Living with the Earth, Volume 2
Food Crops and Forest Gardens
“This remarkable book is not just a manual for market gardeners; it’s a masterpiece.”—Huw Richards, Youtuber, author, and gardener
A highly detailed and beautifully illustrated guide to growing nutritious herbs, flowers, fruit and vegetables, ideal for the home grower and market gardener.
In 2006, Perrine and Charles Hervé-Gruyer set out on a mission to discover a new form of agriculture that provides organic crops and creates meaningful employment in the local community. Using a combination of biointensive methods and permaculture design, with they have named ‘ecoculture’, and backed by scientific research, resulted in their farm producing abundantly, sequestering carbon and freeing up land for Nature.
Perrine and Charles Hervé-Gruyer designed a farm in Normandy that is so productive it provides a living for five people whilst only cultivating just a small percentage of the land, leaving the rest for Nature. In Living with the Earth, Volume 1, they described the overarching principles and influences of ecology and permaculture and share how they work with Nature to create highly productive systems.
Living with the Earth, Volume 2 of this comprehensive series dives deep into the details. Subjects include:
- Growing methods
- Seeding & soil preparation
- Plant densities and replicable crop associations
- Tools, irrigation and harvesting
- Growing year-round
- Vegetables, fruits, microgreens, flowers, mushrooms, tree crops and forest gardens
Beautifully designed and full of useful, descriptive photographs, diagrams and charts, this manual provides a wealth of research and practical experience. These volumes are ground-breaking, with principles and practices that can be used on any scale. They are, however, of particular interest to small- to medium-scale farmers, horticulturalists, forest gardeners, agronomists, and market gardeners.
Reviews and Praise
"This book is one of the most thorough and informative manuals I have seen. With beautiful photographs and charts throughout, it illustrates clearly for the reader detailed information of every aspect of growing and harvesting quality produce. This volume contains solid information on seeding to bed and soil prep, planning, planting, irrigation options, transplanting, weeding, tool selection, harvesting and more. Whether you're a seasoned market gardener, a budding farmer or simply nurturing your backyard oasis, this treasure trove of knowledge leaves no leaf unfurled. This book is a must have companion for every growers journey."—Penny Livingstone, permaculture designer and educator and herbalist
More Reviews and Praise
"This remarkable book is not just a manual for market gardeners; it's a masterpiece. When your copy arrives, you'll understand why. I am particularly interested in the food forest aspect as I am focusing heavily on integrating and designing versions of linear food forests."—Huw Richards, YouTuber, author & gardener
"In Living with the Earth, Perrine and Charles Herve-Gruyer share the secrets of the astonishing success of their farm in meticulous detail. This is an incredibly generous and valuable contribution to our emerging understanding of how to feed ourselves well while caring for the earth. It is well referenced and documented, beautifully illustrated and has an excellent layout for use as a practical manual. Hugely recommended for all aspiring market gardeners and permaculture growers."—Tomas Remiarz, teacher and author
"There are so many gardening and farming books out there that it's becoming quite hard to publish something of actual value. When I received the manual, I was impressed by the variety of topics covered, and most importantly by how easy it is to follow every step. I think no matter how much experience you have, everyone can learn something from this manual because of the neutral and holistic way that the content is delivered."—Eduardo Terzidis, Author, permaculture teacher and consultant
"Perrine and Charles' second volume, subtitled A manual for market gardeners, is probably the best example I've seen of a guide to producing organic vegetables on a commercial basis. No stone is left unturned in their aim to describe cultivation methods, crops and crop combinations. The last few chapters dealing with forest gardens are particularly interesting from the aspect of commercial production too, and should give plenty of food for thought for those planning new forest gardens as well as those already embarked on the journey."—Martin Crawford, Author and highly respected founder and director of the Agroforestry Research Trust, www.agroforestry.co.uk
About The Author
About Charles Hervé-Gruyer
Charles Hervé-Gruyer has been passionate about the relationship between humans and nature since childhood. He circumnavigated the globe for 22 years while operating a floating school focusing on ecology and indigenous cultures, the subject of many of his books and documentaries. Charles then directed his research to exploring our inner world, studying psychology, relaxation therapy, massage, and yoga instruction. Anxious to explore the most environmentally friendly farming practices, Charles created Le Ferme du Bec Hellouin with his wife, Perrine, in 2003. The couple then began an experiment merging various small-scale, intensive, organic, and natural agricultural techniques that would pique the interest of European agencies planning food-security strategy and raise awareness about permaculture in France. The farm also operates a permaculture school.
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Books By Charles Hervé-Gruyer
About Perrine Hervé-Gruyer
Perrine Hervé-Gruyer has worked as an international lawyer and head of the legal department of a major company in Asia, and has volunteered with the High Commissioner for Refugees. When she turned thirty, Perrine radically changed lanes, and began taking courses in psychotherapy, specifically in relaxation therapy, publishing a book titled La Relaxation en Famille. With her husband, Charles, she created Le Ferme du Bec Hellouin. Perrine also serves as a Green Party representative with the Regional Parliament of Haute-Normandie, where she oversees a committee focusing on agriculture.
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Books By Perrine Hervé-Gruyer
| Pages: | 464 pages |
| Book Art: | Full-color photographs throughout |
| Size: | 8.2 x 11.7 inch |
| Publisher: | Permanent Publications |
| US Pub. Date: | July 9, 2024 |
| Paperback: | 9781856232692 |
Available In/Retail Price
Paperback, 464 pages, $75USDMEDIA KIT
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