Permaculture Growers Co-op: Small Farms Feeding Bloomington

Botany in a Day - The Patterns Method of Plant Identification, Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families 5th Edition, 2004, 221pp. Botany in a Day is changing the way people learn about plants! Tom's book has gained a nationwide audience almost exclusively by word-of-mouth. It is now used as a text and recommended by herbal and wilderness schools across North America. Instead of presenting individual plants, Botany in a Day unveils the patterns of identification and uses among related plants, giving readers simple tools to rapidly unlock the mysteries of the new species they encounter throughout the continent. Too often people try to learn plants one-at-a-time, without rhyme or reason. Now you can cut years off the process of learning about plants and their uses. Tom's book helps you beyond the piece-meal approach to botany and herbalism towards a more "whole" approach. Within 1 1/2 hours you can understand the big-picture of botany and herbalism. Learn how related plants have similar features for identification. Discover how they often have similar properties and similar uses.
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Botany in a Day - The Patterns Method of Plant Identification, Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families ... more

The New Creating an Oasis with Greywater: Choosing, Building & Using Greywater Systems (5th edition) by Art Ludwig 2006, 144 pp. Thoroughly revised primer detailing 20 systems that work and how they might fail; parts, design diagrams, operating and maintenance tips. Clear, logical, easy-to-read. The definitive guide.
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The New Creating an Oasis with Greywater: Choosing, Building & Using Greywater Systems (5th edition) by Art Ludwig 2006, 144 ... more

Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Robert Kourik; Foreword by Rosalind Creasy First published in 1986, this classic is back in print by popular demand. It is the authoritative text on edible landscaping, featuring a step-by-step guide to designing a productive environment using vegetables, fruits, flowers, and herbs for a combination of ornamental and culinary purposes. It includes descriptions of plants for all temperate habitats, methods for improving soil, tree pruning styles, and gourmet recipes using low-maintenance plants. There are sections on attracting beneficial insects with companion plants and using planting to shelter your home from erosion, heat, wind, and cold. 1986, $49.00, 45 b&w photographs, 204 illustrations, 382 pp
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Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally by Robert Kourik; Foreword by Rosalind Creasy First published in 1986, this classic ... more

Earth User's Guide to Permaculture: 2nd Edition by Rosemary Morrow and Rob Allsop 2006. 264pp. Completely revised and expanded, this popular primer tells how to design a garden of any size from balcony bench to country acreage. With chapters on seed saving, Pc at work, integrated pest management, water usage, and design for disaster. The author's experience with women and communities in crisis (Cambodia, Albania, Afghanistan, and Vietnam) ensures a practical approach.
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Earth User's Guide to Permaculture: 2nd Edition by Rosemary Morrow and Rob Allsop 2006. 264pp. Completely revised and expanded, this ... more

Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer 2005, 368pp A fine, rich guide to wild foods of North America warmly written by a master forager: uses, botany, habitat. Provides detailed instructions and personal experiences of harvesting 332 delicious plants, including butternut, wild rice, ostrich fern, hog peanut, cattail, and more.
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Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer 2005, 368pp A fine, rich ... more

Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman 2nd Edition, 1996, 272 pp. Using simple techniques and good design the author grows and eats abundant fresh food 12 months of the year in Maine. An excellent resource for cold climate gardeners, with crop profiles and a step-by-step illustration of methods.
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Four Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman 2nd Edition, 1996, 272 pp. Using simple techniques and good design the author grows ... more

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway The first book published in the US in a generation to embrace ecological design of the home landscape, Gaia's Garden is a snapshot of Permaculture in America at the turn of the century. Toby Hemenway is a scientist, trained in genetics, who shares with his readers his rapturous enjoyment of the garden.2001, 238pp
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Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway The first book published in the US in a generation ... more

Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World by Alan Weisman 1984, 240 pp. The eastern savannas of war-ravaged Colombia, known as the llanos, are among the most brutal environments on Earth, an unlikely setting for one of the most hopeful environmental stories ever told. Here, more than twenty-five years ago, an intrepid visionary named Paolo Lugari set out to create a village that could sustain itself agriculturally, economically, and artistically. He reasoned that if a community could survive in the Colombian llanos, it would be possible to live anywhere. The early inhabitants of Gaviotas soon realized that if they wanted even basic necessities, they would need to be very resourceful. So they invented wind turbines that convert mild breezes into energy, super-efficient pumps that tap previously inaccessible sources of water, and solar kettles that sterilize drinking water using the furious heat of the tropical sun. Two million pine trees planted as a renewable crop have unexpectedly allowed the rain forest to re-establish itself. Paolo Lugari and the Gaviotans, in their quest to create a model human habitat, serendipitously renewed an entire ecosystem.
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Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World by Alan Weisman 1984, 240 pp. The eastern savannas of war-ravaged Colombia, known ... more

