You may have noticed that there are ads on this blog. These are there in order to generate money to make it somewhat worth my while to keep updating the blog. There are two kinds of ads Google Adsense which I very little control over (though I was able to block all Monsanto ads from showing up on this blog, much to the dismay of the people at Google who tell me how to best get people to click on the ads here and have written me many many notes telling me I am not a great capitalist because I block certain corporations from appearing here. Too bad, I have standards that are not negotiable)
I also have products from Amazon that I am selling through this site. These, unlike the Google Adsense, I have full control over which items will appear on this blog. And today I updated my offerings to include non book items for the first time.
There are now 3 non book items
Food Inc-this is a must see film if you do any eating at all in this modern world. For the savvy locavore there will not be much new (though I was still shocked by a lot of this film because you so seldom see graphic images of our industrial food stream). This movie was nominated for a 2010 Academy Award, BTW
Zyliss Salad Spinner-if you are getting into eating locally or just love salads your kitchen is not complete without a salad spinner. I use mine many times a day. It is a Zyliss spinner that is at least 12 years old and still going strong. It is not like the model listed here as mine has a pull string (which they do not seem to make any longer-Amazon does list the pull string type as out of stock and not getting any more)
Excalibur Food Dehydrator-this is the BMW of dehydrators. This model is their largest and will do around a 1/2 bushel of food. I use mine heavily and love the results. I highly recommend this product
A note on some of the the books
The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook is excellent, I have a copy and have learned much. If you are a farmer and want to be truly profitable get this book and make a better living you need this book in your library. I give this a hearty thumbs up
The New Organic Grower Another excellent book, a classic on how to set up and run a small diversified organic farm. Eliot Coleman is a master market gardener and a really good writer. this book, more than any other got us up and running and we still refer to it a lot. If you are a market gardener or serious organic gardener this book should be in your library
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
New Book Listings!
In Honor of Black Friday (which I will not attend, I shall be in the bosom of my family that day, well away from the Malls and shops. Plus it is Buy Nothing Day) I have listed new titles and things for you to peruse and purchase for a Christmas present or for yourself. Look to the right hand side bar for the new titles. Click on any that interest you and you will be swept away to the Amazon website where you can purchase the item(s). Know that Boulder Belt gets a small % of each sale that comes from this blog and that that money supports what we do. So buying from Amazon via this Blog supports a small diversified sustainable farm.
3 of the titles are Eliot Coleman classics on market farming and season extension. If you grow for market or are into hoop houses so you can grow almost year round, if not year round, and do not have these books you need them. They really are a "must have" for your farm and garden library.
Solviva is a book about an interesting experiment that no longer exists. Ana Edy took her house Solviva and made it into a living breathing entity. But her success took her away from Solviva and it eventually died. But the book is about how this worked for many years and is full of ideas for the rest of us.
The Aerogarden I have not used but I have seen them and they are a wonderful idea for people who want to grow year round but do not want to fuss with big old hoop houses, snow loads and other issues one has with winter growing outdoors. And I have a listing for the seed pods too.
The Handbook of Organic Pest Control is one of my favorites. I use this book a lot. Well written and well organized.
The new Farmers market is for anyone who is thinking of starting a farmers market or selling at one. It is really two books in one, as it looks at farmers market from both the management perspective and the vendor perspective. I own this book and my copy has helped to start two farmers markets and has helped Boulder belt with marketing techniques. This is an essential book for everyone involved in farmers markets in any way shape or form
The Moosewood Cookbook. My favorite cookbook ever. The recipes are simple and tasty. I got my copy at least 20 years ago from My sister, Maggie and I still make good use of the book to this day.
3 of the titles are Eliot Coleman classics on market farming and season extension. If you grow for market or are into hoop houses so you can grow almost year round, if not year round, and do not have these books you need them. They really are a "must have" for your farm and garden library.
