Greg Hamilton wrote:will this be reprinted?

it is still sold on the farm online site:

http://www.makingsmallfarmswork.info/#

I give these cards 9 out of 10 acorns

Permacultrue knowledge needs to expand exponentially if we want to make a change in this world. What a better idea of getting out to the public with a set of cards that one can use for normal games with firends or family but at the same time sharing a treasure of knowledge?
Put together two minds that use creativity in a different way, Paul Wheaton and Alexander Ojeda, and you will get a great result. The drawings are awesome, I've even brought the t-shirts Alexander designed, his art is great.

I must say I use them mostly to play patience beacuse I love reading every card that passes through my fingers.
I guess a new set could be designed to play card games that need a double set and to get out even more information.

All in all this card set is a great gift and a great way of getting the word out there.

Great to see the final result, I'm still watchjing the videos of the ATC to see the process. IS there any place where we can read more on the black paint Erica speaks about? I'm very interested in this for my dehydrator.

Thanks for sharing

Todd Parr wrote:I just pre-ordered from Amazon.  Unfortunately, it's due out June 23rd...

On Chelseagreen publishing it is due on the 14th of june. don't know if the price is different but try and check it out, you can withdraw from amazon
no dig on chelsea green

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns

review published on Permaculture Magazine International n. 91

Forest Gardening in practice is a book that comes out at the right time. We have many titles on forest gardening but this book changes our perspective on the subject. It has been written by Tomas Remiarz a known permaculture teacher and consultant, that has worked for the past twenty years in the UK and Europe.

Up till now we have read books that share a deep understanding of how plants interact. Forest gardening for many is mimicking natural ecosystems at its height, yes, but it is more than that if we take the discussion a step forward focusing on the interaction between plants and people.

“Gardens are nothing without the people who make, tend and use them. Each garden is an interpretation of what’s possible on a particular patch of land, filtered through the needs and desires of those who are working with it. This is part of the social dimension to forest gardens that so far has not featured much in the literature on the subject”

And this is what Tomas Remiarz has done in his book.

We are now thirty years from when Robert Hart defined our current concept of forest gardening. These thirty years give us the opportunity to look at what has worked and what has not in forest garden design, we have sites that have evolved for the past twenty or more years and share a story. The story is not only that of the succession of plants and growth of the canopy. No, it is the story of the people that started those projects, what led their original design and how this evolved, changed in time, and how in some cases they passed their forest gardens on to others. These thirty years give us the opportunity to see how communities have worked and work in shared spaces, how groups interact in the maintenance of sites, how people learn skills and learn to share them. These thirty years share the errors and frustrations people have encountered.

Plants and people interact not only on the yield-harvesting level, there is more to our relation even within designed natural ecosystems and the author shows it to us.

Tomas looking back at the past thirty years shares more than fifteen case studies in different climates, with different sizes and settings, from backyards, to educational, commercial or public settings. Each case study is a chapter by itself, and the author shares a lot of information on every project. But even specific aspects are discussed in thematic chapters. This is the central section of the book.

The book is divided in four sections. The first sets the context of forest gardening, how it evolved and how it relates to other fields as agroforestry and. Section two takes the reader down a walk in Nature understanding how it works and what is helpful for design. Then there is section three that as said is the core of the book. Section four is a step by step guide to laying out an edible ecosystem, but it is not only focused on the first theoretical stage of the work but even on the practical planting phase and its maintenance or dealing with problems.

This book takes our knowledge on forest gardening a step forward. It is great to read at the same time sharing real research data along with personal stories of the designers and stewards of the forest gardens recalled. Tomas has a way of writing that is friendly and informative, his way of describing some sites he visited is so descriptive the reader can actually see them, create an image from text, but there is more, there are all the photos. The visual side of this book is very strong. Tomas shares his work with a collection of exceptional photos, their colour and beauty inspires.

This is not the usual book on forest gardening, describing only layout patterns or listing plants, this is a book that will take the understanding of forest gardening to a social level.

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns

review published on Permaculture magazine issue n.92

Charles and Steph have more than thirty years of experience in their hands and this book sums up the work of two exceptional No dig gardeners.

