251 of 258 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre, September 29, 2010
I have been gardening for 40 years and have read hundreds of articles and books on gardening. This one is "hands down" the
best one I have read. Markham takes complex topics and explains them in plain english. For example, I now know exactly how to modify soil Ph with specific products in specific measure. I understand how each element influences the equation and why using a variety of soil amendments is advisable. I finally understand the value of Boron in plant physiology with smart ways to apply it. I now "get it" about what bio-char is, how to make it, and why it is important to my soil. I finally understand exactly why deep roto-tilling actually hurts the soil even though it "looks good" in the garden. Thank you Brett!
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90 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best on gardening, mini-farming, food self-sufficiency, April 4, 2008
This review is from: Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency (Paperback)
I just read this book and I am very impressed. It compares favorably both to classics of intensive gardening and to classics on self sufficiency. Less complicated than
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) (How to Grow More Vegetables: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains,), less expensive and resource-hogging (in terms of peat moss, vermiculite, and grids) than
All New Square Foot Gardening (which is still well worth buying for the beginning gardener; the charts on planting for a continuous three-season harvest alone are probably worth the price of the book). More focused and with more current (though perhaps still debatable) numbers than
One Acre and Security: How to Live Off the Earth Without Ruining It, and written for an even smaller (and tractor-free) scale than
Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach (Down-To-Earth Book).
This book contains the simplest and most understandble description of double-digging that I have ever read, and the simplest way of placing seeds at the correct spacing in intensive gardening. It has good discussions of thermophilic composting and of the importance of aging compost; various types of irrigation systems; food requirements per person and practical ways of meeting them (including the economic infeasibility of growing wheat in the home garden); making aerated compost tea with a simple and inexpensive homemade system; the best media for seed starting; an introduction to saving and storing seeds, and references to excellent books that provide more information (such as
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners and
Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's & Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding & Seed Saving); inexpensive ways to extend the growing season; fruit trees, bushes, and vines; raising poultry for eggs and/or meat; organic and certified naturally grown; and maximizing the money you make selling produce. The chapter on preserving the harvest by canning, freezing, and dehydrating (no mention of
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables) is not in-depth and will not take the place of other books on the subject, but serves as a good introduction. The only disappointment to me was that there was no mention of sheet composting (see
Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling,No Weeding, No Kidding!); I might suggest building your raised beds in that way rather than by double digging.
If you are trying to move off the grid, grow 100% of your own food, and make your own clothes, this may not be the book for you. If you'd like to raise a lot of your own food in a garden that will fit in the typical suburban yard (the actual number of square feet he suggests cultivating for a family of three is just under 1/20th of an acre), this book is a great place to start.
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243 of 267 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Coffee Table Book, August 14, 2010
I felt like this book was more of a coffee table picture book than a helpful guide to getting started on self sufficiency. There is plenty of information in the pages, but it's all in block paragraphs that run together. I'd have to go through with highlighter and sticky notes to mark it if I wanted to find anything again.
I much preferred The Backyard Homestead. It had much more easily referenced information and more user-friendly instructions, both written and illustrated. Definitely check Mini Farming out of your library to make sure its the choice for you before you invest in it.
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