Solviva is a book about an interesting experiment that no longer exists. Ana Edy took her house Solviva and made it into a living breathing entity. But her success took her away from Solviva and it eventually died. But the book is about how this worked for many years and is full of ideas for the rest of us.
The Aerogarden I have not used but I have seen them and they are a wonderful idea for people who want to grow year round but do not want to fuss with big old hoop houses, snow loads and other issues one has with winter growing outdoors. And I have a listing for the seed pods too.
The Handbook of Organic Pest Control is one of my favorites. I use this book a lot. Well written and well organized.
The new Farmers market is for anyone who is thinking of starting a farmers market or selling at one. It is really two books in one, as it looks at farmers market from both the management perspective and the vendor perspective. I own this book and my copy has helped to start two farmers markets and has helped Boulder belt with marketing techniques. This is an essential book for everyone involved in farmers markets in any way shape or form
The Moosewood Cookbook. My favorite cookbook ever. The recipes are simple and tasty. I got my copy at least 20 years ago from My sister, Maggie and I still make good use of the book to this day.
Monday, September 01, 2008
New Books to Peruse and Buy
It's late summer and high time we all start to do something about putting food up for winter and saving our seeds for next season. This warm weather will give way to cold frosty conditions in the next few months.
I could and have written page upon page on the subjects of putting up food, seed saving and how to eat local in the off season but instead I invite you to check out the new titles I have selected. If you think they would be of use to you than order what you saw on this blog and I get a percentage of the sale. It's that easy to support this small contrary farmer and her blog.
I could and have written page upon page on the subjects of putting up food, seed saving and how to eat local in the off season but instead I invite you to check out the new titles I have selected. If you think they would be of use to you than order what you saw on this blog and I get a percentage of the sale. It's that easy to support this small contrary farmer and her blog.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
New Amazon Titles
I put up 4 Michael Pollan titles everyone should read. That is unless you could not care less about what you eat and the state on the industrial food stream (and if you are reading this blog you do care about food).
Buy a book and support a small diversifed local farm. That would be my farm.
Buy a book and support a small diversifed local farm. That would be my farm.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
New Titles From Amazon
I have posted 4 new titles and a DVD. The theme this time is cooking. I have listed 3 cookbooks. 2 of them, Moosewood and Silver Palate I own and use a lot and one, Simple Foods I would like to own and use a lot. These are good cook books to have if you are cooking a lot of whole and local foods.
Fast Food Nation is a must read for anyone who cares about what they put in their bodies. It is scary and it is full of fun facts and history about industrial food. I have read this twice and it is probably time I pick it up again. This book was a heavy influence on me as far as becoming a locavore.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John is a DVD about the guy who started and runs Angelic Organics near Chicago, one of the largest CSA's in the USA. This was shown on some PBS stations but none that I can get. I have been told by many people I respect that this is a great flick.
So click on the Amazon links and buy a book or DVD and educate yourself about food and farming all while supporting a small Ohio farm
Fast Food Nation is a must read for anyone who cares about what they put in their bodies. It is scary and it is full of fun facts and history about industrial food. I have read this twice and it is probably time I pick it up again. This book was a heavy influence on me as far as becoming a locavore.
The Real Dirt on Farmer John is a DVD about the guy who started and runs Angelic Organics near Chicago, one of the largest CSA's in the USA. This was shown on some PBS stations but none that I can get. I have been told by many people I respect that this is a great flick.
So click on the Amazon links and buy a book or DVD and educate yourself about food and farming all while supporting a small Ohio farm
Monday, January 21, 2008
Learn Thru Reading
I listed a bunch of new titles you can buy from Amazon. I have read only one of these books but that does not mean they are not worth reading
This list has several anti GMO food titles including Jeffrey Smith's Seeds of Deception which is a critical look at the GMO industry and how they have introduced new food crops to the world and have engaged us all in huge uncontrolled feeding study. This is bundled with another title by Mr Smith, The GMO Trilogy. I have not read this so have little to say about it.
