Start Your Farm

Written in straightforward language, rich with anecdotes, practical examples, and sprinkled throughout with rural humor, START YOUR FARM is the perfect introduction to the ever-growing ranks of wannabe farmers, people who dream of starting their own successful operation. The book offers essential step-by-step advice, as well as useful illustrations and diagrams.

START YOUR FARM combines nearly five decades of experience from two of America's pioneering sustainable farmers. From vegetables to livestock, from small-scale plots to large acreages, from West Coast to East, authors Polishuk and Pritchard have not only lived the farming dream, they have succeeded at it. Now, new farmers can benefit from their wealth of experience, finding valuable information specifically organized and tailored for them. Wide in scope but thorough in detail, START YOUR FARM is a book that can be read straight through, cherry-picked for individual chapters, and kept as a handy ongoing reference.

“"This book is full of wisdom, wit, and practical advice from two of the most respected figures in agriculture today. Anyone interested in farming for a career should pick up a copy. There is no career more rewarding than farming, and this book eases the burden for those starting out." -- Ben Hartman , author of The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables "A must-read for anyone who feels called to be a farmer. Start Your Farm is the most insightful, honest, challenging, and yet joyful and hopeful book I have read for would-be farmers. Prichard's and Polishuk's decades-long experiences in striving to farm sustainably also provide valuable insights into what it will take to farm successfully in the twenty-first century. Read this book and learn from two truly professional farmers." -- John Ikerd , Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri”

Start Your Farm is an eminently readable, entertaining, and important book for new farmers. The authors don't hold back on the tough parts of farming. They coach the reader on how to overcome obstacles and reap the financial and emotional rewards on the other side. I recommend this book to anyone looking to make the brave leap into a farm career.--Lindsey Lusher Shute, co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition
A must-read for anyone who feels called to be a farmer. Start Your Farm is the most insightful, honest, challenging, and yet joyful and hopeful book I have read for would-be farmers. Prichard's and Polishuk's decades-long experiences in striving to farm sustainably also provide valuable insights into what it will take to farm successfully in the twenty-first century. Read this book and learn from two truly professional farmers.--John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri
If you dream of farming, Start Your Farm provides proven practical advice, delivered with a sense of humility and humor. It's as much a 'why' as a 'how-to' book, separating it from the plethora of guides for beginning farmers. Clear, concise, and highly useful, this book will help you make smarter decisions and fewer mistakes. I wish I had access to this kind of wisdom when I started farming forty-eight years ago. Get out there and farm, and carry this valuable info with you!--Amigo Bob Cantisano, founding member of Organic Ag Advisors and The Ecological Farming Association
If you have romantic Instagram ideas about living off the land, you need to read this book. Jam-packed with practical advice and real-life vignettes, Start Your Farm gives you the down and dirty--the financial, emotional, and physical aspects of running a working farm. But this gritty realism is perfectly balanced with hope and encouragement. Pritchard and Polishuk not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, and they will guide you through the intricacies of starting a farm of your own. If you have what it takes, that is!--Lisa Steele, author of Fresh Eggs Daily

Forrest Pritchard is the New York Times-bestselling author. Pritchard is also a full-time organic livestock farmer and seventh-generation producer, serving weekly markets in the Washington DC metro area. His books have been named top reads by The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and many more.

Ellen Polishuk is a first-generation sustainable vegetable farmer, holding a degree in Horticulture from Virginia Tech. In 1992, with five farm seasons under her belt, she was hired by Potomac Vegetable Farms to manage their satellite farm in Virginia, fifty miles west of DC. After twenty-five years at Potomac Vegetable Farms, where she was a co-owner, she now consults and teaches full-time, specializing in sustainable agriculture, vegetable growing practices, and increasing farm profitability.

Written in straightforward language, rich with anecdotes, practical examples, and sprinkled throughout with rural humor, START YOUR FARM is the perfect introduction to the ever-growing ranks of wannabe farmers, people who dream of starting their own successful operation. The book offers essential step-by-step advice, as well as useful illustrations and diagrams.START YOUR FARM combines nearly five decades of experience from two of America's pioneering sustainable farmers. From vegetables to livestock, from small-scale plots to large acreages, from West Coast to East, authors Polishuk and Pritchard have not only lived the farming dream, they have succeeded at it. Now, new farmers can benefit from their wealth of experience, finding valuable information specifically organized and tailored for them. Wide in scope but thorough in detail, START YOUR FARM is a book that can be read straight through, cherry-picked for individual chapters, and kept as a handy ongoing reference.

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