In Grave Danger of Falling Food with Bill Mollison 56 minutes, 1989, DVD Cartoon cutaways and bizarre sound effects seem no stranger than Bill loping through Aussie suburban sleaze, guerilla planting hazelnuts. A campy period piece, this film tells the permaculture story with verve and imagination.
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In Grave Danger of Falling Food with Bill Mollison 56 minutes, 1989, DVD Cartoon cutaways and bizarre sound effects seem ... more

Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes by Authors: Claude Aubert , Centre Terre Vivante 1999, 160pp. The recipes in this book were submitted by French magazine readers, and cover a wide variety of traditional preservation techniques: preserving with vinegar, oil and sugar; preserving with alcohol; preserving by lactic fermentation; and several other techniques. If you're interested in traditional food-preservation techniques, this book is uniformly excellent. The chapter on lactic fermentation of vegetables is fascinating, and the diversity of preservation techniques is remarkable.
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Keeping Food Fresh: Old World Techniques and Recipes by Authors: Claude Aubert , Centre Terre Vivante 1999, 160pp. The recipes ... more

Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants by Carol Steinfeld 2004, 88pp. Pee=fertilizer. Witty, practical, liberating! Grow with the flow! Urine charge. A golden opportunity. Pee here now. Every day, we urinate nutrients that can fertilize plants that could be used for beautiful landscapes, food, fuel, and fiber. Instead, these nutrients are flushed away, either to be treated at high cost or discharged to waters where they overfertilize and choke off aquatic life. Liquid Gold details three ways to use urine hygienically and productively for plant growth, with studies that show the science behind this practice. Several advocates of urine diversion and their gardens are profiled, demonstrating that using urine for fertilizer is a feasible, safe, and cost-saving way to prevent pollution and save on fertilizer costs.
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Liquid Gold: The Lore and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants by Carol Steinfeld 2004, 88pp. Pee=fertilizer. Witty, practical, ... more

Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture by Ross Conrad (Author), Gary Paul Nabhan (Foreword) 246pp., 2007 The various chemicals used in beekeeping have, for the past decades, held Varroa Destructor, a mite, and other major pests at bay, but chemical-resistance is building and evolution threatens to overtake the best that laboratory chemists have to offer. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making the problem worse. Natural Beekeeping flips the script on traditional approaches by proposing a program of selective breeding and natural hive management. Conrad brings together the best organic and natural approaches to keeping honeybees healthy and productive here in one book. Readers will learn about nontoxic methods of controlling mites, eliminating American foulbrood disease (without the use of antibiotics), breeding strategies, and many other tips and techniques for maintaining healthy hives. Conrad's reservoir of knowledge comes from years of experience and a far-flung community of fellow beekeepers who are all interested in ecologically sustainable apiculture. Specific concepts and detailed management techniques are covered in a matter-of-fact, easy to implement way. Natural Beekeeping describes opportunities for the seasoned professional to modify existing operations to improve the quality of hive products, increase profits, and eliminate the use of chemical treatments. Beginners will need no other book to guide them. Whether you are an experienced apiculturist looking for ideas to develop an Integrated Pest Management approach or someone who wants to sell honey at a premium price, this is the book you've been waiting for.
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Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture by Ross Conrad (Author), Gary Paul Nabhan (Foreword) 246pp., 2007 The various chemicals ... more

Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home Into Harmony with Nature by Carol Venolia & Kelly Lerner 2006, 280pp You don't have to build from scratch to live in a house that's good for you and the earth. This unique guide teaches the basics of ecological renovation, planning your project, choosing materials, and making your home more energy efficient. It presents simple ideas you can do right away to more advanced moves you can make after careful planning. You'll have the tools you need to create a beautiful green haven that's uniquely your own. Carol Venolia specializes in the field of eco-healthy building. Her first book, Healing Environments, has enjoyed international success, and her home designs have been featured in The Natural House Catalog, Earth to Spirit, The Healthy House and Environ magazine. Carol currently writes the "Design for Life" column for Natural Home & Garden magazine. Kelly Lerner is an award-winning architect and innovator in the fields of sustainable development, straw-bale construction, and earthen plasters. She spearheaded an internationally recognized project responsible for building more than 600 passive-solar-heated straw-bale houses in China. Her designs have been featured in Landscape Architecture Magazine, Metropolis Magazine, The Straw Bale House, Serious Straw Bale, The New Straw Bale House, and Green by Design
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Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home Into Harmony with Nature by Carol Venolia & Kelly Lerner 2006, ... more

