{"product_id":"9781645022046-the-lean-micro-farm","title":"The Lean Micro Farm","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHow to Get Small, Embrace Local, Live Better, and Work Less\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Ben Hartman is a true innovator for the small farm.”—Curtis Stone, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Urban Farmer\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt’s time to think big about small farms. Award-winning author and “green leader” (\u003cem\u003eGrist\u003c\/em\u003e) Ben Hartman shares practical how-to tips, personal stories, and surprising examples of cutting-edge farmers and innovators around the world to show us how.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the early 1970s, US Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz infamously commanded farmers to “get big or get out.” In \u003cem\u003eThe Lean Micro Farm\u003c\/em\u003e, author Ben Hartman rejects that disastrous suggestion and instead takes up the charge of the late agrarian thinker Gene Logsdon: “Get small and stay in.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking inspiration from the groundbreaking ideas of E. F. Schumacher and Mahatma Gandhi, \u003cem\u003eThe Lean Micro Farm\u003c\/em\u003e shows how small, hyperlocal farms can be both ecologically and economically superior to industrial-scale operations geared toward export and commodity markets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Lean Micro Farm\u003c\/em\u003e details the author’s remarkable journey to downsize his farm from one acre to a third of an acre in an effort to prioritize family and community over work, all without taking a pay cut. In addition, Hartman profiles six innovative farmers from across the globe who embody this “get small” mindset. These pioneering farmers show all of us a path toward resilience in the face of supply chain disruption, globalization, and climate change. They model a gentler, more ecological approach to farming that produces less waste \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e uses less plastic, petroleum, and fertilizer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike his previous two books, \u003cem\u003eThe Lean Farm\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables\u003c\/em\u003e, Hartman’s \u003cem\u003eThe Lean Micro Farm\u003c\/em\u003e doesn’t just explain why smaller is better, it shows readers exactly how it can be done with step-by-step guides on how to turn a profit from a tiny, but productive, parcel of farmland. Readers will find not just philosophical justifications for a minimalist approach to agriculture but also actionable information for starting your own profitable micro farm, including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA description of the “deep mulch” method for building fertility\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInstructions on two-step bed flipping to increase production on a small footprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA guide for choosing essential tools and technologies “with a human face”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn easy-to-follow process for making your micro farm lean and efficient\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA detailed plan for selling $20,000 worth of produce from your backyard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s time, Hartman makes clear, to pivot to a new kind of farming—one that builds upon ancestral knowledge, nourishes communities, and puts human joy, not technology, at its center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Hartman has revolutionized his methods, cut down his work hours dramatically, and shrunk the size of his farm, all while making a better income.”—\u003cem\u003eCivil Eats\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56063090753910,"sku":"9781645022046","price":28.52,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_33678603.jpg?v=1754638094","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781645022046-the-lean-micro-farm","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}