Flour Power: A guide to
modern home grain milling by Marleeta F.
Basey (Jermar Press, 1790 N.W. Grandview Drive,
Albany OR 97321-9695; 2004; $14.95) is much more
than its title indicates. The author states she
is trying to fill “an information gap”
caused by the industrialization of the milling and
baking formerly done in homes, which resulted in
the loss of “thousands of years of household
knowledge about whole-grain flours.” The book
includes a broad spectrum of material, including
discussions of fiber, nutrients, carbohydrates,
health benefits of whole grains, types of home mills,
and the background and qualities of different grains.
The elements of bread-making are discussed, but
as a process, not a “how-to.” An extensive
appendix lists a large variety of mills with prices
and ordering information.
The purpose of Chia by Ricardo Ayerza Jr. and Wayne Coates (University
of Arizona Press, Tucson AZ 85721; 2005; $14.95)
is to re-introduce this ancient Aztec crop to a
modern audience. This is more of a textbook than
an easy read, with detailed historical, anthropological,
agricultural and nutritional information and many
charts on the subject. The authors are enthusiastic
about the healthful properties of chia, particularly
its content of Omega-3 oil.
The Fruit Garden Displayed,
8th Edition, by Harry Baker (The Royal
Horticultural Society, Cassell Educational Limited,
Villiers House, 41/47 Strand, London WC2N 5JE; 1991;
10.95 pounds) “is written especially for the
grower who produces fruit for use in the home.”
There are detailed instructions on growing many
different types of fruit, both tree fruits and soft
fruits, including methods of espaliering in limited
spaces. Unfortunately, the author recommends a heavy
spectrum of chemical use for pests and diseases.
However, there is much useful information in this
book, and it is well illustrated with both color
and black and white photos.
Environmental Services
of Agroforestry Systems edited by Florencia
Montagnini (Food Products Press, Haworth Press,
10 Alice Street, Binghampton NY 13904-1580; 2005)
is comprised of six articles that were presented
at the First World Congress in Agroforestry in 2004.
The theme is carbon sequestration and biodiversity
as found in tropical forest systems, including natural
and managed; pasture and silvopasture; native tree
plantations; and shade coffee agro-ecosystems in
Latin America. The treatment is scientific, with
tables presenting statistics on the subject.
Manage Insects on Your
Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies by Miguel Altieri and Clara I. Nicholls, with Marlene
A. Fritz (Sustainable Agriculture Network, 10300
Baltimore Avenue, Building 046 BARC-WEST, Beltsville
MD 20705-2350; 2005; $15.95), is an interesting,
user-friendly, information-filled book that should
prove indispensable to all farmers. The concepts
are not new, but they are presented with a great
number of practical details for their use. The authors
also relate the experience of commercial farmers
who are successfully using these methods, on farms
ranging from 80 to 4,000 acres. The book also has
tables that sum up the information, and resources
for further education. This is a fine book that
we recommend.
Listed below are books
which have come to us which we have not had a chance
to review:
Rebuilding Community in
America: Housing for Ecological Living, Personal
Empowerment, and the New Extended Family by Ken Norwood and Kathleen Smith (Shared Living
Resource Center, Berkeley, California; 1995)
The Ice Is Melting by Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of
the Onondaga Nation, an E.F. Schumacher lecture
(E.F. Schumacher Society, 140 Jug End road, Great
Barrington MA 01230; 2005)
The Anatomy of Life and
Energy in Agriculture by Arden B. Andersen
(Acres USA, P.O. Box 9547, Kansas City MO 64133;
1989)
The Mushroom Cultivator:
A Practical Guide to Growing Mushrooms at Home by Paul Stamets and J.S. Chilton (Agarikon Press,
Box 2233, Olympia WA 98507; 1983)
The Threat of Pesticides
in Our Air: A Community Response Guide (in both English and Spanish) a calendar-sized guide
(Californians for Pesticide Reform; 49 Powell Street,
Suite 530, San Francisco CA 94102)
Liquid Gold: the Lore
and Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants by Carol Steinfeld (Green Frigate Books, P.O. Box
461, Sheffield VT 05866-0461; 2004; $14.95)
What’s Cooking in
Your Food System?: A Guide to Community Food Assessment by Kami Pothukuchi, Hugh Joseph, Hannah Burton,
and Andy Fisher (Community Food Security Coalition,
P.O. Box 209, Venice CA 90294; 2002)
The Artful Vegan: Fresh
Flavors from the Millennium Restaurant by Eric Tucker with Bruce Enloe and Amy Pearce (Ten
Speed Press; 2003; $24.95)
Assuring Food and Nutrition
Security in Africa by 2020: Proceedings
of an All-Africa Conference (International Food
Policy Research Institute, 2033 K Street NW, Washington
DC 20006-1002; 2004)
These are Spanish-language
publications we brought back from the Costa Rican
6-Day Workshop:
Sistemas Agroforestales,
a small but good book put out by a Bolivian NGO.
It presents sustainable ways of using the forest
to produce food and other goods
Agricultura organica:
Fundamentos para la region andina by Albrecht
Benzing is highly recommended.
Manual Keba Sula is a workbook of organic techniques, a joint project
between Panama’s National Authority for the
Environment and a German NGO. This is a simply presented,
good book on appropriate agriculture and forestry
that would be useful for teachers, other adults,
and kids.
Control Biologico de Plagas
Agricolas comes from Costa Rica.`
Panorama of the Americas is the official magazine of Copa Airlines, which
has both Spanish and English text, has an article
with color satellite photos showing environmental
changes to different land areas over a period of
years. |