July 2023 MBR The Agriculture Shelf

The Agriculture Shelf

The Ecological Farm
Helen Atthowe, author
Chelsea Green Publishing Company
85 North Main Street, Suite 120, White River Junction, VT 05001
www.chelseagreen.com
9781645021810, $44.95, PB, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ecological-Farm-Selective-Weeding-Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer-Agriculture/dp/1645021815

Synopsis: A breakthrough resource for fruit and vegetable growers at every scale who want to go 'beyond organic' and build higher soil quality and fertility using fewer inputs through a unique ecosystem balancing approach, "The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture" by Helen Atthowe is the new 'bible' for organic farming.

"The Ecological Farm" will enable even the most novice of farmers to employ their efforts at organic, ecologically sustainable farming to ever advancing levels. Jam packed from cover to cover with 'real world' useful, field-tested, innovative techniques for farming more gently without sacrificing productivity. With its unique focus on reduced tillage, minimizing farm and garden inputs, and pest control, "The Ecological Farm" is the essential guide for successfully growing organic crops year after year after year.

Critique: This large format paperback edition of "The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture" also features a crop-by-crop guide to growing more than 25 of the most popular and profitable vegetables and fruits, including specific management advice for dealing with pests and diseases. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Ecological Farm" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, community, and agricultural college Organic/Ecological Farming collections. It should be noted that "The Ecological Farm" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $33.99).

Editorial Note: Helen Atthowe has worked for 35 years to connect farming, food systems, land stewardship, and conservation. She farms and conducts research at Woodleaf Farm in Eastern Oregon and serves as a consultant with farmers across the United States and internationally. She is a contributing writer to The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control and other books. She has served as a board member for the Organic Farming Research Foundation and advisor for the Wild Farm Alliance. She has also served as a horticulture extension agent in Montana, where she annually taught an organic master gardener course.

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