Resources:
We hope Agroshare can be an invaluable resource for you as you learn about health-related topics. However, there are lots of other incredible tools at our disposal today as we dive deeper into subjects of interest in the realm of farming, gardening, and homesteading. Here are some of our favorites.
Books:
Why do we love books?? We can escape reality. We can satisfy our curiosity! We can learn about what matters to us!
I have read hundreds of books over the last 40 years since I became interested in gardening and healthy eating. As a child, I actually hated to read and did not start reading much until I was 15 or 16. I don’t know how I made it through school! I would read the first paragraph or page in a book and if it did not grab me, I would put the book down and not pick it up again! But when I finally started to like to read, I could hardly put them down, and even when my budget was tight, I found a way to spend money on books.
In the pursuit of both knowledge and well-being, books are invaluable resources. Here you’ll find our current reading recommendations. Dr Koe suggests all the following books as a way to dive deeper into the topics related to Farming.
Podcasts:
I (Dr. Koe) have listened to podcasts for several years now and some are incredible. Podcasts make riding in the car on long trips much more bearable! Below, you’ll find the podcasts that I enjoy related to farming (including self-sufficient living, gardening, regenerative growing practices and more!) If you have special podcasts that you have found informative, we’d love to hear about them. Please contact us on the forum/community or by email so we can listen and add more recommendations here.
Websites and Blogs:
The internet is a significant source of information, but it is sometimes overwhelming to sift through all the content and find what is relevant or accurate. Below, you’ll find some of my favorite blogs and websites.
Alabama Beekeepers Association:
We have also listed the Alabama Beekeepers Association under our Events and Organizations page. However, their site and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/AlabamaBeekeeper/ are great resources for all those with an interest in preserving our special pollinators or producing honey on your farm or homestead.
Eartheasy
Eartheasy.com is a sustainable living and gardening business and educational website founded by Greg Seaman. The site features an abundance of information (hundreds of articles) on diverse topics such as gardening, composting and soil health, self-sufficiency and alternative energy sources, food preservation, non-toxic home solutions, natural pest control, and activities to do as a family. Eartheasy.com also features an extensive online store with a wide variety of products to add to your homestead, which may be helpful if time is more of a concern than a very strict budget. Check them out here: https://eartheasy.com/
Gardens That Matter
Gardens that Matter is an online community and membership page that offers gardening courses and education. Although it is a subscription page, there is a corresponding blog and Facebook page which offers free gardening information and tips for beginners. Her classes focus on composting, building soil health, supporting pollinators, and improving your garden overall. Find out more at: www.gardensthatmatter.com or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/gardensthatmatter/
Walden Effect: Homesteading and Simple Living Blog
One of my favorite bloggers and authors for simple homesteading is Anna Hess. She has several very short $1 books on Amazon and she has written others as well. Her husband sells the famous chicken waterer system that I now use. I have solar power so can’t use it as well during the winter, but have two in place for all of my guineas and chickens. Her blog has many photos and projects that are easy to implement in your own garden or homestead.
https://www.waldeneffect.org/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Agricultural-Cooperative/Walden-Effect-110763222335789/
Classes and videos:
Here you’ll find farm and gardening videos we’ve made (many of them shot on my farm in Collinsville, AL). I cover topics such as biochar and raising animals for meat, and show some projects I’m working on for my homestead. We’ll also include classes on farming related topics, available in our subscriber library for a fee.