WINNER OF THE 2016 BARBARA JEFFERIS AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 STELLA PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 MILES FRANKLIN AWARD 'They were inescapable, the tensions of the adult world — the fraught and febrile aura that surrounded Ishtar and those in her orbit, that whined and creaked like a wire pulled too tight.' It is the winter of 1985. Hope Farm sticks out of the ragged landscape like a decaying tooth, its weatherboard walls sagging into the undergrowth. Silver's mother, Ishtar, has fallen for the charismatic Miller, and the three of them have moved to the rural hippie commune to make a new start. At Hope, Silver finds unexpected friendship and, at last, a place to call home. But it is also here that, at just thirteen, she is thrust into an unrelenting adult world — and the walls begin to come tumbling down, with deadly consequences. Hope Farm is the masterful second novel from award-winning author Peggy Frew, and is a devastatingly beautiful story about the broken bonds of childhood, and the enduring cost of holding back the truth. PRAISE FOR PEGGY FREW ‘In its exploration of maternal, sexual, unrequited and platonic relationships, Hope Farm is a finely calibrated study of love, loss and belonging.’ The Sunday Age ‘Frew is a gifted writer, evidenced here by finely balanced observations and atmospheric description … Silver is poised at the beginning of adult understanding and Frew handles the challenge with deftness. Silver’s insight and compassion are juxtaposed with naivety and the idealistic force of her first crushes.’ The Weekend Australian

The story begins with Nanny, Grampy and their wonderful staff who run a busy country stables and riding school. One day Nanny noticed when she entered the Old Barn that something magical and mysterious happens. An owl she had named Katherine is the cause that triggers a chain of events. The animals are able to converse with Nanny and Katherine after the wise old owl scatters her veil of magic dust around. The effect of the owl's magic soon spreads. Hope Farm goes from strength to strength. It is only Nanny who realizes this magic is happening and who has caused the changes for the better for them all. Nanny, Grampy and their staff face many challenges along the way to make the stables successful. There are twists of fate and surprises galore for many at Hope Farm.

Street Farm is the inspirational account of residents in the notorious Low Track in Vancouver, British Columbia—one of the worst urban slums in North America—who joined together to create an urban farm as a means of addressing the chronic problems in their neighborhood. It is a story of recovery, of land and food, of people, and of the power of farming and nourishing others as a way to heal our world and ourselves. During the past seven years, Sole Food Street Farms—now North America’s largest urban farm project—has transformed acres of vacant and contaminated urban land into street farms that grow artisan-quality fruits and vegetables. By providing jobs, agricultural training, and inclusion in a community of farmers and food lovers, the Sole Food project has empowered dozens of individuals with limited resources who are managing addiction and chronic mental health problems. Sole Food’s mission is to encourage small farms in every urban neighborhood so that good food can be accessible to all, and to do so in a manner that allows everyone to participate in the process. In Street Farm, author-photographer-farmer Michael Ableman chronicles the challenges, growth, and success of this groundbreaking project and presents compelling portraits of the neighborhood residents-turned-farmers whose lives have been touched by it. Throughout, he also weaves his philosophy and insights about food and farming, as well as the fundamentals that are the underpinnings of success for both rural farms and urban farms. Street Farm will inspire individuals and communities everywhere by providing a clear vision for combining innovative farming methods with concrete social goals, all of which aim to create healthier and more resilient communities.

The Bio-Integrated Farm is a twenty-first-century manual for managing nature's resources. This groundbreaking book brings "system farming" and permaculture to a whole new level. Author Shawn Jadrnicek presents new insights into permaculture, moving beyond the philosophical foundation to practical advanced designs based on a functional analysis. Holding his designs to a higher standard, Jadrnicek's components serve at least seven functions (classical permaculture theory only seeks at least two functions). With every additional function a component performs, the design becomes more advanced and saves more energy. A bio-integrated greenhouse, for example, doesn't just extend the season for growing vegetables; it also serves as a rainwater collector, a pond site, an aquaponics system, and a heat generator. Jadrnicek's prevalent theme is using water to do the work. Although applicable in many climates, his designs are particularly important for areas coping with water scarcity. Jadrnicek focuses on his experience as farm manager at the Clemson University Student Organic Farm and at his residence in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These locations lie at the cooler northern edge of a humid subtropical climate that extends west to the middle of Texas and north along the coast to New Jersey. He has created permaculture patterns ranging from raising transplants and field design to freshwater prawn production and composting. These patterns have simplified the operation of the 125-share CSA farm while reducing reliance on outside resources. In less time than it takes to mow his two-acre homestead, Jadrnicek is building a you-pick fruit farm using permaculture patterns. His landscape requires only the labor of harvesting, and the only outside input he buys is a small amount of chicken feed. By carefully engaging the free forces of nature--water, wind, sunlight, convection, gravity, and decomposition--Jadrnicek creates sustenance without maintenance and transforms waste into valuable farm resources. The Bio-Integrated Farm offers in-depth information about designing and building a wide range of bio-integrated projects including reflecting ponds, water-storage ponds, multipurpose basins, greenhouses, compost heat extraction, pastured chicken systems, aquaculture, hydroponics, hydronic heating, water filtration and aeration, cover cropping, and innovative rainwater-harvesting systems that supply water for drip irrigation and flushing toilets.

Wedding and event florist and founder of the Chapel Designers floral community, Holly is a creative visionary and a highly recognized and sought-after floral designer whose work has been published in countless prestigious publications and top industry blogs. Learn about Holly's floral journey, the inspiring story of Hope Flower Farm, and the values of hospitality, creativity, and community that embody her life in flowers.

"Hope Farm was in reality the mission station Königsberg ... The founder, August Prozesky (1840-1915), was the original Mfundisi of these stories. It was he who recorded them in their earliest form in the German journal he kept ... His great-grandson and biographer, Oskar Prozesky, translated the anecdotes into English from the original manuscrips and has given them, in some cases, a more satisfactory form as self-containd short stories"--Page 3.

Finding Hope at Hillside Farm is a heartwarming tale of loss, love and new beginnings by Rachael Lucas. 'Wonderfully warm, brave and wise, it’s a gentle story that steals your heart and reaffirms your hope in life' - Miranda Dickinson, author of Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Hillside Farm, nestled in the rolling hills of the Welsh countryside, is a safe haven for Ella. Living on the remote farm, with just horses and her aunt Bron for company, Ella thinks she has finally found a place where she can forget her past and find peace. But the arrival of a small girl called Hope and her father Harry changes everything. As Ella helps the pair come to terms with their loss, she realizes that she too deserves happiness. But is it too late to find it? The perfect read for fans of Cathy Bramley, Laura Kemp and Milly Johnson. 'A heartwarming and enchanting read that reminds us of the value of patience, kindness and above all love' - Cathy Bramley, author of A Patchwork Family. 'A gorgeous grown-up romance where loss collides with love . . . Full of warmth, heart and humanity' - Laura Kemp, author of Under a Starry Sky.