Hope in the Soil

Hope in the Soil PDF Author: Ellen Gould Harmon White
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781517655501
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
Before edible classrooms began "sprouting" in elementary schools, before buzzwords like "sustainable agriculture", "organic," or "veganic" came into existence, an exceptional woman named Ellen G. White penned numerous counsels to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its institutions on the importance of farming, an outdoor life, and manual labor. Though often remembered for other things, Mrs. White was actively engaged in not only farming, but helping those in need to get established on farms. With God's leading, her guiding hand was also deeply involved in the establishment of a model school in Australia-a school that wrapped farming deeply into its highly successful curriculum. A hundred years have now come and gone since her death, yet the writings of this visionary woman continue, when followed, to bring much blessing to those involved. In hopes that this compilation may encourage others to think deeply on and implement these counsels, this volume is humbly presented.

Hope in the Soil

Hope in the Soil PDF Author: Ellen Gould Harmon White
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781517655501
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 202

Get Book Here

Book Description
Before edible classrooms began "sprouting" in elementary schools, before buzzwords like "sustainable agriculture", "organic," or "veganic" came into existence, an exceptional woman named Ellen G. White penned numerous counsels to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its institutions on the importance of farming, an outdoor life, and manual labor. Though often remembered for other things, Mrs. White was actively engaged in not only farming, but helping those in need to get established on farms. With God's leading, her guiding hand was also deeply involved in the establishment of a model school in Australia-a school that wrapped farming deeply into its highly successful curriculum. A hundred years have now come and gone since her death, yet the writings of this visionary woman continue, when followed, to bring much blessing to those involved. In hopes that this compilation may encourage others to think deeply on and implement these counsels, this volume is humbly presented.

Grass, Soil, Hope

Grass, Soil, Hope PDF Author: Courtney White
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 160358546X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
This book tackles an increasingly crucial question: What can we do about the seemingly intractable challenges confronting all of humanity today, including climate change, global hunger, water scarcity, environmental stress, and economic instability? The quick answers are: Build topsoil. Fix creeks. Eat meat from pasture-raised animals. Scientists maintain that a mere 2 percent increase in the carbon content of the planet’s soils could offset 100 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere. But how could this be accomplished? What would it cost? Is it even possible? Yes, says author Courtney White, it is not only possible, but essential for the long-term health and sustainability of our environment and our economy. Right now, the only possibility of large-scale removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is through plant photosynthesis and related land-based carbon sequestration activities. These include a range of already existing, low-tech, and proven practices: composting, no-till farming, climate-friendly livestock practices, conserving natural habitat, restoring degraded watersheds and rangelands, increasing biodiversity, and producing local food. In Grass, Soil, Hope, the author shows how all these practical strategies can be bundled together into an economic and ecological whole, with the aim of reducing atmospheric CO2 while producing substantial co-benefits for all living things. Soil is a huge natural sink for carbon dioxide. If we can draw increasing amounts carbon out of the atmosphere and store it safely in the soil then we can significantly address all the multiple challenges that now appear so intractable.

