Must Read Permaculture Books

Anyone have a List of MUST READ Permaculture books? What books or videos do you repeatedly turn to when you are applying Permaculture? Right now, I am reading Sepp Holzer's Permaculture. I highly recommend it. One idea that bears some merit is a recipe that keeps deer from eating fruit trees on p.114.

Have you seen The permies.com Book Review Grid?

So far, of the Permaculture books I've read, I've gotten the most practical ideas from Sepp Holzer's book... which, if I had read to the end of your post, is the same one you're enjoying. I haven't read to the end of the book yet as the library keeps wanting it back. I really need to get my own copy one of these days.

The permaculture books that I refer to most are Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenwayand The Farmer's Handbook.

I like Gaia's Garden for the overall design ideas and overarching themes. The Farmer's Handbook is awesome for permaculture tricks, like making leaf pots and air nurseries and really understandable instructions for grafting, propagating plants, managing a compost pile, and making liquid manure. Since the Farmer's Handbook was written for farmers in the Himalayans, not everything applies to my climate, but everything is aimed for doing without spending much or any money. I love that, as I don't have much money!

Aside from those specifically permaculture books, I refer to Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre Paperback by Brett L. Markham a lot for knoweldge about amendments and mineral deficiencies, as well as growing tips (he's not particuarly Permaculture, but focuses more on Square Foot Gardening techniques). I also refer to webpage for growing tips and planting schedules specific to my region.

In addition to Sepp Holzer's book I highly recommend The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk.

Nicole Alderman wrote:The permaculture books that I refer to most are Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenwayand The Farmer's Handbook.

I like Gaia's Garden for the overall design ideas and overarching themes. The Farmer's Handbook is awesome for permaculture tricks, like making leaf pots and air nurseries and really understandable instructions for grafting, propagating plants, managing a compost pile, and making liquid manure. Since the Farmer's Handbook was written for farmers in the Himalayans, not everything applies to my climate, but everything is aimed for doing without spending much or any money. I love that, as I don't have much money!

Aside from those specifically permaculture books, I refer to Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre Paperback by Brett L. Markham a lot for knoweldge about amendments and mineral deficiencies, as well as growing tips (he's not particuarly Permaculture, but focuses more on Square Foot Gardening techniques). I also refer to webpage for growing tips and planting schedules specific to my region.

The Farmers' Handbook is available free from the author here:Farmers' Handbook

Here are some of my favorites.

Books:

Permaculture the Designers Manual by Bill Mollison

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond Volume 2 by Brad Lancaster

How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons

Videos:

http://geofflawton.com/free-videos/

Zaytuna Farm Tour https://vimeo.com/158306671

Rainwater Harvesting Basics with Brad Lancaster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iQ-FBAmvBw

https://www.youtube.com/user/growingyourgreens Amazing Urban Permaculture Garden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXEcjWE_Xjs


DVD:

Establishing a Food Forest the Permaculture Way with Geoff Lawton

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

Todd Parr wrote:
The Farmers' Handbook is available free from the author here:Farmers' Handbook

Thank you for mentioning that! It's mentioned in the Permies article I wrote on it the Farmer's Handbook linked to, but it's really good to state it out in the open. I love how all those practical, helpful, affordable permaculture techniques are FREE!

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

One of my favorites is The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk

Ben's very practical and his book covers all the bases of the homestead. There is just a ton of information from earthworks to medicinals and everything in between. His climate in Vermont is similar to where I live in the PNW. Very good book well worth the money!

A favorite book: Edible and Useful Plants of Texas and the Southwest by Delena Tull.

This thread is a bit dated, but have any newer must read books come out?

I have been purchasing books off the Permies Book Review Grid but perhaps there are some that are not captured in it still hiding out there.

Rosemary Morrow's 2nd Ed. The Earth Restorer's Guide  I borrowed the 1st Ed. from the Library but the 2nd is updated and even better (to me anyways). I will have to check out the booklist mentioned before I suggest any others, they may be on the list already.  This one, too, for that matter.  --Tess

Lorenzo Costa wrote: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

I did my Permaculture coarse with Patrick, he was a great teacher and was my inspiration to move to France and put into the smallholding the things I had learnt from him.

In the last few years I’ve really been inspired by Mark Shepherds “Restoration Agriculture,” Joseph Lofthouse’s “landrace gardening” and the Florida Bullfrogs “Free Range Survival Chickens.” There seems to be a theme across the three that I found very inspiring for plant and animal breeding using natural selection to help find genes that do well in your place with your management style.

Joel Salatin’s “Polyface Micro” would be an honorable mention as well.

Very curious about Bill Mollison’s permaculture bible, but it’s hard to find and appears to be pretty spendy.