Table of Contents
The Top Ten Reasons to Become a Backyard Farmer 10
Introduction 11
01 Backyard-Farming Basics 13
The Origins of Small Farming 14
Modern-Day Farmers 14
The Farmer's Mentality: Sensible Frugality 16
Where Is Your Money Going? 18
Boost Your Ready Cash 19
Save on Health Care, and Save Your Health 21
The Luxuries of Simple Living 22
02 How to Become a Backyard Farmer 25
Farming Is Not a Hobby, It's a Lifestyle 26
Don't Quit Your Job 27
Change Your Shopping Habits 28
Buying in Bulk 29
Start Food Production Right Now 32
Advantages of Farming in an Urban Area 34
03 Things You'll Need and Things You Won't Need 37
Tools versus Gadgets 38
Avoid Using Plastic or Steel 38
Assessing Your Farmable Area 39
Turning Dirt into Garden Soil 44
Filling Is Easier Than Digging 45
Containing (or Camouflaging) Your Operation 46
Transportation 48
Other Modern Conveniences 48
04 Backyard-Farming Obstacles 51
City and/or County Governments 52
The Bank (or Your Landlord) 52
The Neighbors 54
The Spouse and Kids 55
Pollution 56
Weather 56
Animals and Insects 58
Veterinary Concerns 60
05 Farming When You Don't Have a Backyard 63
Minimum Acceptable Light Sources 64
Artificial Lighting 65
Container Planting 67
Potting Soil 69
Growing Where It Doesn't Rain 70
A Fast, Easy Garden 71
Other Growing Spaces 73
06 Backyard Farming on a Small Lot 75
The Front Yard: Landscaping with Food 76
Don't Dig, Fill: Building Raised Beds 76
Other Small-Space Techniques 79
Making Compost in Close Quarters 80
Animal Husbandry in Close Quarters 80
Choosing Your Crops 84
Cash Crops That Need Very Little Space 85
Consistency and Timeliness 87
07 Backyard Farming on a Larger Lot 89
You May Have All the Land You'll Ever Need-or Not 90
Tools and Construction 90
Room for More Than Just a Food Plot 92
Small Livestock 95
Helpful Tools 97
08 Compost 101
N-P-K and the Basics of Composting 102
Making a Small Compost Pile 103
Materials to Avoid 107
Enclosures 108
Applying Compost 109
Problems You Can Expect 109
Commonly Available Compost Ingredients 111
09 Intensive Planting 113
Intensive Planting in Theory and Practice 114
Building the Beds and Containers 117
Mulch 120
Irrigation 121
Solar Exposure 123
Pests 123
10 Growing Vegetables 125
Producing Everything You Need to Survive 126
Tomatoes 126
Peppers 129
Lettuce 130
Cucumbers 130
Squash 131
Potatoes 132
The Brassicas: Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Etc. 132
Sweet Corn 133
Beans and Peas 134
Herbs 134
Of Special Mention: The Sweet Potato 135
11 Berries and Grapes 137
Strawberries 138
Blueberries 141
Brambles 143
Gooseberries (and Currants) 145
The Home Vineyard 146
12 The Backyard Orchard 149
Standard versus Dwarf and Semi-Dwarf Trees 150
Planning and Planting 152
Pruning Fruit Trees 155
Espalier 155
Citrus 156
Nut Trees 157
13 Poultry 161
The Pros of Keeping a Few Chickens 162
The Cons of Keeping a Few Chickens 163
The Hen House and Chicken Run 165
Starting Baby Chicks 166
Turkeys 167
Other Poultry 168
14 Small Livestock 173
Your Goals and the Market 174
Miniature Cattle 174
Alpacas 177
Sheep 177
Goats 179
Rabbits 181
Beekeeping 182
15 Pests and Pestilence 185
Rodents 186
Larger Animals 189
Birds 190
Insects 190
Plant Diseases 194
Weather 196
16 Fencing 199
The Most Important Construction on Any Farm 200
Pre-Industrial Fencing 201
Modern Fencing for Security 204
Electric Fence 207
Living Fence 208
Fencing to Keep Peace with the Neighbors 208
Tools for Building a Fence 209
17 Equipment 213
Small Tractors: Better Than a Hired Hand 214
Implements 218
Skid-Steer Loaders 219
Rotary Garden Tillers 222
Wood Chippers 223
Trailers 223
18 Hand Tools 225
The Workshop 226
How to Build a Tool Collection on a Budget 226
Multiplying Your Strength 227
The Ten Most Useful Hand Tools for the Backyard Farmer 228
19 Expanding the Growing Season 239
The Cold Frame 240
The Hotbed 241
The Greenhouse 242
Glazing Materials 243
Greenhouse Heating and Cooling 245
The Conventional Greenhouse 246
The Hoop House 246
The Below-Grade Solar Greenhouse 247
Greenhouse-Specific Problems 249
20 Food Storage 253
Saving Every Morsel 254
Frozen Storage 254
Cold Storage 257
Canning 258
Drying 260
Fermentation 262
Other Methods of Preserving Foods 263
21 Truck Farming-Cash from Your Crops 265
Imaginative Marketing 266
Selling Veggies, Fruits, and Other Farm Products 268
Expand Your Repertoire 270
Cultivating Customers for CSA 271
Food Co-Ops 272
Small Specialty Stores and Restaurants 272
Becoming Your Own Salesperson 273
So … Do You Think You're a Farmer Yet? 275
Appendix A Glossary 277
Appendix B Recommended Websites 285
Index 289
