Practical Tools

Mesquite

Mesquite

By Gary Paul Nabhan, Chelsea Green Publishing

An homage to the useful and idiosyncratic mesquite tree In his latest book, Mesquite, Gary Paul Nabhan employs humor and contemplative reflection to convince readers that they have never really glimpsed the essence of what he calls “arboreality.” As a Franciscan brother and ethnobotanist who has often mixed mirth with earth, laughter with landscape, food with frolic, Nabhan now takes on a large, many-branched question: What does it means to be a tree, or, accordingly, to be in a deep and intimate relationship with one? To answer this question, Nabhan does not disappear into a forest but exposes himself to some of the most austere hyper-arid terrain on the planet—the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts along the US/Mexico border—where even the most ancient perennial plants are not tall and thin, but stunted and squat. There, in desert regions that cover more than a third of our continent, mesquite trees have become the...

    • July 9, 2020
    Doug Fine

    American Hemp Farmer: Adventures and Misadventures of the Cannabis Trade

    By Doug Fine, Chelsea Green

    The inside story of the world’s most fascinating and lucrative crop from gonzo journalist–turned–hemp farmer Doug Fine. Hemp, the non-psychoactive variant of cannabis (or marijuana) and one of humanity’s oldest plant allies, has quietly become the fastest industry ever to generate a billion dollars of annual revenue in North America. From hemp seed to hemp fiber to the currently ubiquitous cannabinoid CBD, this resilient crop is leading the way toward a new, regenerative economy that contributes to soil and climate restoration—but only if we do it right. In American Hemp Farmer, maverick journalist and solar-powered goat herder Doug Fine gets his hands dirty with healthy soil and sticky with terpenes growing his own crop and creating his own hemp products. Fine shares his adventures and misadventures as an independent, regenerative farmer and entrepreneur, all while laying out a vision for how hemp can help right the wrongs of twentieth-century agriculture, and...

    • May 20, 2020
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    Grassroots Rising

    By Ronnie Cummins, Chelsea Green

    Grassroots Rising is a passionate call to action for the global body politic, providing practical solutions for how to survive—and thrive—in catastrophic times. Author Ronnie Cummins aims to educate and inspire citizens worldwide to organize and become active participants in preventing ecological collapse.

    • February 12, 2020
    Climate Justice march in Mexico

    Climate Futures: Re-imagining Global Climate Justice

    By John Foran, Kum-Kum Bhavnani, Priya Anna Kurian, Debashish Munshi, Zed Books

    Approaching the issues of climate change and climate justice from a range of diverse perspectives including those of culture, gender, indigeneity, race, and sexuality, as well as challenging colonial histories and capitalist presents, Climate Futures boldly addresses the apparent inevitability of climate chaos.

    • January 3, 2020
    Fibershed

    Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy

    Chelsea Green

    There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor, and human health. Even those who value access to safe, local, nutritious food have largely overlooked the production of fiber, dyes, and the chemistry that forms the backbone of modern textile production. While humans are 100 percent reliant on their second skin, it’s common to think little about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives.

    • November 22, 2019
    Eating Tomorrow cover

    Eating Tomorrow

    By Timothy A. Wise, The New Press

    A major new book that shows the world already has the tools to feed itself, without expanding industrial agriculture or adopting genetically modified seeds, from the Small Planet Institute expert

    • September 10, 2019

    The Agroforestry Handbook

    By Ben Raskin, The Soil Association

    Written for farmers and advisors this book will help you assess the potential business benefits of agroforestry for your farm or client and to understand the possible benefits to the wider environment.

    • August 16, 2019

    Local is Our Future

    By Helena Norberg-Hodge

    Distilling the wisdom gleaned from four decades of activism and direct experience in both the global North and South, Helena lucidly deconstructs the old narrative of ‘progress’ through technological advance and corporate growth, while presenting a concise and compelling case for economic localization.

    • July 9, 2019
    Writing under tree

    A Concerned Citizen: Civics in Action

    By Susan Utell, Bo Boudart, Bullfrog Films

    Marine toxicologist Dr. Riki Ott, who helped fishing communities hit by the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon spills, creates a civics course to help young activists become effective.

    • May 13, 2019
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    Seven Ways to Build Resilience

    By Chris Johnstone, Little, Brown Book Group

    This engaging, practical book draws together scientific understanding, real life examples and proven methods in describing how you can develop seven essential skills that help your resilience grow.

    • May 10, 2019
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