Principles and farm-tested practices for no-dig market gardening-for healthier, more productive soil!From the host of the popular The No-Till Market Garden Podcast - heard around the world with nearly one million downloads!Discovering how to meet the soil's needs is the key task for every market gardener. In this comprehensive guide, Farmer Jesse Frost shares all he has learned through experience and experimentation with no-till practices on his home farm and from interviews and visits with highly successful market gardeners in his role as host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast.The Living Soil Handbook is centred around the three basic principles of no-dig market gardening: Disturb the soil as little as possible Keep it covered as much as possible Keep it planted as much as possible. Farmer Jesse then guides readers in applying those principles to their own garden environment, with their own materials, to meet their own goals.Beginning with an exploration of the importance of photosynthesis to living soil, Jesse provides in-depth information on: Turning over beds Using compost and mulch Path management Incorporating biology, maintaining fertility Cover cropping Diversifying plantings through intercropping Production methods for seven major crops Throughout, the book emphasises practical information on all the best tools and practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around maximising soil health.Farmer Jesse does not believe that growers should anguish over what does and does not qualify as "no-dig." If you are using a tool to promote soil life and biology, that's the goal. The Living Soil Handbook blends the idea of meeting the soil's needs with the realities of making a living as a professional grower, no matter where you live.

Autorentext

Jesse Frost, aka Farmer Jesse, is a certified organic market gardener, freelance journalist, and the host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast. He is also a cofounder of notillgrowers.com, where he helps collect the best and latest no-till insights from growers in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Europe. He and his wife, Hannah Crabtree, practice no-till farming at Rough Draft Farmstead in central Kentucky.

Klappentext

**The ultimate resource for growers interested in no-till market gardening, sustainable agriculture principles, and farm-tested practices for healthier, more productive soil

From the host of the popular The No-Till Market Garden Podcast—heard around the world with nearly one million downloads

**Discovering how to meet the soil’s needs is the key task for every market gardener. In this comprehensive guide, Farmer Jesse Frost shares all he has learned through experience and experimentation with no-till practices on his home farm in Kentucky as well as from his podcast interviews and visits with highly successful market gardeners. He provides practical information on all the best tools and practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around maximizing the health of their soil.

Farmer Jesse reminds growers that “as possible” is the mantra for protecting the living soil: disturb the soil as little as you possibly can. He provides in-depth information on:
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**• Turning over beds
• Using compost and mulch
• Path management
• Incorporating biology and maintaining fertility
• Cover cropping
• Diversifying plantings through intercropping
• Production methods for 7 major crops **

Jesse’s goal is to provide a comprehensive set of options, materials, and field-tested practices to inspire growers to design a soil-nurturing no-till system in their unique garden or farm ecosystem.
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“Frost offers a comprehensive, science-based, sympathetic, wholly practical guide to soil building . . . A gift to any vegetable plot that will keep on giving.”—Booklist (starred review)