Nourishing Traditions:The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition & Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon (1999 2nd Edition) 672pp. Recalling the culinary customs of our ancestors and looking ahead to a future of robust good health for young and old, this book offers modern families a fascinating guide to wise food choices and preparation techniques. Unites the wisdom of the ancients with the latest independent and accurate scientific research. With her insistence that human food should have a much higher nutrient content than corporate industrialized farms are able to provide, Sally Fallon has awakened families all over North America to the fact that if they want to live full and happy lives, they won't find the nutrition they need in packages at the grocery store and are going to have to put some effort into acquiring the quality of food that only small, owner-operated farms can provide. With the large network of "Weston A. Price groups" she has established in the U.S. and in Canada, she has undoubtedly saved more family farms in the last 10 years than any other person or organization. The well documented knowledge she shares makes both farms and families more healthy.
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Nourishing Traditions:The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition & Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon (1999 2nd Edition) 672pp. Recalling the ... more

Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty: A Guidebook on Peak Oil and Global Warming for Local Governments by Daniel Lerch 2007, 113pp. Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty is a guidebook on peak oil and global warming for people who work with and for local governments in the United States and Canada. It provides a sober look at how these phenomena are quickly creating new uncertainties and vulnerabilities for cities of all sizes, and explains what local decision-makers can do to address these challenges. Post Carbon Cities fills an important gap in the resources currently available to local government decision-makers on planning for the changing global energy and climate context of the 21st century. "How will we cope with a future of energy scarcity? As a policy maker I look to other communities for inspiration and ideas, but there's been a lack of information on what local governments are doing to adapt to Peak Oil. Post Carbon Cities fills this gap: herein lies the roadmap plotted by the cities that are leading the way. Enthusiastically recommended!" Dave Rollo, City Council President, Blooomington, Indiana "Post Carbon Cities is an exceptionally clear and comprehensive call-to-action to those who actually work in the trenches of city governance. We don't have any more time to waste getting ready for an energy-scarcer future, and for those who remain dazed and confused, this book is an excellent place to start." --James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency and The Geography of Nowhere
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Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty: A Guidebook on Peak Oil and Global Warming for Local Governments ... more

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving Techniques for the Vegetable Gardener by Suzanne Ashworth 2nd Edition 2002. 228pp. A complete guide to saving seed from 160 vegetable crops, with detailed information on each vegetable: botanical classification, flower structure and pollination method, isolation distances, caging and hand-pollination techniques, and proper methods for harvesting, drying, cleaning and storing. Save your own seed...before the corporate corpses make it illegal! Here's how.
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Seed to Seed: Seed Saving Techniques for the Vegetable Gardener by Suzanne Ashworth 2nd Edition 2002. 228pp. A complete guide ... more

Superbia!: 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods by Dan Chiras and Dave Wann 2003, 240pp. Superbia! is a book of practical ideas for creating more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable neighborhoods. It is about remaking suburban and urban neighborhoods to serve people better and to reduce human impact on the environment. Ideas for the blossoming of the suburb are described in order of difficulty, from easy to boldest, including: * the creation of a neighborhood newsletter to foster a sense of neighborhood identity and cooperation * regular community dinners, discussion groups, and babysitting co-ops * the removal of backyard fences to create park-like spaces for community play areas, or gardens * retrofitting homes for energy efficiency, and installing community energy systems. Well-illustrated and reader-friendly, Superbia! is written primarily for the millions who live in urban areas or existing suburbs. It will also be of major interest to environmentalists, planners, and all who want to create a more humane and nurturing lifestyle.
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Superbia!: 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods by Dan Chiras and Dave Wann 2003, 240pp. Superbia! is a book of ... more

Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis, fwd by Elaine Ingham 2006, 196pp This book is a welcome clarification of the hard science behind organic methods of gardening. Anyone who reads "Teaming with Microbes" will understand why soil is best understood from a biological rather than a chemical perspective: It's alive! But, because biology is inherently more compex than chemistry, it is often hard to grasp its everyday implications. Teaming's authors have cracked that nut with simple language and entertaining examples. "Teaming with microbes" is extremely important for our times. It can lead the way to a much broader movement to sustainable gardening practices by winning over those who have been turned off by earlier organic 'mumbo-jumbo.' Yes, it is easy to understand, but it will not turn off those readers who bring a sophisticated scientific skepticism to their reading. It will inspire them. Review by John Gardner, "Urban Worms Organics"
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Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis, fwd by Elaine ... more

