Helpful Reading
I am foregoing the bulk of the publication information for the books listed below and providing only the author’s name, the title of the book, and the ISBN. This should provide enough information for you to find the books at Amazon.com, your local bookstore, or town library. Check back occasionally because I am continuing to add our favorite books as we use them.
Garden
Cunningham, Sally Jean. Great Garden Companions: A Companion Planating System for
a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden. ISBN: 0-87596-847-3
Many good suggestions including information on beneficial insects.
Homeyer, Henry. The Vermont Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the
the Green Mountain State. ISBN: 978-0-7627-4334-6
This is a very useful book for those of us gardening in Vermont.
Jabbour, Niki. The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener. ISBN: 978-1-60342-568-1 (pbk.: alk. paper).
An excellent resource for all-season gardening with plans to build cold frames
and suggestions for cold-hardy crops.
Jeavons, John. How to Grow More Vegetables (than you ever thought possible on less land
than you can imagine). ISBN: 0-913668-98-2 (paperback)
or 0-913668-99-0 (hardcover)
This wonderful book was published in 1979 which is why I give the ISBN
for paperback and hardcover. Jeavons gives a fabulous explanation for
the biodynamic/French Intensive method of horticulture.
Phillips, Michael. The Apple Grower: A Guide For The Organic Orchardist. ISBN: 1-890132-04-7
Philips wrote The Apple Grower in 1998. It is a very good resource but, when
you read his next book, The Holistic Orchard, you will notice that he has
changed some of his methods, particularly in the area of the sprays he uses to
keep trees healthy and pest-free.
Phillips, Michael. The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way. ISBN: 978-1-933392-13-4
This is my orcharding bible. Phillips’ explanations are accessible and well
illustrated. Unlike The Apple Grower, this book has several excellent
photographs to guide you. I wouldn’t plant an orchard or berry bushes
without this book! (We did, and we’re glad to have the book now!)
Riotte, Rose. Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting For Successful Gardening.
ISBN: 1-58017-027-7
Louise Riotte is/was the grandmother of great gardeners. This book and the
one that follows are full of useful information in addition to companion planting.
Riotte, Rose. Roses Love Garlic: Companion Planting and Other Secrets of Flowers.
ISBN: 978-1-58017-028-4
Livestock
Lawson, Laura. Detecting, Diagnosing, Treating Lamb Problems. ISBN: 0-9633923-0-1
Below I briefly review Laura Lawson’s book on ewes and newborn lambs.
This book is the companion to the other and both are vital to any shepherd.
Don’t miss them. They are easy to use and the information contained within
can be lifesaving.
Lawson, Laura. Managing Your Ewe and Her Newborn Lambs. ISBN: 0-9633923-1-X
This book is a necessity if you are breeding sheep. Laura Lawson is an expert.
Her book provides flow charts to follow for diagnoses and if you email or
call her she will actually call/write back! I don’t remember how I found this
book but Laura Lawson has a website where she sells the books, sheep raising
pamphlets, and sheep lovers paraphernalia. Her website is at
www.sheepgiftsandmore.com.
Wooster, Chuck. Living with Pigs: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Porkers. ISBN: 978-1-59228-877-9
Great information on how to raise pigs for food. Includes plans to construct a
mobile pig shelter for pasture raised pork.
Ussery, Harvey The Small-Scale Poultry Flock. ISBN: 978-1-60358-290-2
Ussery’s book is a pleasure to read and is packed with useful information.
It covers ducks and turkeys, as well, but the main focus is chickens. It is an
excellent resource for beginners and experienced poultry raisers alike.
Cooking, Preserving, Recipes
Katz, Sandor Ellix. The Art Of Fermentation: An In Depth Exploration of Essential
Concepts and Processes From Around the World. ISBN: 978-1-60358-286-5