Showing titles in Agricultural & Food Sciences

Having done field work in New Guinea for more than 30 years, Jared Diamond presents the geographical and ecological factors that have shaped the modern world. From the viewpoint of an evolutionary biologist, he highlights the broadest movements both literal and conceptual on every continent since the Ice Age, and examines societal advances such as writing, religion, government, and technology.

We have never had to feed as many people as we do today. And yet, we misunderstand the essentials of where our food really comes from, how our dietary requirements shape us, and why this impacts our planet in drastic ways. As a result, in our economic, political, and everyday choices, we take for granted and fail to prioritize the thing that makes all our lives possible: food. In this ambitious, myth-busting book, Smil investigates many of the burning questions facing the world today.

Have you been dreaming of a way of living that brings you closer to nature, aligning with your passion for sustainability and wholesome food? Are you overwhelmed by the complexities of starting a small-scale farming business that exists in harmony with Mother Nature? Does the idea of creating an eco-friendly, self-sufficient business resonate with your vision of a fulfilling, purposeful life?

"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another, this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance.

Twenty years ago, Joel Salatin wrote You Can Farm, which has launched thousands of farm entrepreneurs around the world. With another 20 years of experience under his belt, bringing him to the half-century mark as a full-time farmer, he decided to build on that foundation with a sequel, a graduate-level curriculum. Everyone who reads (or listens to), and enjoys that previous work, will benefit from this additional information.

Are you passionate about sustainable living but unsure how to start a backyard chicken flock? Do you dream of gathering fresh eggs every morning but feel overwhelmed by coop design and daily care? You’re not alone, but with the right guidance, raising chickens can be simple and rewarding. Raising Chickens for Beginners is your ultimate step-by-step guide to backyard chicken keeping—from coop design and feeding to healthcare and egg collection. It’s time to take the leap and experience the benefits of raising your own chickens!

How much of our daily caloric intake comes from ingesting substances that, technically speaking, do not meet traditional definitions of “food”? Chances are, if you’re eating something that came wrapped in plastic and contains a funky ingredient you don’t have in your kitchen, it's most likely—almost definitely—ultra-processed food, or UPF.

Have you ever desired, deep within your soul, to make a comfortable full-time living from a farming enterprise? Too often people dare not even vocalize this desire because it seems absurd. It's like thinking the unthinkable. After all, the farm population is dwindling. It takes too much capital to start. The pay is too low. The working conditions are dusty, smelly and noisy: Not the place to raise a family. This is all true, and more, for most farmers.

A couple working six months per year for 50 hours per week on 20 acres can net $25,000 to $30,000 per year with an investment equivalent to the price of one new medium-sized tractor. Seldom has agriculture held out such a plum. In a day when mainline farm experts predict the continued demise of the family farm, the pastured poultry opportunity shines like a beacon in the night, guiding the way to a brighter future.

Transforma los deliciosos sabores de los productos de cosecha propia o de origen local en delicias eternas dominando el arte del enlatado y la conservación con estilo y sin esfuerzo... ¿Alguna vez has contemplado tu huerto desbordando y has deseado que la abundancia de la temporada durara todo el año? ¿O tal vez has paseado por los mercados de agricultores locales, abrumado por el deseo de saborear cada bocado fresco solo un poco más de tiempo?

If you feel like you just have a black thumb, and that you’re doomed to kill any plants under your care, think again. There are simple solutions to your problem that will make your home a haven of style, beauty, and flourishing greenery. Even if you don’t have much time, this guide organizes information in an easy-to-refer manner that you can quickly turn to when you need it. Everything you need to know is at your fingertips in this simple-to-follow book. Whether you’re a serial plant killer or a complete houseplant newbie, you can grow a happy and healthy indoor garden yourself.

Imagine you can have the knowledge you want to start your business and live the Hassle Free All-American Lifestyle of Independence, Prosperity and Peace of Mind.

Why is red meat red? How do they decaffeinate coffee? Do you wish you understood the science of food but don't want to plow through dry, technical books? In What Einstein Told His Cook, University of Pittsburgh chemistry professor emeritus and award-winning Washington Post food columnist Robert L. Wolke provides reliable and witty explanations for your most burning food questions, while debunking misconceptions and helping you interpret confusing advertising and labeling.

One grey dismal day, Janine Marsh was on a trip to northern France to pick up some cheap wine. She returned to England a few hours later having put in an offer on a rundown old barn in the rural Seven Valleys area of Pas de Calais. This was not something she'd expected or planned for. Janine eventually gave up her job in London to move with her husband to live the good life in France. Or so she hoped. While getting to grips with the locals and la vie Française, and renovating her dilapidated new house, a building lacking the comforts of mains drainage, heating, or proper rooms.

Thinking about raising chickens? You've come to the right place! This new edition of Raising Chickens for Dummies provides the most up-to-date, thorough information on the many aspects of keeping chickens in your backyard. You'll hear hands-on, easy-to-follow instructions on choosing and purchasing chickens, constructing housing for your birds, feeding your chickens for optimal health, combating laying issues, controlling pests and predators, optimizing egg production, and much more.

In Dirt to Soil, Gabe Brown tells the story of his ranch's amazing journey and offers a wealth of innovative solutions to our most pressing and complex contemporary agricultural challenge - restoring the soil. The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over 20 years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil.

Discover the ultimate guide to raising backyard quail, perfect for beginners and seasoned urban farmers alike! If you’re seeking a rewarding path toward sustainable living, look no further. Raising Backyard Quail for Beginners shows you how these compact, hardy birds can transform even the tiniest backyard into a thriving ecosystem.

In this wholly original audiobook, biologist David Haskell uses a one-square-meter patch of old-growth Tennessee forest as a window into the entire natural world. Visiting it almost daily for one year to trace nature's path through the seasons, he brings the forest and its inhabitants to vivid life. Each of this audiobook's short chapters begins with a simple observation: a salamander scuttling across the leaf litter; the first blossom of spring wildflowers.

Using his family farm and story as the foundation of his yarning, a young, entrepreneurial, farming Worimi man leaps into the discussion of agriculture on this land on which we live, its past, but more importantly, its future

Off Menu is a charming, fun-fact-filled deep dive into the little-known science of food and dining: why we eat what we eat, the nuances of our experience of taste and flavor, and the tiny, easy hacks and tweaks that, when mastered, can make a huge difference in our diets, meals, and relationships with food and drink.