The Market Gardener

A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming

By: Jean-Martin Fortier

Narrated by: Diego Footer

Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Growing on just one and a half acres, owners Jean-Martin and Maude-Helène feed more than 200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stands and supply their signature mesclun salad mix to dozens of local establishments. The secret of their success is the low-tech, high-yield production methods they've developed by focusing on growing better rather than growing bigger, making their operation more lucrative and viable in the process.

The Market Gardener is a compendium of proven horticultural techniques and innovative growing methods. This complete guide is packed with practical information on:

• Setting-up a micro-farm by designing biologically intensive cropping systems, all with negligible capital outlay
• Farming without a tractor and minimizing fossil fuel inputs through the use of the best hand tools, appropriate machinery, and minimum tillage practices
• Growing mixed vegetables systematically with attention to weed and pest management, crop yields, harvest periods, and pricing approaches

Inspired by the French intensive tradition of maraichage and by iconic American vegetable grower Eliot Coleman, author and farmer Jean-Martin shows by example how to start a market garden and make it both very productive and profitable. Making a living wage farming without big capital outlay or acreages may be closer than you think.

Jean-Martin Fortier is a passionate advocate of strong local food systems and founder of Les Jardins de la Grelinette, an internationally recognized model for successful bio-intensive micro-farming.

©2014 Jean-Martin Fortier (P)2016 West Coast Permaculture

Loved it!

Love this book! Sometimes the playback would skip. Super helpful guide, with lots of information!

The best gardening book, by far.

I have read and listened to many gardening/farming books, and this one, by far is the best from the standpoint that it actually gives a lot of very specific instructions, suggestions, tricks, tips, best practices, etc. (although some of the finer detail is geared towards their particular climate and farm), for a wide variety of different crops. It lays down a concise road map to follow. The one thing that I wish they had discussed, which they did not, is strategies for building a customer base from ground zero. Especially for the fact that many, if not most farmers and gardeners are loners and lack salesmanship skills, or, in my case, have an aversion to trying to convince someone to buy something from me. I'm going to order the paper copy right now!!!

great book for staring organic farmers

so much detail and great tips for anyone who's never farmed at that scale and with such limitations.
I loved the book, but the narrator reads words in a certain way which was a bit annoying along with pronouncing the name of Jean-Martin's farm incorrectly! Les Jardin is not pronounced Le Hardin!
I wish the author read it, because he actually has a nice voice.

Great Book, Terrible Narrator

I love this book, but the narration was so dry, monotone, and uninteresting that I almost couldn’t make it through the book. Great if you want to go to sleep. The book itself is a wealth of knowledge and resources. Great tips for planning and I learned a lot.

Very in-depth!

I listened to this as preparation for an interview with the author. I was only familiar with Jean Martin Fortier from his Instagram. I was incredibly impressed with how in-depth this book was! I feel it is a great reference that should be came back to again and again, it’s margins filled with notes and dog-eared pages!

Great book

Awesome book for any gardener! Definitely will change the way my family gardens after listening to this book. Very helpful to have the printed version as well. I will be going back to this book for years to come!

Defiantly one of the best market garden books ever

seriously if you only read to books to start your market garden this has to be one of them!!!!!!

really good information on starting market gardens

this was a really good book for anybody wanting to start a Market Garden. however, keep in mind for his crop selection he is based in Canada.

Great and very detailed information.

I have listened to this book multiple times and have heard something new and useful each time.

Dan good book

The Market Gardener is a Dam good book. You would not be disappointed in this book.