At A Glance
As a Fannie Merritt Farmer , there is almost nothing I have a go at it more than visiting other farms and farmers to see how they do things . I always do away revolutionize , ready to get back to my farm and start tinkering . And that feeling is exactly the feeling I got reading Josh Volk ’s new book , Compact Farms .
In it , Volk explores how 15 dissimilar small farm — all under 5 land , all in North America — draw near the technological elements of modest - scale farming . He discusses their merchandising , clerking , labor direction , irrigation , fecundity and so on . It is a very nuts - and - bolts front at successful lowly farm , which every farmer regardless of attainment level and experience will enjoy .
What I really appreciate about this book is how varied those approaches can be . Volk shows you the 30 - column inch bottom organisation of Four Season Farm in Maine but also the 60 - inch seam systems of Cook ’s Farm in Ohio . He takes you to farmers who keep their mathematical process sportsmanlike and tight , but he does not neglect a few others whose farm are a bit on the wild side . So from Hawaii to Canada to North Carolina , this book , in one sitting , shows you that almost no two farm do things the same way , but that a small-scale farm does not mean little line of work .
Of course , I would be neglectful to not manoeuvre out the dynamic illustrations of Steve Sanford that bring Volk ’s writing and the story of these farm to life . Although there certainly is a mickle of effective photography throughout , each chapter spread out up with an illustrated bird ’s oculus view of the farm where you get to see the layout of each as it pertains to the farmer ’s houses , gardens and grove . A luck of ideas for a farm could be accumulated only from seeing how granger arrange things up , and act as double-dyed accompaniment to the inspiration Volk achieve in these stories .
It should be take note , however , that this is not a book for the livestock farmer . Not really . Although chicken make some cameos and you do get to see into the inspiring organization of Groundswell Farm , where farmer Zoë Bradbury apply draft horses , Volk highlights small - scale market place agriculturist whose primary focal point are vegetables , flowers and fruit . That said , it is definitely a Koran for anyone who observe a garden and hopes to make a living doing so .
The Final Word
Ultimately , Volk uses this aggregation of small farms to demonstrate how a farm does not have to be great to be successful . It can be 2 acres of rooftop in New York City , likeBrooklyn Grange , or a tenth of an Akka of “ peri - urban ” gardens like Volk ’s own CSA farm in Oregon . And I feel as though Volk has nail it in describing them as “ stocky farm . ” It is the perfect description . “ Small farm ” often denote a small operation , but what the farmers in this book show us is that , with the proper tools and proper direction , big things can indeed come in small packages .
