"Farmer" Joe recommends:

The Profitable Hobby Farm
This s the go-to book for the hobby farmer (whether you're a backyard, rooftop, or a burgeoning rural farmer). Not only does this book have ideas for what to plant, it talks about how to get involved with CSA's
(Community Supported Agrigulture), farmer's markets, as well as how to market your food stuffs!


Goat Song
I can't talk about this lovely book enough. Brad and his wife retreat from New York City to their farm. Brad becomes a goat herder, and creator of goat cheese. This story is so well-told through Kessler's beautiful writing. Even if the closest you plan on getting to goat cheese is spreading it on a cracker, this book is worth reading.

Farm City
Novella is at the leading edge of the urban farm movement. Her at fascinating, touching, and hilarious memoir of her adventures of farming in rundown downtown Oakland are a must-read. For those fans of Colorado Public Radio's Urban Farming series, this is a good follow-up. I think we're going to be hearing more from this writer and food activist in the future!


The Omnivore's Dilemma

The book that seems to have started it all. Michael Pollan's soon-to-be classic work follows the history of four meals (industrial, meat, organic and foraged) and takes a balanced look at each of them.


Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
This nonfiction foray by Kingsolver is an absolute joy to read. Follow Barbara and her family as they attempt to eat for a year food from no more than 100 miles away from their home. An important book that
highlights the locavore movement, but is entirely original.



Forgotten Skills of Cooking
While this cookbook is not necessarily a farm book, I think it is the perfect companion to turn the fruits (and fauna) of your farm into delicious food. Darina Allen wanted to bring the cooking knowledge of a few generations ago to this generation. She does it splendidly in this beautiful book with over 700 recipes, as well as practical information about raising animals and vegetables and turning them into food.