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The Survival Gardener

The Official Website of Author David The Good

Latest Posts

    BooksReviews

    Saturday Book Reviews: A Soil Owner’s Manual, Comeback Farms, Dirt to Soil, Keeping Bees with a Smile, Balanced Beekeeping I and II

    by David The Good January 28, 2023January 27, 2023
    written by David The Good

    Today we continue our book reviews, as I run through the 2022 reading list.

    A Soil Owner’s Manual by Jon Stika

    From the publisher:

    “A Soil Owner’s Manual: Restoring and Maintaining Soil Health, is about restoring the capacity of your soil to perform all the functions it was intended to perform. This book is not another fanciful guide on how to continuously manipulate and amend your soil to try and keep it productive. This book will change the way you think about and manage your soil. It may even change your life. If you are interested in solving the problem of dysfunctional soil and successfully addressing the symptoms of soil erosion, water runoff, nutrient deficiencies, compaction, soil crusting, weeds, insect pests, plant diseases, and water pollution, or simply wish to grow healthy vegetables in your family garden, then this book is for you. Soil health pioneer Jon Stika, describes in simple terms how you can bring your soil back to its full productive potential by understanding and applying the principles that built your soil in the first place. Understanding how the soil functions is critical to reducing the reliance on expensive inputs to maintain yields. Working with, instead of against, the processes that naturally govern the soil can increase profitability and restore the soil to health. Restoring soil health can proactively solve natural resource issues before regulations are imposed that will merely address the symptoms. This book will lead you through the basic biology and guiding principles that will allow you to assess and restore your soil. It is part of a movement currently underway in agriculture that is working to restore what has been lost. “

    I read this one early in the year, then managed to lose it in our move.

    It would be great to write something insightful about it here, but as I don’t have it in hand, I don’t have much to say.

    This book is firmly in the “no till” camp. The cows on the front were not well-rendered by the printer and had noticeable digital artifacts. That’s probably not Stika’s fault, though.

    This concludes the least insightful review I’ve posted here to date.

    4 out of 5 stars

     

    Comeback Farms by Greg Judy

    From the publisher:

    “Many folks are hesitant to try Holistic Planned Grazing because of what they think it entails. Greg Judy’s book responds to such hesitancy with enthusiasm and positive attitude and by articulating the basics in a very simple way, demonstrating to readers that it is possible to make these changes without a lot of infrastructure investment.

    Judy shows how to add sheep, goats and pigs to existing cattle operations. He explains fencing and water systems that build on existing infrastructure set up for Management-intensive Grazing. Sharing his first-hand experience (mistakes as well as successes), Judy takes graziers to the next level. He shows how High Density Grazing (HDG) on his own farm and those he leases can revitalize hayed out, scruffy, weedy pastures, and turn them into highly productive grazing landscapes that grow both green grass and greenbacks.

    If you have six cows or 6000, you can utilize High Density Grazing to create fertile soils, lush pastures and healthy livestock. Greg Judy, the master of custom grazing, shows how to earn profits with little risk while using other people’s livestock on leased land. Judy details how to work with Nature without costly inputs, and how to let the animals be your labor force.”

    This is a fascinating look at managing grazing cattle and other ruminants to restore poor land. Greg Judy has done it and shares his results.

    We did some minimal experiments in the pasture we were borrowing after reading on managed grazing, via arranging the grass into strips. However, the owner’s son then went and mowed all the grass outside our managed area, meaning we couldn’t continue. We may try again on our new land, especially now that we’re up to four cows instead of just two.

    5 out of 5 stars

     

    Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown

    From the publisher:

    “Gabe Brown didn’t set out to change the world when he first started working alongside his father-in-law on the family farm in North Dakota. But as a series of weather-related crop disasters put Brown and his wife, Shelly, in desperate financial straits, they started making bold changes to their farm. Brown―in an effort to simply survive―began experimenting with new practices he’d learned about from reading and talking with innovative researchers and ranchers. As he and his family struggled to keep the farm viable, they found themselves on an amazing journey into a new type of farming: regenerative agriculture.

    Brown dropped the use of most of the herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers that are a standard part of conventional agriculture. He switched to no-till planting, started planting diverse cover crops mixes, and changed his grazing practices. In so doing Brown transformed a degraded farm ecosystem into one full of life―starting with the soil and working his way up, one plant and one animal at a time.”

