionary
and practical book should
be an instant classic
in the emerging science
of how to use nature's
wisdom and fecundity to
rescue the earth and ourselves
from the unwelcome consequences
of human cleverness."
– Amory B. Lovins,
CEO, Rocky
Mountain Institute
"A
paradigm-changing book.
Stamets' visionary insights
are leading to a whole
new understanding of how
mushrooms, scarcely seen
and rarely appreciated,
regulate the earth's ecosystems."
– John Todd, Ph.D.,
University of Vermont
and John
Todd Ecological Design
"The
gospel of fungi containing
crucial pragmatic solutions
showing us how to work
with nature in order to
heal nature." –
Kenny Ausubel, founder
and co-executive director
of Bioneers
Ecoforestry:
The Art and Science of Sustainable
Forest Use
by Alan Drengson and Duncan
Taylor.
1997, 312pp. $30Sale:
$12 $9
Comprehensive,
thoughtful collection
of essays and case studies
covering all aspects of
forestry from genetics,
hydrology, fungi, and
fire to social impacts,
links to the ocean, harvest,
marketing, and spirituality.
With references, glossary,
and contacts. What
can a weekend gardener
do about the conditions
of the world's forests?
Plenty. Respect for the
land fosters universal
values that inspire responsible
use of lumber and wildlife
resources. Ecoforestry
explains what can be done
on the personal and national
levels. According to World
Resources Institute, forests
cover nearly
40
percent of Earth's land
area. The plants provide
oxygen to our planet and
relieve it of excess carbon
monoxide. Forests thrill
us with their beauty and
sustain a panoply of wildlife
and plant life. The authors
concur that our efforts
toward conservation must
take into account the future
needs of our children and
grandchildren, and that
forestry practices must
be consistent with the cycles
and diversity of the natural
forest.
How
to Make a Forest Garden
by Patrick Whitefield
1996, 192pp. $25
Sale:
$19
A
comprehensive guide to
the subject. Clearly written,
well organized, and attractive.
Details of garden design,
pest and weed control,
and planting techniques
for temperate climates.
The
Man Who Planted Trees
by Jean Giono
1985. 56pp. $10
Excellent! Timeless and
inspiring tale of one man's
dedicated efforts to reverse
the desolation and devastation
of the countryside. Beautifully
illustrated with 20 woodcuts.
This special edition contains
a new chapter of tips and
resources for forest protection
for WoodWise consumers from
Co-op America. If you care
about forests, this book
provides the inspiration
for new generations to wake
up to their own power to
affect positive change.
Forager's
Harvest: A Guide to Identifying,
Harvesting, and Preparing
Edible Wild Plants
by Samuel
Thayer 2005,
$23, 368pp
A fine, rich guide to wild
foods of North America warmly
written by a master forager:
uses, botany, habitat. Provides
detailed instructions and
personal experiences of
harvesting 332 delicious
plants, including butternut,
wild rice, ostrich fern,
hog peanut, cattail, and
more. Get
the Forager's Harvest video
here.
NEW!
Nature’s
Garden A
Guide to Identifying,
Harvesting, and Preparing
Edible Wild Plants
by Samuel
Thayer 2010,
512pp., $25
A
practical guide to all
aspects of edible wild
plants: finding and identifying
them, their seasons of
harvest, and their methods
of collection and preparation.
Each plant is discussed
in great detail and accompanied
by excellent color photographs.
Includes an index, illustrated
glossary, bibliography,
and harvest calendar.
The perfect guide for
all experience levels.
"It
has become the go-to book
for students at the Jack
Mountain Bushcraft School.
Nature’s Garden, builds
upon the high standard set
by The Foragers Harvest
and establishes him as the
leading authority and author
on edible wild plants that
has ever published. It isn’t
slightly better than other
books on the topic; it’s
in a whole different league".
