Organic farming, composed of organic fertilizers as an integral virtue, continues to remain a lucrative bet for the expanding agricultural industry, in line with growing organic food appeal to consumers as a healthy and ethical choice. Beyond ethics, organic fertilizers are gaining significant traction on account of numerous environmental benefits, such as enhanced soil structure and water conservation. Growing awareness among farmers about the nutritional benefits of plant based and animal based fertilizers and their role in promoting growth of earthworm and other microbiological activities vital for plant growth are fuelling adoption of organic fertilizers. Animal based organic fertilizers are garnering significant traction over plant based variants owing to their good aeration and water retention capabilities that enhance the soil fertility. As consumers today are inclined towards clean labels and seeking transparency in everything they consume, organic has emerged as a promising approach to address these concerns. In light of these beneficial aspects of organic approaches and after gauging the futuristic opportunistic value of organic fertilizers. Increasing health issues such as diabetes, obesity and digestive disorders are also one of the factors driving the growth of the organic food. The increased accessibility of organic food and beverages in retail outlets make it more convenient for consumers to purchase these products. Asia-Pacific is also expected to rapidly increase in CAGR, owing to the changing lifestyles and increase in consumer disposable income. Organic food products and shifting consumer preference towards organic food are among the major factors expected to boost demand for organic food products in India. Growing awareness among the consumers regarding the benefits of organic fertilizers over chemical fertilizers, and increasing awareness among farmers and cultivators towards eco-friendly fertilizers. The escalating demand for organic food products is likely to create a dire need for large scale development of organic fertilizers in the forthcoming years, which in turn will create a wide field of opportunities for stakeholders. Sensing the growing demand for organic fertilizers, market goliaths have shifted their focus on expanding their organic fertilizer produce to capitalize on the growing unmet demand from consumers. The book cover various aspects related to different organic farming and production of organic compost with their agriculture process and also provides contact details of machinery suppliers with equipment photographs and plant layout. A total guide to manufacturing and entrepreneurial success in one of today’s organic farming and compost industry. This book is one-stop guide to one of the fastest growing sectors of the organic farming and compost industry, where opportunities abound for manufacturers, retailers, and entrepreneurs. This is the only complete handbook on the commercial production of organic farming and compost. It serves up a feast of how-to information, from concept to purchasing equipment

Learn how to use natural no-till systems to increase profitability, efficiency, carbon sequestration, and soil health on your small farm. The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution is the comprehensive farmer-developed roadmap showing how no-till lowers barriers to starting a small farm, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency and profitability, and promotes soil health. Farming without tilling has long been a goal of agriculture, yet tilling remains one of the most dominant paradigms; almost everyone does it. But tilling kills beneficial soil life, burns up organic matter, and releases carbon dioxide. If the ground could instead be prepared for planting without tilling, time and energy could be saved, soil organic matter increased, carbon sequestered, and dependence on machinery reduced. This hands-on manual offers: Why roller-crimper no-till methods don't work for most small farms A decision-making framework for the four no-till methods: occultation, solarization, organic mulches grown in place, and applied to beds Ideas for starting a no-till farm or transitioning a working farm A list of tools, supplies, and sources. This is the only manual of its kind, specifically written for natural and small-scale farmers who wish to expand or explore chemical-free, regenerative farming methods.

What are the advantages of making one's own compost? Is there really a benefit to using compost as opposed to building soil organic matter through other means? How can the decision about compost making affect a farm's economics? Part of the NOFA Guides series, this manual will help answer these questions, and is specifically intended to address the conditions faced by organic farmers in the Northeast. Information on composting techniques, including: Principles and biology of composting Temperature, aeration and moisture control Composting methods Materials (additives and inoculants, biodynamic preparations) About costs (site preparation, equipment, labor and time) What do you do with it? Compost tea and other brewed microbial cultures Compost and the law With extended appendices including a recipe calculator, potting mix recipes, and a sample compost production budget sheet.

