Showing titles in Agricultural & Food Sciences

Straightforward and opinionated, Short Course in Beer is designed to turn the novice beer lover into an expert imbiber and the casual drinker into an enthusiast. Readers will come to understand the beauty of beer and the sources of its flavor, as well as learn which beers are worth our time and which are not. With tongue in cheek, the author examines beer's historical connections to the Crusades, the Hundred Years' War, and modern-day soccer riots. He talks frankly (and joyfully) about the effects of alcohol on the body and brain, he defends beer from its enemies, and ushers it out of the frat house and into the dining room.

Rural Free, first published in 1961, beautifully conveys the joys of family life on an Indiana farm. Marked by the slow pace and rich variety of seasonal change, Rachel Peden's narrative offers an authentic month-by-month chronicle of her family's daily adventures. Today, as the slow-food movement gathers support and more urban dwellers return to the land to plant roots again in honest soil, Peden's stories of country life and her lessons on sustainability, frugality, and wastefulness gain a special resonance. Rural Free will be a source of inspiration for all who rejoice in rural virtues.

A series of glasses of transparent liquids is in front of you: but which will quench your thirst and which will kill you? And why? Why does one liquid make us drunk and another power a jumbo jet? Sometimes dangerous, often delightful and always fascinating, discover the secret lives of liquids, from one of our best known scientists. From the best-selling author of Stuff Matters comes a fascinating tour of the world of these surprising or sinister substances - the droplets, heartbeats and ocean waves we encounter day to day.

In Extreme Wine, wine economist and best-selling author Mike Veseth circles the globe searching for the best, worst, cheapest, most expensive, and most over-priced wines. Mike seeks out the most outrageous wine people and places and probes the biggest wine booms and busts. Along the way he applauds celebrity wines, tries to find wine at the movies, and discovers wines that are so scarce that they are almost invisible.

Unlock the untapped potential of your land with the ultimate guide to revolutionizing your agricultural practices—Circle of Growth. Delve into the transformative world of rotational grazing, a powerful yet underutilized technique that can lead your pastures to thrive while supporting sustainable farming. Circle of Growth offers an in-depth exploration of rotational grazing—a comprehensive, step-by-step approach that promises not only to rejuvenate your land but also to optimize the productivity and health of your livestock. The journey begins with the fundamentals, offering insights ...

Aside from fresh eggs on an almost daily basis, chickens have wonderful personalities, they can significantly help out in the garden, you have your own free-range fertilizer, and they are extremely educational for all the family! The benefits of raising chickens far outweigh the potential negatives, especially if you know exactly what you are doing from someone who has had a lifetime of experience.

Beekeeping is an old practice that even the ancient Egyptians liked to do. In essence, beekeeping really means nurturing and supporting adult bee populations that produce honey and other bee products such as beeswax or royal jelly. Beekeeping can be extremely rewarding as a hobby, and there’s nothing quite so delicious as homegrown honey. But you should also keep in mind that beekeeping is no walk in the park - you need all the help you can get.

We all need to understand the issues surrounding the controversial topic of GMOs for the sake of our health, our families, and the security of the food chain of our planet. Our very future may depend on it. This first volume in a five book series is the introduction you've been looking for.

Dive into the amber waves of "Hoosier Harvest," the ultimate guide to mastering the art and science of corn cultivation in the heart of America's breadbasket, Indiana. This comprehensive eBook is a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone with a passion for agriculture, from the seasoned farmer to the green-thumbed enthusiast. "Hoosier Harvest" meticulously covers every facet of Indiana's corn legacy, beginning with the history of its farming and the intricacies of the corn plant itself. Discover the perfect corn varieties that thrive in Indiana's unique terroir and follow the journey of corn...

The main secret of the success of skilled beekeepers is having the proper book of knowledge. It is the knowledge that helps to create large apiaries, get good yields of bee products, and increase profits. Ignorance only spoils and destroys everything.