Hope in the Soil

Hope in the Soil PDF Author: Ellen G White
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Before edible classrooms began "sprouting" in elementary schools, before buzzwords like "sustainable agriculture", "organic," or "veganic" came into existence, an exceptional woman named Ellen G. White penned numerous letters and articles on the importance of farming, an outdoor life, and manual labor. Though often remembered for other things, Mrs. White was actively engaged in not only farming, but helping those in need to get established on farms. With God's leading, her guiding hand was also deeply involved in the establishment of a model school in Australia-a school that wrapped farming deeply into its highly successful curriculum. The writings of Ellen White contain a treasure house of scientific insights, many of which are just now coming to the attention of researchers. Her writings offer wisdom and helpful advice on a wide variety of topics, including health, nutrition, medicine, narcotics, physiology, plant science and geology. In recognition of her contributions along health lines, in 1986 the National Health Federation posthumously awarded Mrs. White 'The President's Award' for her uncanny medical insights. A hundred years have now come and gone since her death, yet the writings of this visionary woman continue, when followed, to bring much blessing to those involved.Chapter #1 begins with quotes explaining how-and why-nature is one of the most effective ways to reach human minds for God. In fact, it is even called the "key to unlocking God's Word." The last part of Chapter #1 explains why farming is the most consistent way to reach souls through nature.Chapter #2 covers the farm as God's training school, and how it is one of the most effective ways to reach-and positively impact-the lives of young people. This chapter also includes information on why education close to nature is superior to spiritual growth, and how being out in-and learning about-nature is especially valuable to small children. There is also a section on the farm as a training tool for evangelists (e.g. working hard soil is not unlike dealing with hard human hearts). This chapter ends with some quotes on God's ownership stake in school farms.Chapter #3 describes God's original homesteading plan, starting with the Garden of Eden and going through patriarchal times. The advantages of country living for child rearing are presented, together with some dangers to children from city living, and some advice on saving money and moving to the country. There are also sections on the powerful testimony of a well-kept home and farm, how farmers can be highly effective as missionaries, and God's economic plan for helping the poor. Chapter #4 details the blessings to be obtained through farming, including character development, unseen advantages, health benefits, spiritual benefits, improved thinking ability, and financial success.Chapters #5 and #6 detail the characteristics of model schools that follow God's plan. These quotes were drawn from the experience of Avondale, Madison College, Oakwood College, and other schools that were set-up with agriculture as a major part of the curriculum. Characteristics of such schools include that nature and the Bible were the primary textbooks, a hand-in-glove integration between education and the agricultural program, a balance between mental and physical labor, a rural or country location, every student learning a practical trade, farming superseding the love of sports and amusements, and teachers rolling up their sleeves and working right alongside the students. Other characteristics of successful model schools presented in detail in this section include self-sufficiency, obedience to God's plan, and size of the school (small is better). There are also some interesting quotes on why some farms fail.

The Soil Will Save Us

The Soil Will Save Us PDF Author: Kristin Ohlson
Publisher: Rodale
ISBN: 1609615549
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
Thousands of years of poor farming and ranching practices—and, especially, modern industrial agriculture—have led to the loss of up to 80 percent of carbon from the world’s soils. That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet. In The Soil Will Save Us, journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for "our great green hope"—a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon—and potentially reverse global warming. As the granddaughter of farmers and the daughter of avid gardeners, Ohlson has long had an appreciation for the soil. A chance conversation with a local chef led her to the crossroads of science, farming, food, and environmentalism and the discovery of the only significant way to remove carbon dioxide from the air—an ecological approach that tends not only to plants and animals but also to the vast population of underground microorganisms that fix carbon in the soil. Ohlson introduces the visionaries—scientists, farmers, ranchers, and landscapers—who are figuring out in the lab and on the ground how to build healthy soil, which solves myriad problems: drought, erosion, air and water pollution, and food quality, as well as climate change. Her discoveries and vivid storytelling will revolutionize the way we think about our food, our landscapes, our plants, and our relationship to Earth.

Dirt to Soil

Dirt to Soil PDF Author: Gabe Brown
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603587640
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
"A regenerative no-till pioneer."—NBC News "We need to reintegrate livestock and crops on our farms and ranches, and Gabe Brown shows us how to do it well."—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation See Gabe Brown—author and farmer—in the Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground 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. In Dirt to Soil Gabe Brown tells the story of that amazing journey and offers a wealth of innovative solutions to restoring the soil by laying out and explaining his "five principles of soil health," which are: Limited Disturbance Armor Diversity Living Roots Integrated Animals The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over twenty years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil. Using regenerative agricultural principles, Brown’s Ranch has grown several inches of new topsoil in only twenty years! The 5,000-acre ranch profitably produces a wide variety of cash crops and cover crops as well as grass-finished beef and lamb, pastured laying hens, broilers, and pastured pork, all marketed directly to consumers. The key is how we think, Brown says. In the industrial agricultural model, all thoughts are focused on killing things. But that mindset was also killing diversity, soil, and profit, Brown realized. Now he channels his creative thinking toward how he can get more life on the land—more plants, animals, and beneficial insects. “The greatest roadblock to solving a problem,” Brown says, “is the human mind.”