Next we have GMO Free by Mae Ho Wan who is a scientists (geneticist, I believe) who has done a lot of research that has led her to question the use of GMO crops. I have not read this book but have read several of her abstracts and papers and she does do her homework
Everything I want to do is Illegal by Joel Salatin is not about GMO's but rather about all the state and federal government regulations that have been instated (and geared towards the one size fits all industrial mega farms) that is making it very hard for us small diversified farmers to keep on farming. This is another book I have not read but in Acres USA they had a long interview with Mr Salatin about this book and the government's attempts to shut Joel down. If you want to learn more about the hoops we farmers are told to jump through just so we can stay in the business of farming read this book
To Buy or Not to Buy Organic by Cindy Burke. Boulder Belt is one of the Farms profiled in this book. It is a nicely done overview on the pros and cons of buying organic. There are a ton of helpful charts and diagrams in the book as well as many well written farm profiles. If you are just getting into organic food buying and eating you really should add this to your library.
Finally we have Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope, another one of those books I have not read but should, it got great reviews
Every book you buy from this list contributes to this blog and Boulder Belt Eco-Farm
This list has several anti GMO food titles including Jeffrey Smith's Seeds of Deception which is a critical look at the GMO industry and how they have introduced new food crops to the world and have engaged us all in huge uncontrolled feeding study. This is bundled with another title by Mr Smith, The GMO Trilogy. I have not read this so have little to say about it.
Next we have GMO Free by Mae Ho Wan who is a scientists (geneticist, I believe) who has done a lot of research that has led her to question the use of GMO crops. I have not read this book but have read several of her abstracts and papers and she does do her homework
Everything I want to do is Illegal by Joel Salatin is not about GMO's but rather about all the state and federal government regulations that have been instated (and geared towards the one size fits all industrial mega farms) that is making it very hard for us small diversified farmers to keep on farming. This is another book I have not read but in Acres USA they had a long interview with Mr Salatin about this book and the government's attempts to shut Joel down. If you want to learn more about the hoops we farmers are told to jump through just so we can stay in the business of farming read this book
To Buy or Not to Buy Organic by Cindy Burke. Boulder Belt is one of the Farms profiled in this book. It is a nicely done overview on the pros and cons of buying organic. There are a ton of helpful charts and diagrams in the book as well as many well written farm profiles. If you are just getting into organic food buying and eating you really should add this to your library.
Finally we have Jane Goodall's Harvest for Hope, another one of those books I have not read but should, it got great reviews
Every book you buy from this list contributes to this blog and Boulder Belt Eco-Farm
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Everchanging Book Titles
Val was looking for a book in the side bar that I had reviewed but had disapeared (it's back, Val). Which made me realize I have been happily changing titles from Amazon (it's fun to search out books and see what titles you get and than copy the HTML and apply it to this site) without informing you readers.
I got to thinking about selling books and got the thought in my head that changing titles would likely get more people to click on them and eventually someone will buy a book or two and I will get a small % from those sales. From the information I can get from Amazon, changing titles has indeed increased traffic, though not sales.
Okay, so know you know what I am up to with this Amazon thing. I will be changing titles weekly (in theory, reality will likely be different, it so often is). If there is a title you want to buy via this blog and it is no longer up just leave a comment and I will change the book listings within 24 hours (more likely within the hour) and leave a comment saying the change is done.
New on the List is Mike Phillips, The Apple Grower. The best book I have found on organic orcharding there is. I got this book years ago and a few weeks after buying it I found myself in a workshop given by the author. The guy lives and breathes apples, nothing seems to be more important to him (except, perhaps, his wife and children).
I also have put up the Peterson's Guide to North American Insects because every organic grower needs a good bug book and this is one of the best. If you do not know your insects you cannot be a successful organic gardener/farmer. I probably haul out this book 2 to 3 times a week during insect season
Along with the Peterson's Guide I have posted The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals which is a great book for any organic grower on any scale from tiny apartment container garden to a several acre spread. This is one we use a lot to diagnose problems we encounter in the garden. It is clearly written and has good illustrations (and the newer edition, our copy is over 12 years old, may use photos). This is one of those books no gardening library should be without.
