Farming Books

Wilkinson's book was beyound astounding, it was magnificent! The book went beyond normal standards and it reached a higher level of apexes. This book should not only be read in every classroom throughout the U.S., but it should be momrized, analyzed, and loved, because it is truly worth all of that. Wilkinson truly knows how to write and for that, everyone should at least read a chapter.

This is a neat book, telling of the author's life on and off an Iowa farm from his birth on Sept 22, 1892, till he finished college in 1917. I was surprised how I was moved by it, tho he is a generation before me. Some of the farming practices he describes (such as threshing from stacks) I only heard about, but others were not too different from when I was a boy in a different part of Iowa. Any one who grew up on a farm or has rural roots will be affected by this book, maybe not as powerfully as was I but it is a very pleasant book to read. The author's few poems (which were published in papers at times) are in the book, and they while not great poetry have a charm which surprises. This volume is a worthy component of Iowa State University Press' Iowa Heritage Collection.

Richard Gaskell's state fair photographs are well worth a look. His images are respectful of his subject but they avoid the sentimental, nostaligic point of view so typical of much rural art. One is reminded of the great images of rural life that the WPA photographers produced in the 1930's. An excellent book for urbanites who've never been to the fair, but also for rural folks who want an honest but loving point of view of one of their great traditions.

If ever there is a book that captures the beauty and grace that is often hidden under the sweat and tears of hard farmwork, this is it. In a series of haunting photographs, Gaskell has found humor, grit, honesty, and a piece of his own soul. Sunday morning bacon and eggs will never be the same.

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What's it like growing up on an Aussie farm? Read Alison Lester's "My Farm" and you will be captivated by her reminiscences.

You will follow young Alison and her two brothers and sister through the highs (many) and lows (a few) of their young rural lives.

There's lots of Aussie bush humour shining through. Painting clay stripes on an old black horse gives you a "Native Australian Zebra" and entering your Kelpie sheep dog in the dog high jump is all part of the fun.

We are not shielded from the harsher realities of life in the bush. We are threatened by bushfires; round-up runaway cows and we even assist mum to deliver a newborn calf.

We enjoy the bounties of nature and go picking wild blackberries and field mushrooms.

There are some esoteric references to which only Aussies might relate, such as children swinging on the rotary clothesline, best known as the iconic Hills Hoist.

Alison's illustrations have a quirky charm. Faces are simply drawn, but the atmospherics of the landscapes and farm scenes are exquisite.

"My Farm" is the most sophisticated of Alison's works and neatly supplements her other works such as "Bouncing and Bumping" for the younger reader and "Imagine" her most successful book.

Some readers may want a glossary of Aussie terms eg chooks = hens, drover = cowboy, mobs = herd, but these all give a delightful flavour to a book which will have great appeal to all young children.

This book attracted me with its beautiful cover, and I expected a well-illustrated, serene pastoral. I was right about the pictures, they're uniformly superb but "My Farm" has a greater narrative and emotional range than its simple title suggests. Between the covers, Lester shows us the fun and the hard work of living on an Australian sheep and cattle farm.

"My Farm" skirts the boundaries between the picture book and the chapter book by using three pictures per page, acoompanied by Lester's tightly constructed, informative narrative. Lester is also capable of poetic images that match the soft visuals. This autobiographical book follows the seasonal chores and mischief on a mid-20th centure seaside Australian farm. Lester invokes another time and place through Australian terms (explained at the back of the book), and her pictures of the farm and its surroundings. While farm life (big family gatherings, humorous encounters with siblings, home grown games, horseback riding, community faires) are pleasingly light, Lester doesn't settle into an easy sentimentality. Baby and older animals don;t always make it, and sheep may be slaughtered for food. The latter is depicted by a soft version of something you might see in a butcher shop, nothing gory, but you know what you're seeing.)

A recurring subplot involves Lester's desire for a bigger, faster pony. It's no surprise when she finally gets on, but young kids not used to this formula may enjoy the suspense. Disappointed one summer Christmas (Lester reminds us later that the seasons are "reversed" in Australia), young Alison gets her dream horse one Christmas later, waiting for her under an apple tree just ready for plucking. With gorgeous pictures and funny, informative, and sometimes touching vignettes, this is a heart-warming piece of Australiana.

An outstanding and informative book that all horse owners should have (and read).

If you could only have one book on feeding horses, this is the one

This book is a tome. A holy bible.

I ahve made my own Koji, Tempeh, Tofu, Kim Chee, and Saur Kraut with this book. Admitedly the Saur Kraut was wierd but my German relatives confirmed what I had done and were overjoyed that I had done it the old way.

My long experience in microbiology and fermentation (beer, beer, beer, beer) mean

I KNOW THIS IS GOOD BOOK.

But the most ignorant (but literate) mudsquating yokel can pull of alost any ferment cuz the techniques are thousand years old.

Get this book and get on it.

