Ruminant Readers’ Recommended Reading List for New Farmers

Monstrous carrots and  jolly cows don’t happen by sheer luck. Good husbandry takes years of hard-won experience and–usually–requires a lot of reading. There’s a lot of dead-end pablum out there, though, book-wise. With that in mind I’ve created this page so that those of us with experience can help new farmers start out on the right track…tor. If you would like to make some reading suggestions for new farmers, please use the form to in the right-hand column. Reading recommendations show up further down this page.

And if you’d like to comment on others’ choices, consider leaving a comment even further down. Thanks! –Jordan

Next Submission:

Type of farming this list instructs: Mainly organic veggie production  

Farming/Gardening Background of the submitter: 5 years mostly in small-scale organic veggie production

Book 1:

The New Organic Grower by Eliot Coleman. Not so new any more...as far as I can tell the latest update was in '95...but it was the first important book I read on market gardening and armed me with a framework on which to base my learning. Still very relevant and I consult it regularly.

Book 2:

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening Edited by Pauline Pears. Every gardener needs a reference guide for making decisions on the fly; I like this one. I use it mainly for its 'A-Z of Vegetable and Salad Crops' section, but there's lots of other great stuff in there.

Book 3:

Chemicals, Humus, and the Soil by Donald P. Hopkins. The author wrote this as a challenge to the Organic paradigm and makes a compelling argument for why the most sustainable agriculture would feature a combination of organic management principles and synthetic fertilizers. I learned a lot about soil science, and this book challenged any organic dogmatisms I may have been developing.

Book 4:

Empires of Food by Evan D.G. Fraser and Andrew Rimas. A fascinating historical examination of how the world has fed itself over time and the dire consequences for any civilization that abuses its soil resources.

Book 5:

The Farming Ladder by George Henderson. Such a great read: basically an autobiography of George Henderson's life as a farmer. Inspirational and instructive. Written in 1944.

Next Submission:

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.

Next Submission:

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.