The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till , No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture

by Helen Atthowe, 384 pages, 8x10, softcover. If you’ve been following the various threads in “ecological” or “holistic” growing that have emerged in recent years and either want to join the party, learn what the fuss is about, or synthesize your current understanding of experimental concepts into a single deft, state-of-the-art summary that can propel you forward, this book is the one-stop shop for you. Organic farmer, orchardist and consultant Helen Atthowe has spent decades trialing and researching low-intervention approaches to agriculture. Giving equal love to the veggie garden and the orchard, her approach attempts to merge components of the cultivated landscape often treated separately, while reframing attitudes toward the most common vexing tasks. “Weeding” becomes “Working With Plant Competition,” and “Pest Control” becomes “Strengthening the Immune System of Your Farm or Garden.” At the same time, her book is full of good ol’ fashioned horse sense on soil health, pests and diseases, including super-handy diagnostic tools for identifying challenges for specific crops, and suggestions for intervening with your entire system in mind. Expect avant-garde concepts tested and grounded in experience, digested into a guide that can get a beginner started or update an experienced grower’s perspective on familiar topics. -KH