Five Books Dan Brisebois thinks new farmers should read
Today The Ruminant debuts a new feature that shares readers’ recommended reading for new farmers
About a month ago I unceremoniously created a page on this site that allows readers to suggest up to five books new farmers (or really, any farmers wishing to brush up on their knowledge) should consider reading. Until yesterday I hadn’t received any submissions. I now have three, and I’ve decided to feature the odd one on the main blog. The first is by Daniel Brisebois, an organic market gardener, seed producer, and co-author of Crop Planning for Vegetable Growers. Here are Dan’s suggestions:
Type of farming this list instructs: Great vegetable farming
Farming/Gardening Background of the submitter: I’ve been farming for 12 years. I run a CSA, market garden and seed company with 4 other folks (Tourne-Sol co-operative farm).
Book 1:
The Organic Farmer’s Handook, Richard Wiswall
This book will challenge you understanding of your farms profitability and make you wonder whether you should be growing so many peas. Tons of good business management advice.
Book 2:
Diseaese and Pests of Vegetable Crops in Canada. Entomological Society of Canada
Great pictures of horrible pests and diseases. 500+ pages of information and some management solutions. The best disease/pest reference.
Book 3:
Whole Farm Planning. Elizabeth Henderson and Karl North
A guide to set your farm goals to meet your financial, ecological, and quality of life targets. If you don’t take the time to set your targets, how can you know if you’re working towards them?
This a simplified version of Allan Savory’s holistic management model.
Book 4:
Seed to Seed. Suzanne Ashworth
Because farmers should be saving seed and this book has all the basics.
Book 5:
Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers. Fred Thériault and Dan Brisebois
As one of the co-authors I am a touch biased but we wrote the book we wished we could have read when we were starting.
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Thanks, Dan, for taking the time to submit. Anyone else who would like to recommend some books for new farmers can do so using the form I’ve got set up in the right-hand column there.
Seven Axioms Farmers Use to Justify Crappy Compensation for their Apprentices
by Jordan Marr
A former apprentice and soon-to-be apprenticeship host suggests that farm apprentices, on average, aren’t compensated enough, and shares his ideas for improving their lot
This season, for the first time, my partner and I are going to join the ranks of dozens of small-scale farms across Canada that offer apprenticeships to eager, would-be farmers. We’re now really excited at this prospect, despite long feeling conflicted about it. For quite a while we were uncertain about whether we would be able to stay on the right side of a line separating a mutually beneficial trade of labour for education on one side, and exploitation on the other.
Because here’s the thing:
Farm Glance: When Livestock Goes Camping
Three coops, A Goat RV, and further proof that Bag Boy missed his true calling as a farmer
Recently Jan Steinman and friends were kind enough to receive my friend John and I out to EcoReality Co-op on Salt Spring Island, BC, for a meal and a tour. Here’s what we saw first:
Farm Glance: A Plumber’s Crack…at firming down a seedbed
This week’s post is brought to you by an idiot’s overconfidence in the bearing properties of cast iron, and the nemesis-plumber who saw a chance to score points with a MILF (that’s Mother-in-Law/Friend).