    It’s a great story, with lots of ups and downs and unexpected discoveries. One of the best ways to learn is to DO – and that’s what Gabe and his family did on their farm. This book is very inspiring, especially if you are a farmer.

    5 out of 5 stars

     

    January 28, 2023January 27, 2023 0 comment
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  • Corn

    60″ Corn Row Spacing

    by David The Good January 27, 2023
    January 27, 2023
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  • Pigs

    The Piggy Playground and Piglets on the Homestead

    by David The Good January 26, 2023
    January 26, 2023
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  • Composting

    Easy Worm Composting with the Bathtub Worm Bin!

    by David The Good January 25, 2023
    January 25, 2023
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  • Grapes

    Head-Training Grape Vines, Goblet-Style

    by David The Good January 24, 2023January 23, 2023
    January 24, 2023January 23, 2023
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  • Uncategorized

    Feeding Bamboo to the Cows

    by David The Good January 24, 2023January 24, 2023
    January 24, 2023January 24, 2023
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  • Blueberry

    Wild Blueberries in Shade vs. Sun

    by David The Good January 23, 2023January 16, 2023
    January 23, 2023January 16, 2023
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  • BooksUncategorized

    Book Review Saturday: Born Again Dirt, An Agricultural Testament, Landrace Gardening, The Contagion Myth and The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

    by David The Good January 21, 2023January 16, 2023
    January 21, 2023January 16, 2023
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  • Frost protection

    Not a bad save…

    by David The Good January 20, 2023January 13, 2023
    January 20, 2023January 13, 2023
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  • ChickensLandrace Gardening

    Understanding Genetic Diversity (via Sand Hill Preservation Center)

    by David The Good January 19, 2023January 13, 2023
    January 19, 2023January 13, 2023
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  • CompostingLasagna GardeningTrees

    Planting a Tree WITHOUT Digging a Hole!

    by David The Good January 18, 2023January 13, 2023
    January 18, 2023January 13, 2023
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  • Citrus

    The Joy of Calamondins

    by David The Good January 17, 2023January 13, 2023
    January 17, 2023January 13, 2023
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Florida gardening

South Florida Gardening Hacks to Help You Grow LOTS Of Food!

by David The Good January 11, 2023January 10, 2023

South Florida gardening doesn’t have to be a chore. In fast, you can produce…

by David The Good January 11, 2023January 10, 2023

Tourist Trapped at The Florida Citrus Center

January 9, 2023January 7, 2023
by David The Good January 9, 2023January 7, 2023

If You Live in South Florida, Don’t Waste The Climate!

January 2, 2023January 2, 2023
by David The Good January 2, 2023January 2, 2023

What is the trinity of veggies for Florida?

October 19, 2022
by David The Good October 19, 2022

The South Florida Backyard Garden Plan Legend

June 28, 2022June 27, 2022
by David The Good June 28, 2022June 27, 2022
View All

Garden design

Understanding Genetic Diversity (via Sand Hill Preservation Center)

by David The Good January 19, 2023January 13, 2023

Wendy shares a good article on the value of genetic diversity, over at Sand…

by David The Good January 19, 2023January 13, 2023

Planting a Tree WITHOUT Digging a Hole!

January 18, 2023January 13, 2023
by David The Good January 18, 2023January 13, 2023

Maximize the Food Production of Your Orchard, Grocery Row Garden or Food Forest

December 16, 2022
by David The Good December 16, 2022

A Grocery Row Garden in the Snow (And Other Stories)

December 5, 2022
by David The Good December 5, 2022

Space Coast Grocery Row Gardens (in the Suburbs!)

