Book Review
Backyard Market Gardening,
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow
by Andrew Lee, paperback, 352 pages

Andrew Lee wants to change the way we feed ourselves-and he has a pretty good idea of how to replace the chemical-based, fossil fuel driven, industrial-scale paradigm that fills our markets with tasteless food of dubious nutritional content, with a community-based, human-scale agriculture that puts healthy, nutritious food on our tables while drastically reducing our dependence on fossil fuels to get it there.

While Backyard Market Gardening is full of models, plans, examples, tips, tools, and ideas for the small-scale, community-oriented grower, it also expounds a philosophy of regional self reliance, healthy people, healthy communities, and farming in harmony with the land-all presented in a straight-forward and amiable style. Lee draws on his more than thirty years of experience as a market grower and permaculturist to provide a wealth of information to help ambitious gardeners scale up their operations or simply get the highest return from their gardening efforts. He also shows us how providing high-quality, organically grown vegetables, flowers, and herbs to one's own community can be, not only personally rewarding and ecologically sound, but also profitable.

This book covers a wide range of topics both agricultural and economic, including essays from many of Andrew Lee's colleagues from his years as director of the Intervale Community Farm in Burlington,Vermont and teaching at the University of Vermont's Alternative Agriculture Program. Excellent information is provided on such issues as site selection, soil building, buying and making labor saving tools, irrigation systems, harvesting and more, but where Backyard Market Gardening really shines is in teaching us how best to market what we grow. In depth discussions range from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), to Farmer's Markets, finding niches, working with restaurants, producers cooperatives, "pick your own" and more, with each discussion supported by real-world, successful examples.

Whether gardening a small plot of vegetables for your family and friends, or feeding hundreds through a large CSA or market farm, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf. It is a rare blend of a sound philosophical stance combined with tried-and-true practical knowledge that you'll turn to time and time again.    S.V.

More Great Information For The Market Grower

One of our favorite publications is Growing for Market Magazine edited and published by Lynn Byczynski, author of The Flower Farmer,An Organic Grower's Guide to Growing and Selling Cut Flowers.

Every month, the pages of Growing for Market are full of practical, hands-on ideas from experienced farmers that can help you find the best suppliers, get the best prices, reduce costs, sell more product, make your work more efficient and increase your profit margin. To learn more or to start a subscription check them out at www.growingformarket.com