Preface: From the Ground Up
1: Farming at a Human Scale
Nature as Model
Beyond Sustainability
Rethinking Tillage
Farming Values
2: Ecological Agriculture
Science and Soil Health
Succession and Disturbance
Soil Creation and the Soil-Plant Food Web
Nature's Principles of Soil Care
3: Getting Started
Taking the Leap
Start-Up Costs
Acquiring Capital
The Land Search
Farm Design-Build
4: Establishing Beds
Permanent Raised Beds
Field Layout
Jump-starting Soil Health
Breaking Ground with and without Tilling
5: Planting
Crop Planning
The Seedling Greenhouse
Transplanting
Direct Seeding
6: Irrigation
Water Resilience
Irrigation Design
Installation and Maintenance
7: Weeds
Treating Symptoms vs. Causes (Killing vs. Preventing)
Zero Seed Rain
Mulching
Methods of Manual Weeding
8: Methods of No-Till Disturbance
Flipping Beds
Compost as Mulch
Mowing and Crimping
Occultation and Solarization
Breaking Up Compaction
A Plantable Surface
9: Natural Soil Care in Action
Principles of Soil Care
Cover Cropping
Multicropping
Hedgerows and Other Beneficial Plantings
Integrating Livestock
Fertilizer and Fertility
Pests and Disease (Symptoms of a Lack of Life)
10: Harvest and Handling
Workflow and Efficiency
Freshness
Cleanliness
Harvest Implements
Wash Infrastructure
Presentation and Delivery
11: Markets and Scale
Location, Location
Food with Context
The Local Market Trifecta
Spreading the Word
Market-Based Growth
12: Labor
Labor as Asset, Not Input
The Right Work Environment
Labor Models
Attracting and Retaining Employees
The Hiring Process
Task Times
13: Planning and Recordkeeping
The Whole-Farm Organism
Recordkeeping Strategies
Collaborative Spreadsheets
Production Records
14: Measures of Success: Profit, People, and Place
Reinvestment
Agriculture-Supported Community
Spaceship Earth
Quality of Life
Acknowledgments
Appendix
Glossary
Resources
Metric Conversion Chart
Index