This book is informative, complete in the way it takes the reader form setting up a No dig garden, and on to harvesting, preserving, cooking and much more.
Charles and Steph have condensed and shared a lot of their personal experience achieved in thirty years of keeping their hands in the soil. Charles as a No dig expert has worked extensively in the UK and France on different soils, always with great results. He has been told off in the past for having dirty fingernails but what could a reader expect from a pioneer of No dig like Charles.
Steph has her own faceted story, being passionate about cooking and gardening, she has worked for years as a kitchen gardener for various restaurants, setting up their gardens to supply directly them  all year round fresh vegetables, in the meantime she has been cooking what she grows and making potions from her harvests. You can’t say you’re a gardener if you don’t know what to do of your harvest.
The truth is gardening is not for the harvest but for the soil, and looking at our perspective it is for well-being and living a healthy life eating fresh, nutrient dense food. Steph sums up perfectly this perspective. In the years she has tried numerous recipes to make even the less interesting vegetable tasty and desired. She shares some of her best recipes in the book. But from a garden we don’t only harvest to eat but even to make potions from herbs, flowers or roots, that help us in the house and are treats for our bodies. Some maybe known others are more intriguing.
You can’t really garden if you don’t know what to do of your harvest.
Passion, commitment and responsibility, and lots of fun. This is what the reader will learn in this book.  
Charles and Steph don’t put together a list of rules of what to do in the garden, but share their opinion on why we should take certain decisions. There is a big difference between what and why, the first is just an execution, the latter is instead a mind opener, that makes the reader ask questions and work by trial. Start small and build confidence. I have to know why I take a certain decision, may it be on mulch, compost or row covers for the winter garden.
The profound knowledge shared in the book is based on an 8/9 climate zone, but the advice they share is fully adaptable to other climates, because ultimately the reader will learn to understand climate and soil and work in context.

Charles and Steph are great communicators, they have each their site, their blog and Charles has a youtube channel that is a treasure of wisdom and experience. Their commitment to sharing their experience and practice has led them to be incredibly effective in taking photo’s of their work, documenting with precision and sharpness. This book is a masterpiece of this effectiveness, some of the photo’s while being inspiring made me hungry. My partner went through my review copy of the book and was struck by the photo’s colours, I assure you will be amused.

The reader will take a journey through twenty chapters that start from the beginning, preparing the plot and where to grow, to sowing and spacing, how to reduce water consumption effectively, deal with pests, grow in longer seasons, make potions of our harvests ideal for fertility of the soil, fertility of the mind, the house and well-being of our bodies. Getting then on to compost making, saving seeds, harvesting and preserving and of course some tasty recipes.
Another section is made of seven chapters that divide what we can grow in groups: perennials, roots and leaves, or pods and fruits, and of course salad leaves, and herbs, flowers and unusual plants. The plants listed are ones that repay the gardener incredibly in relation to the care they need.
The last chapter is on trading and selling the gardens yield. Homeacres, Charles and Steph’s house and garden is a half acre profitable business, and the reader will learn that it is possible to make something out of a small plot if in need or even just trade the harvest.

The layout of the chapters is great, the pages are full of tables that share information on different solutions we can implement. For example, what sort of row cover shall we choose for our garden, a specific table will help choose, keeping an eye on cost, life durability and effectiveness. The reader is put in the condition to make a decision, to think.
Practical boxed tips are dispersed numerously throughout the book and all the plants have a well defined data sheet, with all sorts of information, possible yields and propagation, etc.
If I was struck visually I must say even the content on specific topics is a real payoff.

For the first time Charles and Steph have brought together their writing and gardening skills, and the final result is great. Charles has more than seven books published as well as numerous articles. Steph signs her first book but has been writing for years in magazines. The idea of writing together could have not necessarily been a success, instead what the reader takes from this book is how gardening brings together people, may they be couples or simply friends, but sharing from garden to table is fertile for soil and for families and our communities. Charles and Steph have been able to bring together their personal experiences and differences and make them complete.

If you want to start simple and build confidence in gardening this is the book you should choose, if you’re an experienced dirty hand this is still the book you should choose, you will be surprised of how much you will learn from its pages.
Is this the usual or umpteenth book on gardening? I was asked by a friend that saw me reading it, I said not at all. This is much more, it is a treasure of information, it is a complete guide to fertility and healthiness from soil to body made clear through real life experience.

Twin oaks community http://www.twinoaks.org/
three sisters farm http://www.bioshelter.com/3SistersFarm.html

for sure there are many others you could check the following forum

small farm

large farm

market garden

Kula Permaculture farm https://www.kulafarm.ca/ actually just in Canada
Casitas Valley http://casitasvalley.com/
D acres http://www.dacres.org/index.html
I would add even the Bullock Brothers Homestead http://www.permacultureportal.com/

just the first that come in mind

is Joel Salatin's farm a permaculture designed or managed farm?

Welcome Zach reading your book right now. Great to see finally a path traced for farmers that permaculture can be applied even to profitable work. I hope it will help move from the idea that many farmers have that permaculture is a sort of banned word and concept.