I got to thinking about selling books and got the thought in my head that changing titles would likely get more people to click on them and eventually someone will buy a book or two and I will get a small % from those sales. From the information I can get from Amazon, changing titles has indeed increased traffic, though not sales.
Okay, so know you know what I am up to with this Amazon thing. I will be changing titles weekly (in theory, reality will likely be different, it so often is). If there is a title you want to buy via this blog and it is no longer up just leave a comment and I will change the book listings within 24 hours (more likely within the hour) and leave a comment saying the change is done.
New on the List is Mike Phillips, The Apple Grower. The best book I have found on organic orcharding there is. I got this book years ago and a few weeks after buying it I found myself in a workshop given by the author. The guy lives and breathes apples, nothing seems to be more important to him (except, perhaps, his wife and children).
I also have put up the Peterson's Guide to North American Insects because every organic grower needs a good bug book and this is one of the best. If you do not know your insects you cannot be a successful organic gardener/farmer. I probably haul out this book 2 to 3 times a week during insect season
Along with the Peterson's Guide I have posted The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals which is a great book for any organic grower on any scale from tiny apartment container garden to a several acre spread. This is one we use a lot to diagnose problems we encounter in the garden. It is clearly written and has good illustrations (and the newer edition, our copy is over 12 years old, may use photos). This is one of those books no gardening library should be without.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Buy Some Books
Okay, you may noticed a slew of new books from Amazon sitting in the sidebar to the left. These are books that I personally own and are favorites here at Boulder Belt Eco-Farm. Here's the deal. I write this blog because I love writing. But I want this blog to generate some income and Google and Amazon ads are posted here for that purpose. Click on an ad, and I get a tiny % for allowing these ads to clutter up this blog. With Google I do not have any say as to what will be posted. For the most, part the Google ads have been unoffensive (there are a few that appear from time to time that do piss me off. Milk is Milk is one such ad. It's Alex Avery's site touting the wonders of rBGH and GMO's and telling us that organics will kill us all. Oh, and anything associated with Monsanto).
With the Amazon ads in order for me to get any $$ you do have to buy a book (and it has to be from the selections posted here on this very blog). Since it is the Holiday season and you likely have to buy some presents anyhoo why not support small farm in doing so
So I am asking you to take a look at the Amazon selections here. If you see something that interests you (and if you are a beginning locavore or market farmer all these titles ought to pique your interest)click on that link and buy the product and I get a % and the blog generates money for our sustainable farm and that means income during our slow season (winter) so we can pay bills, buy seed and equipment for the upcoming growing season.
Okay about the publications listed.
Food and Farms of Ohio; I have to admit I have not read but Boulder Belt Farm is profiled in this book. The reason I do not own this is because I usually get a copy of any book I am in (and there have been several) and for some reason I was not sent a free copy of this book. At any rate this is a cookbook that celebrates local food and farms of Ohio.
Root Cellaring; This is a must have book if you intend to be a locavore/eat locally year round. Beautifully and simply written it explains how you grow and put up food for the winter so you can eat local year round. And this is not just for us rural folks, they have lots of tips for apartment dwellers as well.
The New Organic Grower; I think this is Eliot Coleman's best book. It covers about everything you need to know to set up a market garden of really large and complex home garden. I think this book would be overwhelming for a gardening newbie. Coleman covers site selection, laying out a garden, crop rotation, equipment needs, seed starting, season extension, etc.. this book is what got us through the jump from teensy market garden to growing on an acre (now we are at around 3 acres).
Seed to Seed; This is the best book on basic seed saving. Anyone interested in heirloom crops and seed saving should have a copy of this book. it is basic and well laid out and is the seed saving book we use most often here at Boulder Belt Eco-Farm.