November 21, 2022November 21, 2022
by David The Good November 21, 2022November 21, 2022
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Books

Saturday Book Reviews: A Soil Owner’s Manual, Comeback Farms, Dirt to Soil, Keeping Bees with a Smile, Balanced Beekeeping I and II

by David The Good January 28, 2023January 27, 2023

Today we continue our book reviews, as I run through the 2022 reading list.…

by David The Good January 28, 2023January 27, 2023

Book Review Saturday: Born Again Dirt, An Agricultural Testament, Landrace Gardening, The Contagion Myth and The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

January 21, 2023January 16, 2023
by David The Good January 21, 2023January 16, 2023

Visiting the Old Florida Book Shop

January 10, 2023January 10, 2023
by David The Good January 10, 2023January 10, 2023

NEW BOOK RELEASE: Easy Composting for Organic Gardeners by Steve Solomon

August 4, 2022
by David The Good August 4, 2022

The South Florida Backyard Garden Plan Legend

June 28, 2022June 27, 2022
by David The Good June 28, 2022June 27, 2022
View All

Crops

60″ Corn Row Spacing

by David The Good January 27, 2023

Does planting corn at 60″ – double its “normal” spacing – make sense? When…

by David The Good January 27, 2023

Head-Training Grape Vines, Goblet-Style

January 24, 2023January 23, 2023
by David The Good January 24, 2023January 23, 2023

Wild Blueberries in Shade vs. Sun

January 23, 2023January 16, 2023
by David The Good January 23, 2023January 16, 2023

Planting and Growing Sugarcane in Zone 8, 9, 10 and Beyond

December 13, 2022
by David The Good December 13, 2022

Planting a Green Sugarcane Variety in a Wagon Wheel

December 7, 2022December 7, 2022
by David The Good December 7, 2022December 7, 2022
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Encouragement

DEJUNK WEEKEND!

by David The Good January 14, 2023

Rachel and I have ditched 317 things  this weekend – so far. All of…

by David The Good January 14, 2023

This is My New Favorite Homesteading Video

December 21, 2022
by David The Good December 21, 2022

This is true

December 20, 2022December 20, 2022
by David The Good December 20, 2022December 20, 2022

On the Joy of Working Hard

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022
by David The Good December 6, 2022December 6, 2022

Making Cane Syrup in Lower Alabama with Ben White

November 25, 2022November 25, 2022
by David The Good November 25, 2022November 25, 2022
View All

Grow or Die!

Tees for Sale

Good Gardens Nursery

Seeds for Generations

2023 Reading List

Currently Reading


An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine by Blessed John Henry Newman
The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin
Pasture Perfect by Jo Robinson
The Life and Opinions of Tristam Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne
Practical Religion by J.C. Ryle
The Holy Bible (Douay-Rheims translation) by God

Finished Reading


The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity by Timothy Ware
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians" by Karl Keating
The Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis
Weekend Makeover by Don Aslett
Suprised by Truth by Patrick Madrid (editor)
Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn

2022 Reading List

Finished Reading


Born Again Dirt by Noah Sanders
An Agricultural Testament by Sir Albert Howard
Landrace Gardening by Joseph Lofthouse
The Contagion Myth by Thomas S. Cowan and Sally Fallon Morrell
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 1 of 8) by Edward Gibbon
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 2 of 8) by Edward Gibbon
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 3 of 8) by Edward Gibbon
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 4 of 8) by Edward Gibbon
A Soil Owner's Manual by Jon Stika
Comeback Farms by Greg Judy
Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown
Keeping Bees with a Smile by Fedor Lazutin and Leo Sharashkin
Balanced Beekeeping I: Building a Top Bar Hive by Philip Chandler
Balanced Beekeeping II: Managing the Top Bar Hive by Philip Chandler
Handling Sin by Michael Malone
The Rooted Life by Justin Rhodes
The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil by Dale Strickler
Soil Science for Gardeners by Robert Pavlis
The Wheel of Health: The Sources of Long Life and Health Among the Hunza by Dr. G. T. Wrench
For the Love of the Soil by Nicole Masters
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Book 5 of 8) by Edward Gibbon
Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome
Metabolical by Dr. Robert Lustig
Satyricon by Gaius Petronius
Skin in the Game by Nassim Taleb
The History of Early Rome by Livy
Dissolving Illustions by Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
Less: A Visual Guide to Minimalism by Rachel Aust
Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life by Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus
De Agricultura by Cato
Don't Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk
The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz
Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
Coppice Agrofrestry by Mark Krawczyk
Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson
The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own by Joshua Becker
Aeneid by Virgil
Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines by Tim Staples
Becoming Orthodox by Peter Gilquist
The Orthodox Church: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity by Timothy Ware
The Holy Bible (NKJV) by God

Started then Ditched

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The Barefoot Beekeeper by Philip Chandler
Holistic Management, Third Edition: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment by Allan Savory

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