Emphasizing the enhancement of nutrition, this is one of the most comprehensive books available today on the subject of storing and preserving foods. Recipes and processing methods have been collected from indigenous people worldwide. These practical and traditional techniques , many of which were nearly lost forever, have been collated and set out in a well-defined and easy to follow manual which is of value to anyone interested in processing and storing food. Chapters are set out under the following headings:

Storing - Preserving - Cooking Foods

The Fungi - Yeasts - Mushrooms, Lichens

The Grains

The Legumes

Roots - Bulbs - Rhizomes

Fruits - Flowers - Nuts - Oils - Olives

Leaf and Stem - Aguamiels

Marine and Freshwater Products

Fish - Molluscs - Algae Meats - Birds - Insects

Dairy Products

Beers - Wines - Beverages

Condiments - Spices - Sauces

Agricultural Composts - Silages - Liquid Manures

Nutrition and Environmental Health

"A truly fabulous book, a quirky gem, a classic. Mollison has written a comprehensive monograph on the international use of microbial fermentation in food and beverage production, from a cross-cultural, anthropological, and biological perspective." Dr. Marion Nestle, Dept, of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University

This is a must have for any postharvest researcher especially when dealing with students that have not necessarily had any posharvest training. It gives the basics of postharvest physiology and technology in a simple, non-complicated way. I am an experienced postharvest physiologist but still look things up in it in areas I am less familiar with. There is only one comment I have about it and that is that it is not using SI units throughout the book.

It would be cool is they removed the barcode sticker from the back of the book so that we could read it.

amazon thank you so much for having this web site the books i bought iam enjoying very much and they are being very helpfull like your self thanks again donna millbern

This book is a GEM. It has earned a place on my bookshelf and I refer to it often when a question arises. This is the first book I've seen that explains the sex link crosses - HOW to produce chicks that are "sex linked" (males white females dark or otherwise distinctively marked so you can tell without question at hatching which to rear for layers and which to feed for meat). So many here keep it some secret as those mixed bred chicks are big sellers here. You can produce your own! And it explains *how* an egg is produced. The explanations within are easy to read and understand and it is done without talking down to the reader. Some of the things in it are in "UK terms" (it's an English book) but is very very useful to the small poultry producer here. From care and rearing of chickens to showing to management to breeding this book has the answers. It's more concise than many US poultry books but is WELL WORTH the money. EXCELLENT reference from a man who KNOWS chickens.

This book is an introduction to small-scale turkey farming. It is geared to the backyard farmer or older 4H student who has never raised turkeys before. It begins with a description of housing needs for turkeys, which includes building plans for a poultry house and sun porch. It describes poults, brooding, and flock management. The book includes plans for a variety of equipment, such as homemade feeders, waterers, and incubators. There are chapters on breeding, health, killing and processing, and preserving and cooking, as well as a small collection of recipes. At the back of the book is a glossary, a list of references, a list of state extension departments, a list of suppliers, and a list of diagnostic laboratories.

The text is written for readers who have some animal sense and some basic experience with building things by hand. Technical terms and processes are explained both in the text and with diagrams. All in all, it is a clear introduction and should prove useful to the beginning turkey farmer.

Taught me every thing, about how to care for the turkeys. Talked about what to do incase of ...... A best buy for anyone that wants to raise turkeys. Other books just skimed over turkeys this one went in debth. I lost 6 turkeys out of 8 one year without this book. Now I know how to keep them all alive.

This is a fabulous book. I wish there had been one about Illinois. It is broadly divided into sections of Arts & Culture, Innovative Farming, Building Community, Toward a Healthy Planet, Travel & Recreation, Good Enough to Eat, and Learning & Action. It is inspiring to read about how the people and small businesses are impacting their communities and improving the world. I live close enough that I hope to visit some of the places written about and I've been asking the managers of some local stores if they could stock some of these more local products.

Compiled and co-edited by the team of Jerry Hembd, Jody Padgham, and Jan Joannides, and enhanced with an informative foreword by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin" beautifully and informatively showcases thirty-nine creative, hard-working people, organization and business that are infusing the Wisconsin countryside with life and activity. "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin " is organized into seven chapters covering arts and culture, farming, green business, conservation, tourism, community development, and education. From the story of how the city of Washburn on Wisconsin's Chequamegon Bay became the country's first eco-municipality; to how 'Growing Power' is connecting urban Milwaukee kids to fresh food and country side; to how innovative farmers and artisan food makers are bringing sustainability and organically grown products to consumers throughout Wisconsin, "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin" offers inspiring examples of what the reader can do in his or her own part of the Badger state. Simply stated, "Renewing The Countryside: Wisconsin ", which is also available in a hardcover edition (9780979545801, $39.95), should be a part of every Wisconsin school and community library -- and would ably serve as a template for similar books featuring similar efforts with respect to the rural economies and conditions in other states.

Quite useful! I love the sample gardens (knot garden, informal garden, kitchen garden). The book is a hefty 600+ pages so there's a lot of information here.
There are 267 pages covering an encyclopedia of herbs from Aconite to Yerba Santa. Each plant has a page or more with a mix of history, planting care, and uses. The plant photos are in black and white.
I believe a new edition of this is available with more illustrations.

This book tells how to grow herbs, (with a variety of herb garden designing ideas) what the herbs and "spices" are used with and for. Thru-out the book there are "recipes" of different ways to use the herbs. How to make scented beads, soap,
herbal oils, candles, perfumes, plus recipes for different food dishes. That is by no means all of the book, just a small part. Great reference for those who are looking to learn more about herbs, as well as gardeners.