The Backyard Berry Book: A Hands-On Guide To Growing Berries, Brambles, And Vine Fruit In The Home Garden by Stella Otto, 1995, 288 pp The Backyard Berry Book provides the home gardener with a complete guide to growing strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, gooseberries, grapes, and kiwi fruit. It also includes details on soil nutrition and testing, important plant nutrients, and mulching.Discusses site selection, propagation, soil, and pest control, and offers advice on growing strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, lingonberries, currants, grapes, and kiwifruit.
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The Backyard Berry Book: A Hands-On Guide To Growing Berries, Brambles, And Vine Fruit In The Home Garden by Stella ... more

The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden by Stella Otto 1994, 250 pp. For every gardener desiring to add apples, pears, cherries, and other tree fruit to their landscape here are hints and solid information from a professional horticulturist and experienced fruit grower. The Backyard Orchardist includes help on selecting the best fruit trees and information about each stage of growth and development, along with tips on harvest and storage of the fruit. Those with limited space will learn about growing dwarf fruit trees in containers. 1994 Benjamin Franklin Award Winner
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The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden by Stella Otto 1994, 250 pp. ... more

The Global Gardener with Bill Mollison In 4 half-hour segments, Bill travels the globe viewing Permaculture application in the tropics, arid deserts, cool temperate climates, and cities. Acclaimed by millions! Excellent for introducing Permaculture to the media-opiated masses. Buy a copy for yourself and another for your local public library!!
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The Global Gardener with Bill Mollison In 4 half-hour segments, Bill travels the globe viewing Permaculture application in the tropics, ... more

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil 53 minutes, DVD, 2006 The need to bring agriculture into Havana began with the fall of the Soviet Union and the loss of more than 50 percent of Cuba's oil imports, much of its food and 85 percent of its trade economy. Transportation halted, people went hungry and the average Cuban lost 30 pounds. Due to the continuing US embargo, but also because of the loss of a foreign market, Cuba couldn't obtain enough imported food. Furthermore, without a substitute for fossil-fuel based large-scale farming, agricultural production dropped drastically. So Cubans started to grow local organic produce out of necessity, developed bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers as petrochemical substitutes, and incorporated more fruits and vegetables into their diets. Since they couldn't fuel their aging cars, they walked, biked, rode buses, and carpooled. The goals of this film are to give hope to the developed world as it wakes up to the consequences of being hooked on oil, and to lift American's prejudice of Cuba by showing the Cuban people as they are. The filmmakers do this by having the people tell their story on film. It's a story of their dedication to independence and triumph over adversity, and a story of cooperation and hope.
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The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil 53 minutes, DVD, 2006 The need to bring agriculture into Havana ... more

Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden By Lee Reich 2004, 308pp. Lee Reich provides a valuable guide to uncommon fruits and berries, which add an adventurous flavor to any garden. Though names like jujube, juneberry, maypop, and shipova may seem exotic at first glance, these fruits offer ample rewards to the gardener willing to go only slightly off the beaten path at local nurseries. Reliable even in the toughest garden situations, cold-hardy, and pest- and disease-resistant, they are as enticing to the beginner as to the advanced gardener. This expanded sequel to the author's celebrated Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention offers new fruits, new varieties, and new photos and illustrations to entice the reader into an exciting world of garden pleasure.
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Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden By Lee Reich 2004, 308pp. Lee Reich provides a valuable guide to uncommon fruits and ... more

Water in the Home Landscape Learn simple, low-tech, quick-start solutions in this 32 page booklet from Permaculture Activist, 2005 Basic approaches to Tanks, Rainwater Catchment, Ram Pumps, Ground Recharge, Urban Stormwater, Ponds, Dowsing
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Water in the Home Landscape Learn simple, low-tech, quick-start solutions in this 32 page booklet from Permaculture Activist, 2005 Basic ... more

Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds by Art Ludwig 2005, 125 pp. Covers water system design and construction of storage both in and above ground. Comprehensive, concise information about water quality, potential difficulties, and how to avoid them while creating your own supply for domestic use or fire control. With instructions for making ferrocement tanks.
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Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds by Art Ludwig 2005, 125 pp. Covers water system design and construction of ... more