Michel Kegels wrote:Where can I get the book in Europe?

Hi I guess you can from:

http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/

Dear John, really sorry to read what you are passing. You taught me a lot, and was our first defence on spam fishing, and so much else. My best wishes and hugs from Italy.
May your journey continue in any way close to your beloved ones.

Photo Source: David    

This week David Goodman will be joining us to talk about all sorts of different topics regarding gardening!

There are four copies of his brand new book, Grow or Die up for grabs.

David will be stopping by on the forum over the next few days answering questions and joining in discussions.

From Tuesday through this Friday, any posts in this forum, ie the gardening for beginners forum, could be selected to win.

The winners will be notified by email and must respond within 24 hours.

Posts in this thread won't count, but please feel free to say hi to David and make him feel welcome!

(Source:Jim Hoggan's website)

This week the book promotion is on a very interesting subject: communication, public dialog, how we discuss with others. Well I believe it is incredibly interesting for a commuity like permies.com
Every day members exchange their knowledge on the most diverse subjects, and writing in a correct way, not imposing but sharing is part of our goal as members of this community. I hope we will all have questions to ask, and learn a lot from James, that has been a PR for more than forty years, having held his first press conference in 1972.

There are four copies of his book, I'm right and you're an idiot up for grabs.

James will be stopping by on the Communication forum over the next few days answering questions and joining in discussions.

From now through this Friday, any posts in this forum, ie the  forum, could be selected to win.



For particulars about our promotions, and learn how to win, click here


The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 24 hours.

Posts in this thread won't count, but please feel free to say hi to James and make him feel welcome!

Source: New Society Publishers



Publisher: New Society Publishers



Summary

The most pressing environmental problem we face today is not climate change. It is pollution in the public square, where a smog of adversarial rhetoric, propaganda and polarization stifles discussion and debate, creating resistance to change and thwarting our ability to solve our collective problems.

In I'm Right and You're an Idiot, author and David Suzuki Foundation chair James Hoggan grapples with this critical issue, conducting interviews with outstanding thinkers from the Himalaya to the House of Lords. Drawing on the wisdom of such notables as Thich Nhat Hanh, Noam Chomsky, and the Dalai Lama, his comprehensive analysis explores:

How trust is undermined and misinformation thrives in today's public dialogue

Why facts alone fail — the manipulation of language and the silencing of dissent

The importance of reframing our arguments with empathy and values to create compelling narratives and spur action.

Our species' greatest survival strategy has always been foresight and the ability to leverage our intelligence to overcome adversity. For too long now this capacity has been threatened by the sorry state of our public discourse. Focusing on proven techniques to foster more powerful and effective communication, I'm Right and You're an Idiot will appeal to readers looking for both deep insights and practical advice.
(From the publishers page)



Where to get it?

New Society Publishers

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Amazon.co.uk



Related Videos





Related Threads

Be nice thread



Related Websites

James Hoggans's website

So I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 3 winners.

Frank Li
Rebecca Hyde
Dave Hunt
and
Eric Youngren

Congratulations Frank, Rebecca, Dave and Eric!
Remember once you have read the book please post a review of it under its summary

I sent you an email asking you to send me your snail address, you have to answer in 24 hrs.

Energy Revolution: Your Guide to Repowering the Energy System by Howard Johns


Source: PermanentPublications

Publisher: Permanent Publications



Summary

The energy revolution is already underway  as people around the world embrace renewable energy in their communities. This groundbreaking book summarises why we must switch to renewables and explains how this can be achieved where you live. It is packed full of success stories from energy pioneers in the UK, America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It shows how we can all play a vital role in the energy revolution and change the world, one community at a time!

Drawing on the author’s two decades of experience as a renewable energy  engineer, community activist, consultant, business leader and government adviser, Energy Revolution gives you the tools to develop projects in your locality. This handbook covers everything needed to structure your community power company – the technology, site assessment, legal and business planning, fundraising and financial modelling – whilst putting people at the heart of your strategy.

Change the system from the bottom up and make the next great leap forward to achieving clean, affordable, democratic energy. It’s time  for us to take control, relocalise, reduce costs and carbon emissions, repower our neighbourhoods and join the energy revolution. (From: Permament Publications)



Where to get it?

Permanent Publications, directly from the publisher

amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca



Related Videos





Related Podcast

Podcast 293 Solar powered Homestead part 1

Podcast 143 Steve Heckeroth solar tractor part 1

Podcast 144 Steve Heckeroth solar tractor part 2

Podcast 145 Steve Heckeroth solar tractor part 3



Related Threads

alternative energy forum



Related Websites

Authors page on permanent publications
Howard Johns site

So I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 3 winners.

