The New Organic Grower: A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener (A gardener's supply book)

Elliot Coleman is so much more than an organic farmer. His approach to growing things is as a scientist and he's continually researching, testing, and retesting his growing methods and tools. If all farmers were like Coleman we could easily feed the world's growing population in an organic, sustainable way. This man gives me hope for the future of agriculture. This book is a valuable resource for anyone growing food at any level (market farmer to backyard kitchen gardener) and will provide great information, advice and inspiration.

A glance at the other reviews will have you drooling over Coleman's "growers' bible". That's why I bought it. While good reviews are nice, I feel that the claim that this is a "master's manual or tools and techniques" is disingenuous. While Eliot is very complete and authoritative on the information he chooses to cover, there is NO information on:

1: Irrigation. He mentions he built a pond at one point. No clue how irrigation fits his system, if it does.

2: Mulches. While mentioned several times, there is no chapter or sub-section devoted to this important topic.

3: Egg or dairy systems. Livestock mentioned in the book is for meat. There is no concession for non-meat animal uses. He mentions sheep that he buys at the beginning of the season, sets to graze with the chickens, and then sells for little profit just so his chickens get more protein (read: bigger breasts).

Coleman never gets tired of talking about his farm-based sources of nutrients, and yet he is completely dependent on outside inputs for his unbelievably intricate 10-year fertility regime. He casually mentions buying peat and clay by the ton, neglects any mention of animal husbandry, seed saving or permaculture of any sort.

At times this comes over as downright sanctimonious, particularly in the chapter "Pests?" In which Eliot explains how every pest problem you've ever had is your fault for not paying attention to the culture requirements of the plants. He calls all pest management practices "palliatives" meant to hide the problem rather than correct the source of the pest issue.

Overall a well written book with loads of useful information. You just have to get over Coleman's down-east arrogance to get to the juicy bits.

This is a great resource for anyone who is interested in getting into organic farming. Not only does it have a multitude of topics, it includes practical information and does not assume it has all the answers. For example, it suggests that to find the BEST methods of irrigation for your farm or garden, you should talk to farmers or gardeners who are actually in your area!! Duh. It makes so much sense, and my husband and I will definitely use this book for years to come!

Some really good ideas for the mini-farmer, someone who wants to grow all their own veggies, and maybe even sell some to make extra money. You can even grow stuff year round!

This is a fantastic book with accessible information and easy to follow diagrams. It is a book about farming written by a farmer, not by a writer or a scientist. All the terms and concepts are laid out in understandable ways. This is the bible of organic gardening.