The New Farmers Market: This is simply the best book ever published on farmers markets. If you are a in the process of developing a new farmers market you must have this book. If you are a market grower you must have this book, it is loaded with tons of information as to how to better market what you grow. I have used this book a lot, both for my own farm's sales and also to help create the Oxford farmers markets Uptown (which is very very successful, in part because of this book)
Breed Your own Vegetable Varieties; When you have gotten beyond basic seed saving and want to try your hand at breeding it is time to move from Ashworth's Seed to Seed and buy a copy of this book. Deppe is a professional seed breeder (she has a Ph.d and everthang) and a very good writer. this book is a series of stories about seed saving and breeding along with all the technical information you need to know about isolation, plant selection, etc..
Acres Magazine:The Voice for Eco-Agriculture; I have been an Acres subscriber for well over 10 years (and because these are too good to ever throw away-like Nat'l Geographics-I have a 4' stack of the back issues). I love this publication as it keeps me up to date on farm issues, industrial organics, NAIS, etc.. It has a lot of information on soil building, grazing, permaculture, biodynamics, small farming, alternative medicine for man and beast. If you are at all into alternative living check out this magazine.
With the Amazon ads in order for me to get any $$ you do have to buy a book (and it has to be from the selections posted here on this very blog). Since it is the Holiday season and you likely have to buy some presents anyhoo why not support small farm in doing so
So I am asking you to take a look at the Amazon selections here. If you see something that interests you (and if you are a beginning locavore or market farmer all these titles ought to pique your interest)click on that link and buy the product and I get a % and the blog generates money for our sustainable farm and that means income during our slow season (winter) so we can pay bills, buy seed and equipment for the upcoming growing season.
Okay about the publications listed.
Food and Farms of Ohio; I have to admit I have not read but Boulder Belt Farm is profiled in this book. The reason I do not own this is because I usually get a copy of any book I am in (and there have been several) and for some reason I was not sent a free copy of this book. At any rate this is a cookbook that celebrates local food and farms of Ohio.
Root Cellaring; This is a must have book if you intend to be a locavore/eat locally year round. Beautifully and simply written it explains how you grow and put up food for the winter so you can eat local year round. And this is not just for us rural folks, they have lots of tips for apartment dwellers as well.
The New Organic Grower; I think this is Eliot Coleman's best book. It covers about everything you need to know to set up a market garden of really large and complex home garden. I think this book would be overwhelming for a gardening newbie. Coleman covers site selection, laying out a garden, crop rotation, equipment needs, seed starting, season extension, etc.. this book is what got us through the jump from teensy market garden to growing on an acre (now we are at around 3 acres).
Seed to Seed; This is the best book on basic seed saving. Anyone interested in heirloom crops and seed saving should have a copy of this book. it is basic and well laid out and is the seed saving book we use most often here at Boulder Belt Eco-Farm.
The New Farmers Market: This is simply the best book ever published on farmers markets. If you are a in the process of developing a new farmers market you must have this book. If you are a market grower you must have this book, it is loaded with tons of information as to how to better market what you grow. I have used this book a lot, both for my own farm's sales and also to help create the Oxford farmers markets Uptown (which is very very successful, in part because of this book)
Breed Your own Vegetable Varieties; When you have gotten beyond basic seed saving and want to try your hand at breeding it is time to move from Ashworth's Seed to Seed and buy a copy of this book. Deppe is a professional seed breeder (she has a Ph.d and everthang) and a very good writer. this book is a series of stories about seed saving and breeding along with all the technical information you need to know about isolation, plant selection, etc..
Acres Magazine:The Voice for Eco-Agriculture; I have been an Acres subscriber for well over 10 years (and because these are too good to ever throw away-like Nat'l Geographics-I have a 4' stack of the back issues). I love this publication as it keeps me up to date on farm issues, industrial organics, NAIS, etc.. It has a lot of information on soil building, grazing, permaculture, biodynamics, small farming, alternative medicine for man and beast. If you are at all into alternative living check out this magazine.
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