Julie Jonhston
Nataly Marchuk
and
Michael Bushman

Congratulations Julie, Nataly and Michael!
Remember once you have read the book please post a review of it under its summary
I sent you an email asking you to send me your snail address, you have to answer in 24 hrs.

Thanks Tom for being around, hope your houseboat is nearly arrived to its destination and you with her.

So I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 4 winners.

Eric Hammond
Lori Dorchak
Waldo Schafli
and
Tracy Wandling

Congratulations Eric, Lori, Waldo and Tracy!

I sent you an email, please send me your snail mail address within the next 24 hrs.
And remember to post a review of the book once you've read it: here

Dave Dahlsrud wrote:Can we get The Market Gardener's Tool Kit added to the grid. There's already a couple reviews posted for it....

I'll get ot it in the next days you're right

I give this book 9 out of 10 acorns

This book is a milestone for farm scale permaculture. Richard Perkins is a well-known teacher that has worked in many different countries and projects, building a wide personal experience over the last 15 years. Now that he has settled to set up his own farm, Ridgedale Permaculture, in Sweden (at 59°N), the moment has come for him to share his knowledge not only with his students that take his courses up at Ridgedale but with a larger community.

He has achieved this objective writing a book that is one of a kind. In more than 300 pages he helps the reader deal with the complexity of designing, installing and managing a regenerative agriculture farm. To do this he shares a toolset that integrates three different foundational systems of design and management. These three are what he calls “the three legs to the stool we use in our work”: Permaculture, Holistic Management and Keyline design.

Richard suggests Permaculture is best integrated with other approaches to deal with the complexity of farm scale projects that want to be profitable, as he aims to “meet all our human needs whilst restoring soils, ecosystems & communities”. The complexity lies in the fact we don’t have to deal only with design but also installation and management, to reach regeneration and permanence. Permaculture helps design whole systems that regenerate, Holistic management gives a decision making matrix and Keyline design offers an organising pattern for Permaculture at a farm scale.

I believe this book is the result of the author’s capacity to take his skill in teaching from class to written word. But the book is not only text, maybe half of it is made up of photo’s, images, charts and excerpts of spreadsheets. This is the actual strength of the book, because it communicates visually what the author has put in word on page. Richard Perkins has been able to do all this because he has worked so much in the past years on visual communication.

Step by step, through the story of the first two years of Ridgedale Permaculture, the reader is capable of actually seeing how we go from theory to practice, from the first survey of a site to its management and product marketing. Ridgedale is the case study, yet this book shares the story of the farm not in a biographical way but as a practical example of how one applies design.

This book focuses on finding solutions, not applying recipes. There are no shortcuts, you can’t read this book and find the recipe for setting up a farm, but you can understand the approach and use the given toolset to develop your own specific context and breakdown complexity. There is no easy way, instead there is a very well-known risk that farms without adequate planning become wells without an end in which money just disappears. Turning this around is possible only through design and holistic management and Richard shows the reader how to do this.

One of the finest examples on how to design, shared in this book, is the use of Keyline’s Scale of Permamence, the true legacy of Yeomans’ work, that actually sets the pattern for the chapters of the book. Keyline is much more than only ploughing around offset to contours, and this is well explained in the pages Richard has written.

The power of the images is seen when the author shares step-by-step what has to be done to build an Eggmobile or building one of the cheapest small scale licensed slaughter facilities in Europe, from setting up agroforestry assemblies, to installing the beds of the vegetable garden, or water management systems. The photos don’t only document some achievements but are part of the process of sharing the knowledge.

Design is mostly about collecting data, and putting it together. Let’s take the example of observing and analyzing the quality of pasture on farm, central to being capable of having pastured animals as is at Ridgedale. One can’t improvise, it counts for responsibility towards the animals wellbeing and clients of the farm.

Having pastured animals requires we have a clear knowledge of the quality of the pasture and how this can be improved if needed. Observation in time is necessary, but we have to know what to look for and how to collect the data. The field surveys done in the first two years at Ridgedale on the field pasture assessment and field pasture diversity printed in the book are really interesting.

Working on the farm financials means every enterprise needs to have a clear knowledge of investments, running costs, and income. This is explained in the book in a very clear way from broiler management, to tree assembly in the field, or setting up a vegetable C.S.A box scheme. Having a clear idea of the cost of the investment, means we don’t take any chances. This is heavily emphasized and indeed central to building sustainable and profitable farms.

This is when the spreadsheets or charts become central to understanding how to take only the steps we can. The subtitle of the book sums it up: “A pragmatic whole systems approach to profitable regenerative agriculture” and “an experience-based handbook for the holistic design, installation and management of farm scale permaculture”.