Agriculture - the base for our life has been affected the most due to chemical farming system. Although, this leads to the maximum production of the crops and the vegetables on one side but hyper toxification of soil and water on the other. We have to minimize such farming system at the earliest and adopt organic farming system for the better future of the generations in the years to come. Sources of various raw substrates and their bio-transformation in to organic compost are some of the major issues for the farming communities. The present book is a key to disclose sources and availability of such raw and bio-degradable substrates which are generated every day and are either thrown out or dumped in to different places causing air, water and soil pollution along with their easy bio-transformation technologies in to organic manure.

Biofertilizers are seen as an important alternative technology, since the negative externalities of chemical fertilizers have become well known. The use of the latter has led to considerable environmental cost. Biofertilizers do not pollute the soil and do not disrupt the ecological balance, and hence are environment friendly. An increasing number of farmers are using biofertilizers, and the numbers of biofertilizer manufacturing units have also grown considerably. Organic farming system in India is not new and is being followed from ancient time. It is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good health by use of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (biofertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an eco friendly pollution free environment. Organic farming has emerged as an important priority area globally in view of the growing demand for safe and healthy food and long term sustainability and concerns on environmental pollution associated with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Going organic may be a clear way of getting back to basics and getting away from the havoc chemicals can wreak on our health and our environment but the basics themselves may not be so clear. This book provides the view of immense potential of biofertilizers as a supplementary nutrient source for the crops and covers all major types of bacterial fertilizers. The major contents of this book is crop response to biofertilizers, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilising microorganisms, application and evaluation techniques, biogas production, pest and disease management system in agriculture, production, promotion, quality control, marketing, future research planning, photographs and details of machineries, list of manufacturers and suppliers of biofertilizers and organic farming in directory section. This book will be of use and interest to consultants, researchers, libraries, and entrepreneurs, manufacturers of biofertilizer and for those who wants to venture in to this field.

Design a garden for the future—because what we grow matters. "Matt Rees-Warren explains why every square inch of Earth, including our gardens, has ecological significance... Excellent, timely, essential!" —Douglas W. Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope Transform your garden into a self-sustaining haven for nature and wildlife. Ecological garden designer Matt Rees-Warren shares inspirational design ideas and practical projects to help you create a garden that is both beautiful today and sustainable tomorrow. The Ecological Gardener will give you the tools to create an abundant, healthy garden from the soil up—a garden that welcomes birds and bees and allows native planting and wild flowers to flourish, with minimal carbon impact or need for fresh water. This book can guide both novice and experienced gardeners alike in their journey to a more ecological approach, and is full of practical projects and information, including: Finding the right design for your space Creating a wildflower meadow Building rainwater catchments and other tips for water conservation Making compost from kitchen waste, leaf mold, compost tea and more Creating a space for wildlife such as hedgehogs, bees and other pollinators Finding beauty in your garden during the winter Matt will show you how to re-imagine how you garden, working with nature instead of controlling it, to create a space that promotes both wildlife and beauty.

At Clay Bottom Farm, author Ben Hartman and staff practice kaizen, or continuous improvement, cutting out more waste--of time, labor, space, money, and more--every year and aligning their organic production more tightly with customer demand. Applied alongside other lean principles originally developed by the Japanese auto industry, the end result has been increased profits and less work. In this field-guide companion to his award-winning first book, The Lean Farm, Hartman shows market vegetable growers in even more detail how Clay Bottom Farm implements lean thinking in every area of their work, including using kanbans, or replacement signals, to maximize land use; germination chambers to reduce defect waste; and right-sized machinery to save money and labor and increase efficiency. From finding land and assessing infrastructure needs to selling perfect produce at the farmers market, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables digs deeper into specific, tested methods for waste-free farming that not only help farmers become more successful but make the work more enjoyable. These methods include: Using Japanese paper pot transplanters Building your own germinating chambers Leaning up your greenhouse Making and applying simple composts Using lean techniques for pest and weed control Creating Heijunka, or load-leveling calendars for efficient planning Farming is not static, and improvement requires constant change. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables offers strategies for farmers to stay flexible and profitable even in the face of changing weather and markets. Much more than a simple exercise in cost-cutting, lean farming is about growing better, not cheaper, food--the food your customers want.