Growing Green: Animal-Free Organic Techniques

Growing Green: Animal-Free Organic Techniques is an essential guide about organic growing and is perfect for absolute beginners as well as experienced professionals. This book introduces the concept of stockfree-organic and shows, through case studies, that when growers abandon the use of slaughterhouse by-products and manures they can be rewarded with healthier crops, less weeds, pests and diseases.
In an age where dreams of self-sufficiency seem unattainable, Growing Green shows that making a living from growing organic vegetables can be achieved by anyone who is willing to rent land. Until now there have been no comprehensive guidelines on how to follow the organic standards at the different scales of vegetable production using tractors, small machinery and hand tools.
This practical and easy-to-follow guide answers:

What tools and machinery will I need?

What are the benefits of compost?

How do I manage different green manures?

Can I make seed compost without slaughterhouse by-products?

What rotations should I use for year-round vegetable supply?

How do I grow, harvest and store 60 different vegetables?

How can I weed without chemicals?

How can I reduce pest and diseases?

How can I encourage wildlife?

Where should I sell my produce?

How can I ensure that I am reducing my ecological footprint?
An invaluable guide for the grower, researcher and student; this book will prove to be an important step forward for the organic movement.

Jenny Hall graduated from Liverpool University with a law degree. In 1997 she returned to Lancashire to study for a Masters in Environmental Policy and began working for Growing with Nature, Pilling. Since 1998 Jenny has been a leading figure in the Vegan Organic Network, networking between commercial stockfree-organic growers and interested organizations. In 2001 Jenny became the Community Food Projects Officer for Lancashire Wildlife Trust. April 2004 saw Jenny going self-employed and with her partner, Keith Griggs, has developed Sow & Grow Organics putting five acres into stockfree-organic conversion, near Wigan. Iain Tolhurst (Tolly, as he is known in the organic world) has been a commercial organic grower since 1976. Prior to this, four years on a large dairy farm convinced him that the way forward for agriculture was organic. He also became a vegetarian at this time. He is a pioneer of organic strawberry production and he established the first ever organic growers cooperative, Cornish Organic Growers. Since 1988 Tolly has been growing on 18 acres at Hardwick Estate in south Oxfordshire. Vegetables are now the main farm business producing over 400 vegetable bags each week for a successful local box scheme. The farm has won many awards. Tolly has visited farmers and growers around the world, given regular talks and has been an advisor for governments in the Caribbean and Moldova. Since 1994 the farm has been run stockfree being the first ever to be awarded the Stockfree-Organic Symbol. The farm has become a model for the development of the Stockfree-Organic Standards and is the main demonstration site for Stockfree Systems being visited by people from all over the world.