Reading this book has been a pleasure as it is well written. But it is hard work; every page is fact-filled, and shares heavyweight information.

“Information is only beneficial if it leads people to carefully considered action. I sincerely hope this book contributes in some small way.” I think this book will, and in a very meaningful way, and I see many more people will be inspired to get involved in regenerative agriculture. I guess that a farmer or wannabe farmer will be more attracted to tackle a mind opening book like Making Small Farms Work, rather than one that makes farming seem like a stroll in the field.

But to finish always with Richards words: “if, when you have read it, you decide it does not [reach your expectations], I suggest you soak it in good clean water, inoculate it with choice oyster mushroom sawdust spawn and post me the dried mushrooms that I might eat my words.”

I am setting up my own farm too at present, and this book has arrived at the right moment. It has already helped me think about my design, about my whole project in a new light. For sure I’m not going to make mushrooms of its pages.

Source: Ridgedale Permaculture

Publisher: Ridgedale Permaculture



Summary

Making Small Farms Work follows the first seasons setting up what has quickly become one of Europe’s flagship farm scale Permaculture and regenerative agriculture sites. From a rural situation, nestled in the heart of Scandinavia, Ridgedale is a dedicated high-quality local food producer engaged in educating the next generation of agrarians with the design and management strategies to create farms for the future. The face of small-scale agriculture and the future of our food supply chain is changing. Pioneer educator and farmer Richard Perkins has dedicated his life to sharing effective solutions around the world, and this relatively remote farm has been receiving a lot of international interest as increasing numbers of people seek to participate in a regenerative economy. Covering every aspect of designing, installing and managing this diverse and productive farm, including the crucial decision-making processes and economics that make it all work, this book is full with hundreds of colour photographs, spreadsheets and details capturing the rapid development of the farm, with practical information on:

Holistic Decision Making

Property Selection

Getting Started with Designing a Property

Understanding Ecosystem Processes

Keyline Design

Water Systems

Trees and Woody Crops

Detailed Descriptions of Installing Systems

Fencing on Farms

Pastured Broiler Enterprise Details

Building a Farm Slaughter Facility

Pastured Eggs and Egg Mobiles

Grasslands & Grazing

Creating a Market Garden

Tools and Tips

Financial Planning

Where to get it?

Being self-published it is avaliable only directly from Ridgedale Permaculture



Related Videos

This is from 2014



And this is from 2015




Related Threads

Kickstarter campaign thread



Related Websites

Ridgedale permaculture

I know I'm super late, sorry all!! I had some internet problems and couldn't get online, but...

I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 4 winners.

Ashley Handy

Tristan Vitali

Jan Cooper
and
Fredy Perlman

Congratulations Fredy, Jan, Tristan and Ashley!!

You won a copy of the book, I've sent you an email, you have 24 hrs to send my your snail mail address

Just one last request: remember to post a review of the book once you've read it, here

I give this book 8.5 out of 10 acorns

This review is going to be published on Growing Green International, magazine of the vegan organic network in the summer/autumn issue. I thank them for the opportunity they gave me contributing to next issue.

The well-known permaculture teacher and author Ross Mars has, with How to Permaculture Your Life, pointed to a very specific goal. His book speaks to a wider audience, not necessarily already permaculture-centred, and I think this is its strength. It may be that the author had another idea when he set out to write this book, but what I perceive from the finished work is that its aim is to inspire a vast and growing sector of people who are conscious of the urgent need to change our current way of living, a way which hinders the earth's survival and ecological restoration.

Is it significant that Rob Hopkins, founder of the ‘transition movement’, has written the foreword to the book? Yes, I believe it is, and I have read through all of its pages with this perception. The transition movement is constantly growing, and permaculture is a design system which is central to building a change. This book aims to get more people to understand how transition, with the right set of tools, is easy (and necessary) if we know how to employ those suggested tools. We have to understand our needs and know our resources. The correct design connects the resources and leads us to resilience.

We have many texts that explain permaculture - did we need a new one? Yes, if How to Permaculture Your Life is the result. No revolutionary practices - to many readers this book will even seem too simple. But what I have learned from its pages is that we always have to be willing to share knowledge in a clear and straightforward way if we really want to achieve the goal of getting permaculture in every backyard garden and farm, and in every neighbourhood and rural community. Solid practices are what we need and this book shares them from cover to cover. Ross Mars has 40 years of experience in permaculture design. He set up a demonstration site, Candlelight Farm in Australia, and has worked intensely on water harvesting and alternative energy systems. This long experience has made him aware that permaculture has to speak clearly to more people, and has to inspire those who are like-minded and willing to change their way of living.