Penguin Audio presents The Plant Messiah by Carlos Magdalena, read by Roy McMillan. Carlos Magdalena of Kew Gardens is not your average botanical horticulturist. He's a man on a mission to save the world's most endangered plants from ecological destruction and thieves hunting for wealthy collectors. He is a plant messiah. From the planet's tiniest waterlily - the Nymphaea thermarum - to Huarango trees with roots over 50 metres long, Carlos has a miraculous ability to bring breathtakingly beautiful plants back from the brink of extinction.

This is an audiobook for anyone who enjoys being transported to another life and lifestyle, or who is interested in bees, homesteading, small farming, animals, organic gardening, farmers markets, human nature, and the hilarity and hardship that goes with all that. Funny, moving, and engrossing, you'll be transported to a world where one family tries to keep it all together as they juggle a farmyard full of animals, thousands of tourists in the garden, a hundred backpackers in the house, millions of bees in the air, and their commitment to the environment and each other. 

This meticulously researched book tells the story of Midwestern agriculture during a period of epochal change in farm technology, farm management, and farm life. The hard work, tight communities, and values that had characterized the family farm were replaced by large corporate enterprises with massive acreages, high-tech methods, and global outlooks. While many decry this change as loss, Nordin and Scott find a net gain. This is their richly detailed account of one of the great transformations in American life.

Download this book now to find out how to raise strong and healthy ducks.

4-H, the iconic rural youth program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has enrolled more than 70 million Americans over the last century. As the first comprehensive history of the organization, The 4-H Harvest tracks 4-H from its origins in turn-of-the-century agricultural modernization efforts, through its role in the administration of federal programs during the New Deal and World War II, to its status as an instrument of international development in Cold War battlegrounds like Vietnam and Latin America.

Get ready to dive deep into the heartland of Texas agriculture with the essential guide every hay farmer and enthusiast has been waiting for – "The Lone Star Hay Guide." Embark on an informative journey through the vast prairies of Texas and master the art of hay cultivation. Your adventure begins with the essence of hay varieties, a fundamental cornerstone of Texas's agricultural prowess. Explore the impact of climate, delve into a historical overview, and learn to recognize how the state's unique climatic zones affect hay production. Unearth the secrets of Texas soil profiles in ...

In Celebrating the Seasons, Amanda shares funny and charming stories about life with her family and their many four-legged charges and describes their activities at Ravenseat, from lambing and shearing to haymaking and feeding the flock in midwinter. Her gorgeous photographs showcase the famous Swaledale landscape she writes about, from the sweeping moors to rare wildflowers and the elusive hares glimpsed in the field.

Are you looking to get fresh eggs every day, and an easy source of meat right in your own backyard? Then you need Chickens in Your Backyard, the comprehensive guide to all things urban and suburban chicken farming. This informative eBook covers everything you need to know about raising chickens in your backyard. From the benefits of backyard chicken farming, to choosing the right breeds for meat and eggs, to designing and maintaining a chicken coop, we've got you covered. In Chapter 1, we explore the many benefits of raising chickens in your backyard. Did you know that chickens are natural ...

"Welcome to an astonishing journey right from your couch! Brace yourself for an engrossing traverse into the world of sustainable farming with our ebook "Grazing and Gains". Unlike most tomes on the same topic, "Grazing and Gains" starts off by laying out the very basics of subsistence farming. Navigate through the nitty-gritty of rural sustenance, drawing the line between subsistence and commercial farming. Grazing, the hero of our book takes center stage in Chapter 3 where we dive deep into its definition, types, and benefits. As the narrative progresses, the spotlight shifts towards ...

Framed by the author’s personal experience with backyard hens, Chickens: Their Natural and Unnatural Histories explores the history of the chicken from its descent from the dinosaurs to the space-age present. En route, Lembke surveys chickens in ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the 19th century, and modern times, including the role of chickens in Jewish and Muslim practices. She also investigates the birds’ contributions to science and their jaunty appearances in literature.