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.

Josh Volk, author of the best-selling Compact Farms, offers small-scale farmers an in-depth guide to building customized equipment that will save time and money and introduce much-needed efficiencies to their operations. Volk begins with the basics, such as setting up a workshop and understanding design principles, mechanical principles, and materials properties, then presents plans for making 15 tools suited to small-farm tasks and processes. Each project includes an explanation of the tool’s purpose and use, as well as the time commitment, skill level, and equipment required to build it. Projects range from the super-simple (requiring a half-day to build) to the more complex, and include how-to photographs and illustrations with variations for customizing the finished implement. Along with instructions for building items such as simple seedling benches, a mini barrel washer, a DIY germination chamber, and a rolling pack table, Volk addresses systems design for farm efficiency, including how to design an effective drip irrigation system and how to set up spreadsheets for collecting important planning, planting, and market data. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Written by Rafer Roberts (with artwork by Matt Dembicki, Mal Jones, Chris Piers, Dale Rawlings and Jim8Ball) this volume recounts Chester's freshman year at college, his introduction to the pleasures of drugs and alcohol, and his first steps into a very strange reality.Collects Plastic Farm #13-21

The use of plastics in agriculture – to increase crop output, improve food quality and improve sustainability – has grown substantially in both quantity and the range of applications. Many of the early researchers that conducted field research in the use of plastics in agriculture have either retired or are deceased. These early pioneers in plasticulture research, the basis of plant production using plastics, were very creative and persistent in discovering uses of plastics in agricultural applications. A Guide to the Manufacture, Performance, and Potential of Plastics in Agriculture contains both references not only to their accomplishments but also their publications. The book discusses plasticulture-the basis of plant production using plastics – including topics such as plastic mulch, row covers, drip irrigation, and high/low tunnels. It covers the process of producing polyethylene and polypropylene plastics that are used in plant and animal production agriculture, and the many uses of plastics in all aspects of agriculture, including plastic greenhouses, rigid mold plastics, disposal of plastics, and plastics in animal production. This book introduces a range of academics and industrial practitioners to the impact of plastics in agriculture, both historically and in a range of current applications. It also provides new perspectives on future developments to enable further research and application. It is an invaluable reference on the use of polyethylene, polypropylene films, and such products in all aspects of agricultural production. - Discusses plasticulture, the basis of plant production using plastics, including topics such as plastic mulch, row covers, drip irrigation, and high/low tunnels - Contains 10 chapters that cover the process of producing polyethylene and polypropylene plastics that are used in agriculture - Covers the many uses of plastics in all aspects of agriculture, including plastic greenhouses, rigid mold plastics, disposal of plastics, and plastics in animal production

With more than 45,000 sold since 1989, The New Organic Grower has become a modern classic. In this newly revised and expanded edition, master grower Eliot Coleman continues to present the simplest and most sustainable ways of growing top-quality organic vegetables. Coleman updates practical information on marketing the harvest, on small-scale equipment, and on farming and gardening for the long-term health of the soil. The new book is thoroughly updated, and includes all-new chapters such as: Farm-Generated Fertility—how to meet your soil-fertility needs from the resources of your own land, even if manure is not available. The Moveable Feast—how to construct home-garden and commercial-scale greenhouses that can be easily moved to benefit plants and avoid insect and disease build-up. The Winter Garden—how to plant, harvest, and sell hardy salad crops all winter long from unheated or minimally heated greenhouses. Pests—how to find "plant-positive" rather than "pest-negative" solutions by growing healthy, naturally resistant plants. The Information Resource—how and where to learn what you need to know to grow delicious organic vegetables, no matter where you live. Written for the serious gardener or small market farmer, The New Organic Grower proves that, in terms of both efficiency and profitability, smaller can be better.