Eight Acres

 I first came across Gaia's Garden ( Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, 2nd Edition  (affiliate link)) in 2013 and although I had tried to read other permaculture books before that, this was the one that really helped me to understand the concepts, both what to do and why.   Toby sadly died recently , so I thought it was a good time to review the book in detail.  Toby made an enormous contribution to permaculture and I'd like to remember him by reading his book again.  Throughout this post I will relate the concepts back to how I've applied them in my vegetable garden at Eight Acres, on the farm and how I want to develop my new garden.     Introducing the ecological garden In this chapter Toby explains his concept of the ecological garden as a combination of an edible garden, an ornamental garden and a wild space.  Not just combined, but connected and multi-functional.  I think I am only just starting to see this, a...

 The book Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision Making (affiliate link) sets out a guide to developing a holistic goal for your farm or business.  Holistic Management: Part 1 - Introduction Holistic Management: Part 2 - Four Key Insights Holistic Management: Part 3 - Holistic Goal Holistic Management: Part 4 - Ecosystem Processes Holistic Management: Part 5 - Tools for Managing Ecosystem Processes Holistic Management: Part 6 - How to Test Decisions Holistic Management: Part 7 - Completing the Feedback Loop   This part of the book describes the practical application of the theory of holistic management, through the experience of the author and others.  Some of the chapters include information of a general nature, with others specific to land management: Learning and practice - tips for yourself and others Organization and leadership - how to structure for creativity Marketing strategy Time Stock density Cropping Burnin...