The book is divided into 16 chapters that build the reader's understanding of permaculture design. These chapters outline simple steps that we can all undertake to design our everyday life in accordance with permanence, resilience and fertility. The classic scheme of sharing the principles of permaculture design is not followed, instead this simple way of sharing knowledge gets into the reader's mind and inspires them to go further.

Current wrongs in society
Starting with an analysis of the current wrongs within the majority of societies, and defining the climate change situation, peak oil and food sovereignty, the author makes us rethink our way of living and our ecological footprint. The use of acronyms and specific phrases paves the way to getting us more used to thinking systematically, and to understand the principles of permaculture design. As an example, ON SPECIAL helps us keep in mind what to consider before we start designing a site: Observation, Needs, Sectors, Placement, Elements, Collaboration, Irrigation, Assets-Aesthetics and Landscape. It is essential in design to use simple tools that focus us, and create connections. Throughout the book, small ‘Did you know?’ sections highlight specific information useful for analysing functions, elements and concepts.

One thing I have to highlight is the fact that every plant, tree or shrub is listed not only with its common English name but also its scientific one, so that readers from any country can look them up. So often authors forget that their books may be read by people from different countries or speaking different languages, and sharing correct and clear names is very helpful.

A big part of the book is dedicated to information on gardening, with much focus on fertility. The reader will find pages that list what Ross Mars believes to be the ten best vegetables, or the ten best fruits and nuts for different climatic regions. He explains that, in any case, the reader has to find her or his personal taste. Gardening is important to maintain soil fertility and to enhance our health and personal well-being (we could call that ‘mind and body fertility’). It extends through education to a wellbalanced diet, which is something that is missing in many families and communities. The concepts and information shared in the central chapters point to this goal, whilst handing down a clear explanation of what permaculture design in a backyard space is about.

The chapters on water and energy go into more depth, but are clearly laid out and share some easy steps to reduce our energy consumption and to use water in many positive ways. The title of the book is very appropriate when we reach the chapters on the hand tools we can all learn to use, or the way that we can eat well using what we harvest in our gardens. Practical knowledge is shared in the ‘Forgotten skills’ chapter, which goes from simple knots to making playdough or candles. This marks the end of our personal journey towards the goal of resilience and permanence, and ‘permacultures our life’.


Speaking mostly to urban readers
The book speaks mostly to an urban reader (there is a chapter on ‘Strategies for small spaces’), or at most to a homesteader with its chapter on design in rural properties that goes through a brief list of ‘alternative’ farming practices. This chapter is interesting but shifts the focus of the whole book, which up to then has centred on backyard gardens more than actual farms or large properties.
However, the book adheres to a classic vision of maintaining soil fertility using fresh animal manures for composting. This makes any reader who favours a stockfree approach realise how stockfree practices are relatively unknown, even to many permaculture practitioners. Even if one does not adopt stockfree ethics, what is clear is that the possibility to build fertility without animal inputs still hasn’t gained a foundation in mainstream permaculture, which neglects the extent to which stockfree practices can move us towards resilience, perhaps more so than other practices. Green manures and cover crops are briefly discussed, but what is missing is how we can make use of the best set of practices given the resources that we have available. If we think of a small backyard garden, and how we can use permaculture to design and make the system function, it is strange to read that it is normal to try to find some animal manure for composting, instead of thinking how we could use the correct combination of plants, trees and shrubs to produce organic compostable matter. Looking at stockfree practices could help.

This book is a valuable read for an audience that has only heard a little about permaculture, but is curious. The overall concept is that to ‘permaculture our life’ is about undertaking a ‘research to transition’, and the author is faithful to this vision, spurring the reader to take responsibility for this transition. So its pages invite the reader to go deeper, widening our vision from ourselves to our communities, while applying the ethics and principles of permaculture. I believe that many people, after reading this book, will be attracted to make the jump and take a PDC (Permaculture Design Course). How to Permaculture Your Life is the perfect book to trigger a shift away from seeing permaculture as an ‘alternative’ system of design towards it being a mainstream way of designing our lives - for the spaces we live in and for our mindset. The necessity to act, knowing the speed with which we are depleting our planet's resources, propels us towards the urgent goal of getting permaculture in every home, and this book has certainly tried to supply answers.

My must read books are both written by Patrick Whitefield:

Earth care Manual

and

How to read the landscape

they have been incredible for me, the first one is of course for a temperate climate, and the second is based on the british landscape, but the knowledge it shares in understanding the landscape has proven incredible value even for me in Italy

So I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 4 winners.


