The Mini Farming Handbook
by Brett L.Markham
Skyhorse Publishing | May 2014 | ISBN: 978-1-62914-197-8 | ePUB | 259 pages | 26 mb

Bestselling author Brett Markham’s new handbook gives us the mini farming basics along with in-depth tips on vegetable gardening, fermenting, composting, and self-sufficiency in a handy new format and design. Includes:
• Soil management and making your own fertilizer
• Crop rotation and cover cropping
• Composting
• Seed starting and timing/planning
• Raised beds and pest management
• Pvc trellising and planting spacers
• Raising chickens, making your own chicken plucker, and butchering
• Growing fruit/nut trees and vines
• Food preservation (canning and freezing)
• Fermenting wine, vinegar and cheese
With the full color photographs that made the original Mini Farming so popular, and step by step drawings, projects, graphs, and tables, you’ll have everything you need for your new or established mini farm at your fingertips. So dive in a learn how to begin and cultivate your own mini farm on less than a quarter acre.

About the Author
Brett L. Markham is an engineer, third-generation farmer, and polymath. Using the methods explained in his bestselling series Mini Farming, he runs a profitable, Certi?ed Naturally Grown mini farm on less than half an acre. Brett works full time as an engineer for a broadband ISP and farms in his spare time.

Table of Contents  
Introduction  
Chapter 1      Raised Beds  
Chapter 2      Soil Composition and Maintenance  
Chapter 3      Time and Yield  
Chapter 4      Pest and Disease Control  
Chapter 5      Seed Starting  
Chapter 6      Fruit Trees and Vines  
Chapter 7      Raising Chickens for Eggs  
Chapter 8      Raising Chickens for Meat  
Chapter 9      The Markham Farm Chicken Plucker  
Chapter 10    Preserving the Harvest  
Chapter 11    Planting Guides and Seeders  
Chapter 12    Easy Trellising  
Chapter 13    Overview of Winemaking  
Chapter 14    The Science of Wine  
Chapter 15    Ingredients and Techniques  
Chapter 16    Advanced Techniques in Winemaking  
Chapter 17    Principles and Materials for Vinegar  
Chapter 18    Vinegar Making Techniques  
Chapter 19    Cheese: Ingredients and Equipment  
Chapter 20    Practical Cheese Making Techniques  
Chapter 21    Introduction to Composting  
Chapter 22    Starting with the Soil  
Index