Principles and farm-tested practices for no-till market gardening--for healthier, more productive soil!
From the host of the popular The No-Till Market Garden Podcast—heard around the world with nearly one million downloads!
Discovering
how to meet the soil’s needs is the key task for every market gardener.
In this comprehensive guide, Farmer Jesse Frost shares all he has
learned through experience and experimentation with no-till practices on
his home farm in Kentucky and from interviews and visits with highly
successful market gardeners in his role as host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast.
The Living Soil Handbook is centered around the three basic principles of no-till market gardening:
- Disturb the soil as little as possible
- Keep it covered as much as possible
- Keep it planted as much as possible.
Farmer
Jesse then guides readers in applying those principles to their own
garden environment, with their own materials, to meet their own goals.
Beginning with an exploration of the importance of photosynthesis to living soil, Jesse provides in-depth information on:
- Turning over beds
- Using compost and mulch
- Path management
- Incorporating biology, maintaining fertility
- Cover cropping
- Diversifying plantings through intercropping
- Production methods for seven major crops
Throughout,
the book emphasizes practical information on all the best tools and
practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around
maximizing the health of their soil.
Farmer Jesse reminds growers
that “as possible” is the mantra for protecting the living soil: disturb
the soil as little as you possibly can in your context. He does not
believe that growers should anguish over what does and does not qualify
as “no-till.” If you are using a tool to promote soil life and biology,
that’s the goal. Jesse’s goal with The Living Soil Handbook is
to provide a comprehensive set of options, materials, and field-tested
practices to inspire growers to design a soil-nurturing no-till system
in their unique garden or farm ecosystem.
“Jesse Frost’s The Living Soil Handbook is a terrific, practical application of the no-till principles for which he and his No-Till Market Garden Podcast have
become known and respected. Disturbing the soil as little as
possible—even when managing garden paths, for example—is one theme of
this book about letting the living soil live and how to do so.
Beautifully illustrated, this is a great read full of useful advice that
will perfect your growing game.”—Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Fungi
“Over my years practicing no-till market gardening, I’ve come to truly appreciate listening to The No-Till Market Garden Podcast
and Farmer Jesse’s exploration of no-till systems. Now, this research
is inked into Jesse’s very well-written and valuable guide, The Living Soil Handbook.
This book is a gold mine filled with tips, tricks, and effective
practices you can apply to your crop itineraries. I advise any grower to
follow Jesse’s mantra: A no-till system is not a dogma, it’s a
direction.”—Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener
