Food dehydration is not just for prunes and raisins any more; a recent U.S. study revealed that the dried and dehydrated food industry made more than $6 billion in revenue in 2009 alone. Thanks to advances in technology, dehydrating foods at home has become easier than ever, allowing you to lock in food s nutritional value while eliminating the water content that causes foods to grow bacteria and mold. Drying foods also gives you a source of raw, nutrient-rich food that is easily available and requires no additional preparation. The Complete Guide to Drying Foods at Home provides you with all the information necessary for drying fruits, vegetables, meats, herbs, grains, and even dairy products. This book will provide you with instructions on how to dry foods using a food dehydrator and will also offer you simpler alternatives for how to dehydrate foods using an oven, microwave, or even the sun.

You will learn what equipment you need to get started and how to properly store your food to ensure optimal freshness. This book also provides you with recipes for any meal of the day, whether you are looking for an easy breakfast alternative or a quick soup you can prepare for lunch. You will even learn how to prepare foods for young children and pets. Drying your foods will not only provide you with timesaving options for ways to prepare your meals, it will also allow you to reduce the amount of food you throw out each month. Researchers at the University of Arizona found that the average family wastes 14 percent of their food purchases; learning how to dehydrate and store dry foods can ensure the money you spend on groceries will not be thrown out with the trash. We have spent hundreds of hours interviewing dozens of experts who will provide you with all the information you need to start dehydrating your foods. We ve spoken with nutritionists and busy parents who advocate drying foods as a way to save time and still prepare healthy meals. This book is filled with delicious recipes and practical tips to help you and your family enjoy the economic and health benefits that dehydrated foods offer. Whether you are looking for money-saving dinner options or a quick recipe for a high-protein trail mix, The Complete Guide to Drying Foods at Home offers you all the information you need to start cooking and eating smarter. #9781601386021 $21.95 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that if we composted 100 percent of our food scraps, we could prevent the equivalent of 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, the equivalent of more than 3.8 million vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions. Composting is one of the easiest and least expensive ways you can reduce your household waste and improve your garden, and using worms in your compost bin will provide you with the best compost available. Vermiform composting - the process of using worms to create compost - is one of the most eco-friendly forms of organic lawn care you can use on your vegetable garden or flowerbeds. Working with Worms: The Complete Guide to Using the Gardener's Best Friend for Organic Gardening and Composting will tell you everything you need to know to start composting with worms. You will learn what supplies you need, including what bins to purchase, what materials to include in your compost, and where you can purchase your worms. You will learn the conditions to create for your compost bin, what to feed your wigglers, and how often to harvest the castings your worms leave behind. This book will also help you with problems you may encounter while working with your squirming friends, including what to do with extra worms, how to deal with them escaping from the compost bin, how to tell if they are healthy, and what to do if they are not eating. You will learn the proper way to maintain your vermiform compost and use it in your garden after the composting cycle is complete. This practical guide will offer you solutions and suggestions to keep your garden healthy and happy by including this organic compost material. Whether you are looking for an environmentally friendly way to enrich your garden or a fun, easy project that your entire family can participate in, Working with Worms will offer you simple ways to use a gardener's best friend to make your plants prosper. #9781601385994 $24.95 

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Beekeeping is both a hobby and a practical business plan that many individuals have taken up in recent years as a viable way to culture a valuable natural resource and have fun in the process. In any given year, an effectively built beekeeping business can bring profits up to 500 percent of your investment according to numerous private beekeepers. The benefit of growing your own honey and selling it to local customers for between $3 and $6 a pound depending on how you cultivate and whether your honey is completely organic can be a huge boon for anyone with the money and time to invest.

This book walks all motivated potential beekeepers through the process of building and operating their beekeeping business from the ground up, ensuring it is both a fun hobby and a great way to make a little extra money on the side. You will learn everything you need to effectively start beekeeping for profit and fun, including what materials you need, what kinds of bees are best for honey or wax production. You will learn all of the fundamental safety equipment you need to effectively handle the bees and where to place your hives on your property to take advantage of natural circumstances. You will learn the basics you need to understand what bees do and how they interact, including details about the queen bee, the worker bees, drones, and foragers. You will learn how seasonal changes affect your colonies, and how to use your smoke to access and gather honey from your bees.

The best in home beekeeping professionals have been interviewed and their expertise and insights have been gathered here for you to review, providing additional details about the kinds and methods of honey gathering that you can profit from you. You will learn how to install everything and keep your colonies updated. You will learn how to keep the necessary records and how to sell your honey and what the best prices for that honey is. You will learn what is involved in opening a colony and how to manage pests effectively without endangering the bees or the honey. You will learn how to manage your hives in the winter and fall and what you can do with everything your bees produce. For anyone who has ever considered beekeeping as a hobby or source of side income, this is the book for you.
 #9781601383624 $24.95 

Properly raised chickens can be a major boon to any household looking to save money on eggs and poultry. A single hen can lay as many as 10 eggs per week, if not coaxed with chemicals or drugs to do more, so providing a family all of the eggs they need. Additionally, eggs can be harvested and sold at farmer’s markets or to local supermarkets and poultry can be raised for slaughter to save additional money. Learning what chickens need to survive, from the feed they eat, to the housing they require, and the protection they need from predators is a necessary step for anyone looking to raise them.

In this book, you will find a complete guide to understanding how chickens are raised on a small farm, from hatching to egg cultivation, and ultimately slaughter. You will learn how to start understanding chickens and their numerous breed types, of which there are more than two hundred. You will learn how to purchase your own chickens and how to effectively handle them. You will learn what kind of housing your chickens need and the proper methods and forms of feeding each breed needs. Details about how to breed chickens for egg production and how to collect and store the eggs form a full chapter on chickens for eggs while additional information is included on how to manage your breeders and hatch eggs for raising your own chicks.

Top chicken farms and experts have been interviewed for this book and their expertise and experience has been compiled to form additional sections on maintaining chicken health, the various different seasons and how they affect chicken care and how to raise chickens for meat. Everything you need to know about raising chickens is included in this guide in great detail, the perfect starting place for any new chicken farmer. #9781601383747 $24.95  

Starting a small scale farm is the dream of Americans young and old, from those who watched the majesty of the great western farm in films during their youth to those who spent their childhood actually working on a farm. However, for many of these individuals it is a matter of logistics and cost that keeps them from realizing their dreams. Raising beef cattle, ducks, rabbits, and any other small animals such as sheeps, goats, or chickens takes not only a decent amount of money to get started, but knowhow that doesn’t come in textbooks while in school.

This book was written with the intent of providing anyone who has ever wanted to start their own small scale farm the necessary resources and information needed to start raising small animals and cattle. You will learn everything you need to know to raise a wide variety of small animals. You will learn how to care for chickens, from choosing the right breed to raising them for egg production. You will learn how to handle geese and ducks, choosing the correct breeds, feeding, housing, breeding, and selecting the right ones for egg production. You will also learn about egg incubation, maintaining poultry health, and how raise them for meat. Other animals you will learn how to care for include rabbits, goats, sheep, dairy cows, and beef cattle.

Small farmers and animal experts have been interviewed in detail and their responses added to this book to provide additional insight into every aspect of raising farm animals. This includes details about how to purchase, house, feed, breed, record, and butcher animals of all types as well as how to gather milk, use goats and cows for maintaining your fields, and even keeping records of births and selling babies. Everything you might need to know about raising small animals for your farm is included in this guide to provide you the first steps to raising domesticated poultry and livestock.#9781601383754  $24.95

Domesticated small animals, from the cow to the rabbit, have been enjoyed by human owners around the world since the dawn of civilization, nearly 12,000 years ago. From pets to beasts of burden and even just a friendly face in the barn, animals like these produce thousands of products you use around the house every day and can be a great addition to your home, property, or small farm. For anyone looking to raise such animals though, the realities of their new furry and feathery companions can be jolting; from the care they need on a regular basis to the food they eat.

This book was written for anyone considering purchasing and raising domesticated animals for family pets, producers of eggs and milk, or a friendly creature in the backyard. You will learn everything you need to know to raise a wide variety of small animals. You will learn how to care for chickens, from choosing the right breed to raising them for egg production. You will learn how to handle geese and ducks, choosing the correct breeds, feeding, housing, breeding, and selecting the right ones for egg production. You will also learn about egg incubation, maintaining poultry health, and how to raise them for meat. Other animals you will learn how to care for include rabbits, goats, sheep, dairy cows, and beef cattle.

Small farmers and animal experts have been interviewed in detail and their responses added to this book to provide additional insight into every aspect of raising farm animals. This includes details about how to purchase, house, feed, breed, record, and butcher animals of all types as well as how to gather milk, use goats and cows for maintaining your fields, and even keeping records of births and selling babies. Everything you might need to know about raising small animals for your farm is included in this guide to provide you the first steps to raising domesticated poultry and livestock. #9781601383761 $24.95 

There are more poultry breeds than most individuals realize and for anyone considering or preparing to get involved in the raising and breeding of poultry, it is vital to understand as much as possible about as many of them as possible. With more than 500 breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association, there are different feed necessities, housing requirements, incubation times, egg information, and costs of raising just about any of these various breeds.

This book provides the details that every potential poultry breed needs to start creating detailed plans for purchasing, raising, and breeding their new small farm animals. You will learn about each of the more than 500 different breeds of poultry, from chickens to turkeys and ducks. Each breed will be laid out with complete details about everything you need to know to raise them effectively. From how to breed that particular breed to how to raise the chicks, you will be able to breed and gather eggs from chickens and breed for meat the ducks and turkeys you select. You will learn exactly which breeds are best for egg production by volume and quality and which ones are best for meat by taste and quality. You will learn the dietary needs of each breed and what they require from you to stay alive in all four seasons as well.

Poultry and small farming experts were interviewed for this book to provide detailed insight into how poultry is selected and raised and throughout the book you will find small bits of information about how each breed is different from the rest, what suggestions are offered for raising that particular breed and which breeds to completely steer clear of. You will learn which poultry breeds have been used for hundreds of years on small farms everywhere and which ones are rarely used and for what reasons. Whether you are starting a farm and need a half dozen good poultry breeds for your coups or are just adding a small area on your property to raise some chickens, this guide will provide everything you need to understand and select the proper breed for your needs. #9781601383778 $24.95 

Pigs are a very special breed of animal in that they can be almost as much a pet as they are a potential source of meat and income. The proper raising of pigs is much disputed for this reason and there are multiple ways to go about it. To be an effective pig farmer, you must not only understand the various different perspectives on the raising of pigs, but be able to adjust to the breeds you select and the method by which you decide to raise each of them. From how they are fed to how you treat and handle them as babies, pigs are a very special and unique breed of farm animal.

This book provides every necessary detail you need to start raising pigs immediately, from selecting the breed of your pigs to how they will be fed. You will learn the difference between pigs that are raised for meat and those that are used for disposal of compost or as pets. You will learn how the process of home butchering and processing is completed and what you can do to start fitting and showing your pigs in competition. You will learn the ins and outs of the pig raising business, including the breeds you will encounter, the expectations of you by other pig farmers, and the details you need to see to when you purchase your first pigs. You will learn how to start breeding your own pigs by creating a breeding herd and selecting the best of your pigs for breeding stock.

Dozens of interviews with top pig farmers and experts from around the country have been gathered for this book and provide a detailed look at how the industry is run, including the management of a pig herd, the health care of your pigs, and the daily operations that must be completed in caring for your pigs, including day to day life, feeding the pigs, and their time both indoors and outdoors. If you are interested in the process of breeding and raising pigs, this book will provide every bit of information you need to get started.  #9781601383792 $24.95 

Raising cattle in the 21st century can be a complicated process. Starting with the way you feed your cattle, you need to know exactly what is best both for your animals and the milk and meat they produce. With the public conscious slowly turning more toward organic food choices (with as much as a 15 percent boost in organic beef sales since 2005 according to the USDA), there are numerous reasons why deciding to grass feed your animals can be not only an effective means of feeding your cattle, but also a way to make more money in the long run.

This book will guide you through the process of knowing exactly how to switch your methods to effectively raise your cattle on grass feed. You will learn the essential basics of raising your cattle with natural feed and care sources, including how the farming shift in this millennium has changed how things are done. You will learn the various differences between raising cattle for milk and meat production and what you can expect from your cattle. You will learn how to improve your overall farm efficiency while ensuring natural feeding, and how to start analyzing your soil to better improve your livestock and their lifestyle. You will learn the basics of breeding, heredity, the environment you should raise your livestock, and what feed requirements your animals all require.

Dozens of interviews have been conducted with top small farmers and cattle experts and their insight have been included here to help you learn how to properly house your cattle and rear their young, as well as the vital minerals, vitamins, and nutrients your cattle need to be healthy and produce high-quality meat and dairy. You will learn the basics of cattle health care and what you can expect from your livestock. Finally, you will learn some of the most common misconceptions about raising cattle and how you can overcome them. This book, for anyone seeking to raise cattle on grass, is ideal for getting a small farm started or renovating an existing farm.  #9781601383808 $24.95

Small scale farming has grown greatly in popularity during the last two decades, with a greater turn in public awareness toward locally grown, organic, grass fed products that have not been modified, chemically altered, or poorly fed. For that reason, those looking to start a small scale farm and raise livestock have a greater chance than ever before to take advantage of the new market for small scale goods.

This book will show any potential small scale farmer how to start raising their livestock and marketing it to the organic, natural lifestyle community that so fervently seeks out these products. You will learn how to start the basic outline for your new small farm, including which livestock to raise, how to build their pens and habitat, and what you will be feeding them to maintain a healthy, organic farm. You will learn the basics of animal husbandry, from genetics and breeding to feeding, building locations, and proper health and reproduction care. You will learn how to find yourself in the right niche for selling your products and what legalities you must see to as well as the butchering and processing phase

Hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews have been conducted for this book with top experts in farm management to provide you with details about farm planning, financial planning, and proper livestock planning. A complete appendix will detail the various breeds and needs of cattle, chickens, goats, horses, pigs, and sheep to help you select the right livestock for your farm. In addition, you will learn the basic composition of most feeds, different grasses and legumes you can use, and find a plethora of outside resources to utilize. For anyone with dreams of a small farm and raising livestock in their future, this is a book for you. #9781601383815 $24.95