Laurie Branson

Todd Parr

Matthew Nistico

and

Tyler Ludens

Congratulations Laurie, Todd, Matthew and Tyler!!!

I've sent you an email send me your snail mail address within 24 hrs

laurie branson wrote:Thanks Shawn! I have to admit I really just thought I missed something in the video but when I thought about it for a minute, I wondered if the barrels themselves could use a few more functions to help them reach the magical 7! If you do try it out, I hope you will post it here on permies. When I get a greenhouse (thanks for the reference and I am most certainly going to get your book) I'll give it a go and report back here. Somehow I think (and secretly hope) you will beat me to the punch!

Hi Laurie, when you've finished the book please feel free to post a review of it here
It is always great to get the book review grid grow with reviews from all members of the permies community

I really would like to thank Shawn for his time on the forums this week, it has been a pleasure to host this promotion, and I know for sure you'll hang around and keep on contributing.

Jan Cooper wrote:

Please share the URL of the video that she mentioned.

You can see the video: here

How to Permaculture Your Life: Strategies, Skills and Techniques for the Transition to a Greener World by Ross Mars


Source: PermanentPublications


Publisher: Permanent Publications


Summary

Caught between climate change and a fossil fuel-driven economy that demands ever more growth, the world faces a great transition – by design or disaster – away from fossil fuels to a less energy intensive future.
But what proven tools are available to aid in making a successful, deliberate transition to a resilient, sustainable future?
How to Permaculture Your Life is a great resource book for everyone interested in Transition, permaculture and more self-reliant and satisfying lifestyles.
It is packed with information on permaculture design principles, soil building, nutrient-dense food growing, including top plant and tree selections for all climatic zones.
Coverage extends to rainwater harvesting and irrigation, human waste management, and strategies for rural properties plus a unique focus on applying permaculture to small urban spaces for decluttering and efficient food growing.
Also covered are hand tools, food preservation, energy production, and low-carbon housing and a plethora of nearly forgotten skills such as soap making, basket weaving, seed saving, and rope and candle making, and more.
On the desert island of a world in decline this is the one-stop guide to vibrant, resilient living you’ll want to take with you. (Source: Permanent Publications



Where to get it?

Amazon.com

Amazon.ca

Amazon.co.uk

green-shopping.co.uk



Related Videos




Related Podcast



Related Threads

Transition towns forum

Permaculture design forum

Related Websites

Ross Mars Author Page at Permanent Publications

you might want to check this out:

http://www.muslimheritage.com/article/gleanings-islamic-contribution-agriculture

There is a french translation too, can't find an english one though...

"Some extracts from Ibn al-‘Awwām have been translated into English and published as:

Lord, P. (trans) (1979). A Moorish Calendar: from the Book of Agriculture of Ibn al-Awam. Wantage: The Black Swan Press"

and you could read this:

Butzer, K. (1994). ‘The Islamic Tradition of Agroeconomy: cross-cultural experience, ideas and innovations’.Ecumene 1,pp.7-50. The_Islamic_Traditions_of_Agroecology_Crosscultural_Experience,_Ideas_and_Innovations.pdf:

the islamic traditions of agroecology

Jan Cooper wrote: One idea that bears some merit is a recipe that keeps deer from eating fruit trees on p.114.

There is a thread on his bone sauce here on permies: here
Check it out there should be even a video and Paul in the opening post explains practically.

Sorry off-topic

I give this book 8.5 out of 10 acorns

This book opened a world to me on water, making me think differently even on aspects I already knew. It does not speak only of water, let’s make it clear, but around this design element it builds a fine example of practical solutions to stacking functions and setting every component in the correct way to make them connect. It can be simple sometimes to discover an easy way to really connect elements and move towards abundance.

Shawn Jadrnicek has years of experience in permaculture design, along with his wife Stephanie they have lived and worked in different climates, building up their knowledge of the best way to integrate systems to achieve the most.

I believe this book really proves they have done a lot and rightly have decided to share their designs. The designs shared in the book come from different projects, from house to farm, scaling up in complexity.
Shawn has fine-tuned his design creativity working in the last years at Clemson University, at the sustainable agriculture program where he is the manager of the Student organic farm. Here the possibility to really collect data on many solutions, doing thorough research, has been invaluable, and has gone in the book.


First why speak of Bio-integration, and what is, in the authors view, to be intended with the term. Bio-integration is a perspective in design. It is a concept that grows from the foundational principle of Stacking functions taking it to the next level of connecting components to make the functions multiply.
In Shawn’s words bio-integration is achieved “when a component within the design exceeds seven functions. Once the magic odd number of seven is breached, the design takes on a life of its own. For a component to perform seven functions it must be so connected with the surrounding environment that it takes on a new autonomous, lifelike quality. I refer to this quality as bio-integration, to represent the new life born into design once seven functions are breached.”

