The Micro Eco-Farming book by Barbara Berst Adams

Order Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth direct from publisher

         

The Micro Eco-Farming book by Barbara Berst Adams (subtitled: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage in Partnership with the Earth) was released just as the backyard and local small-plot eco-farm resurgence was taking hold, but still beneath the radar. It was written to introduce the trend to those looking to earn at least a partial stream of income from their mini-farm (vs. a “homesteader” who produces for their own personal needs).

Still a fun and light read, lots of prospective farmers read it to get their start. Current small eco-farmers read it as well to see what crops other farmers are choosing and how they solved some of their challenges such as niche marketing. More than one farmer has written to say they read it more than once, and as one worded it, “our small farm is isolated, and this makes us know we’re not alone in what we’re doing.”

It was not written to be a technical how-to, but rather to introduce a coming trend. It doesn’t give step-by-step instructions on digging a fence post hole or sawing wood for raised bed siding. In most regions of the US, the agricultural and master gardening extension services provide all of that information already, and often for free and customized to each climate. There is no "one type of farm" that all farmers across the country can mimic from a manual, and this book reveals just how diverse they all are, and all must be.

It's also made its way into accredited academia:

Micro Eco-Farming is a small but mighty book that weaves personal stories with a tremendous resource on small scale farming. In 170 pages, Barbara Berst Adams shares with the average home-owner or a seasoned farmer what methods and philosophies she has seen or experienced in her research. She also shares about how this method of farming helps the earth, the plants and the animals alike. You will learn what’s, how’s and why's of micro-farming in a “can’t put it down” format. -- Wilson College, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Since the micro eco-farming book, the author also wrote a longer, larger and more in-depth eco-farming book entitled The New Agritourism: Hosting Community & Tourists on Your Farm.