The Living Soil Handbook

The Living Soil Handbook PDF Author: Jesse Frost
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1645020274
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Principles and farm-tested practices for no-till 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 in Kentucky 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 centered around the three basic principles of no-till 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 emphasizes 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 in your context. He does not believe that growers should anguish over what does and does not qualify as “no-till.” If you are using a tool to promote soil life and biology, that’s the goal. Jesse’s goal with The Living Soil Handbook 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. "[A] practical, informative debut. . . .Gardeners interested in sustainable agriculture will find this a great place to start."—Publishers Weekly "Frost offers a comprehensive, science-based, sympathetic, wholly practical guide to soil building, that most critical factor in vegetable gardening for market growers and home gardeners alike. A gift to any vegetable plot that will keep on giving."—Booklist (starred review)

Conquer the Soil

Conquer the Soil PDF Author: Abra Lee
Publisher: Timber Press
ISBN: 9781643260624
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
Conquer the Soil profiles 45 hidden figures of horticulture—the Black men and women whose accomplished careers in the plant world are little known or untold. Among them are Wormley Hughes, an enslaved African-American who was head gardener at Monticello and dug Jefferson’s grave; Annie Vann Reid, an ex-teacher turned entrepreneur in South Carolina who owned a five-acre greenhouse and nursery in the 1940s that sold millions of plants and seeds; and David August Williston, a graduate of Cornell University and the first African-American landscape architect, a student of Liberty Hyde Bailey, and the designer of the Tuskegee University campus. The lively text is enriched by illustrations of each individual, making this a beaituful package. In Conquer the Soil, Abra Lee--a rising star in the plant world--gives these women and men the spotlight they deserve and enriches our collective understanding of the history of horticulture.

Dirt

Dirt PDF Author: David R. Montgomery
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520933168
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
Dirt, soil, call it what you want—it's everywhere we go. It is the root of our existence, supporting our feet, our farms, our cities. This fascinating yet disquieting book finds, however, that we are running out of dirt, and it's no laughing matter. An engaging natural and cultural history of soil that sweeps from ancient civilizations to modern times, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations explores the compelling idea that we are—and have long been—using up Earth's soil. Once bare of protective vegetation and exposed to wind and rain, cultivated soils erode bit by bit, slowly enough to be ignored in a single lifetime but fast enough over centuries to limit the lifespan of civilizations. A rich mix of history, archaeology and geology, Dirt traces the role of soil use and abuse in the history of Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, China, European colonialism, Central America, and the American push westward. We see how soil has shaped us and we have shaped soil—as society after society has risen, prospered, and plowed through a natural endowment of fertile dirt. David R. Montgomery sees in the recent rise of organic and no-till farming the hope for a new agricultural revolution that might help us avoid the fate of previous civilizations.

Soil

Soil PDF Author: Matthew Evans
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1761062255
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
'A love letter to Mother Earth and entertaining must-read that goes to the heart of our survival' Charles Massy. 'A love letter to Mother Earth and entertaining must-read that goes to the heart of our survival' Charles Massy, author of Call of the Reed Warbler. Perfect for fans of Wilding by Isabella Tree. What we do to the soil, we do to ourselves. Soil is the unlikely story of our most maligned resource as swashbuckling hero. A saga of bombs, ice ages and civilisations falling. Of ancient hunger, modern sicknesses and gastronomic delight. It features poison gas, climate collapse and a mind-blowing explanation of how rain is formed. For too long, we've not only neglected the land beneath us, we've squandered and debased it, by over-clearing, over-grazing and over-ploughing. But if we want our food to nourish us, and to ensure our planet's long-term health, we need to understand how soil works - how it's made, how it's lost, and how it can be repaired. In this ode to the thin veneer of Earth that gifts us life, commentator and farmer Matthew Evans shows us that what we do in our backyards, on our farms, and what we put on our dinner tables really matters, and can be a source of hope. Isn't it time we stopped treating the ground beneath our feet like dirt?

Soil

Soil PDF Author: Christin Ditchfield
Publisher: Turtleback Books
ISBN: 9780613595490
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
For use in schools and libraries only. In clear, easy-to-read language, this book answers all the critical questions about this natural resource--how it is formed, what it is made of, and what it is used for.