Thirteen chapters outline thirteen different designs that can be seen separately but wanting to get to the base of bio-integration it would be crazy not to connect them together to envision a complete range of possibilities. As I said water is the focus from which nearly every design takes off, water is connected in very creative ways. Water alone could do little in a design if we didn’t work with the landscape, and slope is really something that the author has worked around a lot.
Studying the effect of locating a greenhouse on a one percent south-facing slope, the author has put together interesting data on how to passively gain heat and then build up even more integrating this component with a pond. From pond excavation to greenhouses, and compost or chickens, or rainwater harvesting or specific case studies, every chapter is a clear example of design, implementation and practical solutions.
I found very interesting the integration of the chicken coop with a flush system for the manure under it, that using rainwater and a idversion channel takes fertility to a set location. Simple solutions that make us work less with shovel and wheelbarrow.

The designs presented in the book may be replicated or even read as examples of functional analysis, building the readers confidence in this design toolset. Every chapter has an initial box that outlines the elements, and a final one that sums up the functions of the system.


In many cases the reader is led step by step into implementation, and a lot of text boxes highlight specific topics. Tables and diagrams break down the data when it is available. The authors suggest online resources to the reader for help in design, and in implementation.
The way the book is written makes it a manual and maybe Shawn’s professional experience in college has helped in this sense. It is clear that the book has an educational perspective, it is not only the description of a personal experience.
It can be read from front to cover or specifically in some parts. Every chapter has reference to other chapters or paragraphs that connect together on a topic or subject, this helps the reader follow specific tracks throughout the book.

THe author shares historical reference to solutions that are used in permaculture, recalling the historical context of these solutions is something I really enjoyed. From Chinampa’s to the “three brothers” garden, kin to the more known “three sisters”, we get the sense of how a lot of ideas often used in permaculture are really connected with our history from different regions. Sometimes remembering this is important, a bit of research on our past is always appreciated.

I think this book is an interesting read, we must bare attention to integration always more if we want to create stable systems and the Bio-integrated farm takes us in that direction.

Natural Swimming Pools: A Guide to Designing & Building Your Own


Source: amazon.com

Publisher: Permanent Publications

Where to get it?

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
green-shopping.co.uk
Amazon.co.uk


Trailer




Related Podcast

Podcast 121 natural swimming pools part 1
Podcast 122 natural swimming pools part 2


Related Threads

Natural building forum
ponds forum
Natural swimming pools thread


Related Websites

David Pagan Butler's webstie

Source: Amazon.com

Publisher: House Press

Summary

The first edition of the book quickly established itself as the book on biogas generation. Now in a newly revised edition, David House brings together all the information, from the most theoretical scientific research to grass roots homescale trial and error.
Here are the detailed designs for generators and the knowledge, encouragement, imagination, and humor you will need to build a generator of your own. While biogas may not yet be a household word, you should consider it seriously if you believe in the future of alternative energy.

Use biogas for illumination, cooking, water heating, refrigeration, space heating, and to fuel vehicles.

*Over 100 figures and tables *All the necessary formulas *6 model generators and a design flow chart *Complete list of resources *Extensive bibliography
(Amazon.com)

Where to get it?

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk


Related Videos




Related Podcast

Podcast 295 Solar Powered Homestead part 3


Related Threads

alternative energy forum



Related Websites

Vahid Biogas

Wild Plants of Greater Seattle: A Field Guide to Native and Naturalized Plants of the Seattle Area


Source: Amazon.com


Publisher: A.L. jacobson


Summary

A field guide to native and naturalized plants of the Seattle area


Where to get it?

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca
Amazon.co.uk


Related Videos


Related Podcast

Podcast 246 Botany in a day part 1
Botany in a Day Review - Part 2
Botany in a Day Review - Part 3
Botany in a Day Review - Part 4
Botany in a Day Review - Part 5
Botany in a Day Review - Part 6
Botany in a Day Review - Part 7
Botany in a Day Review - Part 8
Botany in a Day Review - Part 9
Botany in a Day Review - Part 10
Botany in a Day Review - Part 11


Related Threads

wild harvesting forum


Lee Jacobson website

So I ran the winner picker app in the forum software and we have 4 winners.
Yes!! from this promotion on we will be handing out four books for every promotion directly to posters

Bryant RedHawk

Jenny Barnes

Mick Fisch

and

C. Letellier

Congratulations Bryant, Jenny, Mick and C.!!!