Tim Smith, M.Ed. Founder
and Director of The
Jack Mountain Bushcraft
School
Botany
in a Day - The Patterns
Method of Plant Identification
Thomas
J. Elpel's Herbal Field
Guide to Plant Families
5th
Edition, 2004, 221pp.,
$30
Botany
in a Day is changing the
way people learn about
plants! Tom's book has
gained a nationwide audience
almost exclusively by
word-of-mouth. It is now
used as a text and recommended
by herbal and wilderness
schools across North America.
Instead of presenting
individual plants, Botany
in a Day unveils the patterns
of identification and
uses among related plants,
giving readers simple
tools to rapidly unlock
the mysteries of the new
species they encounter
throughout the continent.
Too
often people try to learn
plants one-at-a-time, without
rhyme or reason. Now you
can cut years off the process
of learning about plants
and their uses. Tom's book
helps you beyond the piece-meal
approach to botany and herbalism
towards a more "whole"
approach. Within 1 1/2 hours
you can understand the big-picture
of botany and herbalism.
Learn how related plants
have similar features for
identification. Discover
how they often have similar
properties and similar uses.
NEW!
The Backyard Beekeeper:
An Absolute Beginner's
Guide to Keeping Bees
in Your Yard and Garden
by Kim
Flottum 2005, 168pp, $25
This
book isn't just a guide
to beekeeping or a honey
cookbook; it's both. No
other book on the market
provides an in-depth review
of beekeeping and what
honey is good for and
how to use it. Beautifully
illustrated, the Backyard
Beekeeper is perfect for
the health-conscious person
who wants to sweeten up
their life by saying no
to processed sugars and
yes to eating organic,
healthy food.
This
book is the complete "honey
bee" resource with
general information on
bees; a how-to guide to
the art of bee keeping
and how to set up, care
for, and harvest your
own hives; as well as
tons of fun facts and
projects that are bee
related. The second half
of the book is the complete
guide to honey. It reviews
the different types of
honey and their health
effects as well as provides
hundreds of ideas and
recipes for using honey
in recipes, cosmetically
in facemasks and shampoos,
and for medicinal uses.
About
the Author
After receiving a degree
in horticulture from UW
Madison, Kim Flottum worked
four years in the USDA
Honey Bee Research Lab,
studying pollination ecology.
After that, he spent two
years raising acres of
fruits and vegetables,
where bees played a large
role. He brings this experience,
plus nearly 20 years of
writing and editing articles
for beekeepers in the
monthly magazine Bee Culture.
NEW!
Natural Beekeeping: Organic
Approaches to Modern Apiculture
by Ross Conrad (Author),
Gary Paul Nabhan (Foreword)
$35, 246pp., 2007
The
various chemicals used
in beekeeping have, for
the past decades, held
Varroa Destructor, a mite,
and other major pests
at bay, but chemical-resistance
is building and evolution
threatens to overtake
the best that laboratory
chemists have to offer.
In fact, there is evidence
that chemical treatments
are making the problem
worse. Natural Beekeeping
flips the script on traditional
approaches by proposing
a program of selective
breeding and natural hive
management.
Conrad
brings together the best
organic and natural approaches
to keeping honeybees healthy
and productive here in
one book. Readers will
learn about nontoxic methods
of controlling mites,
eliminating American foulbrood
disease (without the use
of antibiotics), breeding
strategies, and many other
tips and techniques for
maintaining healthy hives.
Conrad's reservoir of
knowledge comes from years
of experience and a far-flung
community of fellow beekeepers
who are all interested
in ecologically sustainable
apiculture. Specific concepts
and detailed management
techniques are covered
in a matter-of-fact, easy
to implement way.
Natural
Beekeeping describes opportunities
for the seasoned professional
to modify existing operations
to improve the quality
of hive products, increase
profits, and eliminate
the use of chemical treatments.
Beginners will need no
other book to guide them.
Whether you are an experienced
apiculturist looking for
ideas to develop an Integrated
Pest Management approach
or someone who wants to
sell honey at a premium
price, this is the book
you've been waiting for.