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Restoration Agriculture
Around the globe most people get their calories from annual agriculture - plants that grow fast for one season, produce lots of seeds, then die. Every single human society that has relied on annual crops for staple foods has collapsed. Restoration Agriculture explains how we can have all of the benefits of natural, perennial ecosystems and create agricultural systems that imitate nature in form and function while still providing for our food, building, fuel and many other needs - in your own backyard, farm or ranch. This book, based on real-world practices, presents an alternative to the agriculture system of eradication and offers exciting hope for our future.
313 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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March 7, 2013
Mark Shepard's presentation at 2013's MOSES organic farming conference was among the most influential, rousing, and revelatory moments of the past few years of my life. He said nothing I didn't already know, but he put all the pieces together in a way that seemed new and showed me that the oft-discussed but rarely practiced ideal of a perennial polyculture could feed people really, really well, and restore ecosystem functions, and be a phenomenally successful restoration ecology project. A farm could heal the land and create nutritious diets in a totally ethical way at the same time, with little compromise.
It was everything I had ever wanted, and it was finally a real option on the table. I am presently about to graduate, I have no debt, and I benefit from an unusually strong support network. I have the opportunity to make Mark's dream my reality. It was also clear that every goal I planned to attend graduate school to accomplish would be simple to do on the farm: fulfilling curiosity by reading academic papers and books, but also by looking and watching and taking pictures: learning to understand ecology by doing it, trying to put the complex system back together and tune it up.
Mark's book, in consequence, was a rather large disappointment. I'd imagined that the presentation was sort of a teaser for the book, but having read it, it's clear Mark is a much better speaker than a writer, and more importantly that his book is nothing like the practical how-to manual he made it out to be. It's essentially an extended explanation of the system and an advertisement for it, with only the most cursory advice for an aspiring practitioner (though of course there were plenty of interesting ideas I took away - I'll get to that in a bit).
Restoration Agriculture is sorely in need of an editor, or a flock of them (in leader-follower mob grazing rotation, perhaps!). It is rife with typos, embarrassing things like "it's" instead of "its" or "compliment" instead of "complement." The prose is invariably clumsy and unpleasant to read. You can see Mark typing it out in Word or something - it doesn't feel polished from that point at all.
Worst of all, he just butchers native bee taxonomy. He implies that all N. American natives are Megachilids, while all Eurasian natives are Apids - ignoring the other families entirely. He goes on to speculate that there is "something about North America" that discourages sociality in bees - dismissing the achievements of all bumblebees and a few Halictids who have been doing just fine at social living here for millions of years.
Mark's treatment of scholarship is upsetting. He constantly throws out claims (most of which I'm sure are true and backed by at least a fair amount of research, since most of it is stuff I'm familiar with from more responsible sources) with clauses like "scientists claim" or "there is reason to believe." He essentially doesn't cite anyone but Paul Martin, and that case feels more like a recommendation than a citation. This betrays not only a lack of respect for the scientists whose work he is taking advantage of, but also a relatively ideological and thin understanding of the material in general.
This is symptomatic of Mark's conflicted relationship with science and research overall. His claims are based in a complex and rich body of work. At many points throughout the book he bemoans the lack of research and development on restoration agriculture systems. This is right - part of the reason perennial polyculture systems are perceived as financially unfeasible is because none of the efficiency-increasing equipment for them has been designed yet. But often he seems to scorn "science" and "scientific theories" and in his presentation he actively encouraged the audience to go plant trees instead of going into research.
This hits close to home for me, of course, because right now I'm essentially trying to decide between going into doing restoration agriculture or being paid to research it (and of course practicing it on the side). Mark makes two things clear that definitely support the latter option: farmers, even those with low input costs, diverse crops, and high-value products, don't make enough money to support themselves, so there's no shame or failure in seeking off-farm work to support yourself; and research is desperately needed, and is still so rare that any new entries would be extremely helpful in guiding new practitioners. Yet in his presentation and speaking to him in person, he constantly heckled (it seemed like) me to not wait, to plant the trees now! Very stressful, confusing, annoying.
While it's clear that literally anything is better than an industrial cornfield (even parking lots are accompanied by drainage ponds, and have lower pesticide loads) and Mark's system is substantially better than any other agricultural system I know of, I'm interested in doing him one better. He has a cavalier disregard for invasives, going so far as encouraging people to plant the Siberian Peashrub because of its vigor. His system probably reproduces many of the ecosystem services we might expect from such a plot. But it doesn't go as far as it could in actually monetizing restoration of modified native ecosystems. The system is advocated for its benefits to the farmer and to society, and the "restoration" aspect is only vaguely referred to with some handwaving about bird species and tree frogs. Mark seems to be implying that if you put together something that resembles an ecosystem, the self-repairing aspects of ecology will take care of the rest.
Thus Restoration Agriculture lacks the flavor of deep ecology, bioregionalism, of love of place, that, for instance, Richard Manning communicates so beautifully in Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics and Promise of the American Prairie. There's a little too much of the engineer. Members of each canopy layer are interchangeable parts, altering the hydrology is a water harvesting strategy, not a return to free meandering rivers and the “story the land calls forth.” In some ways it's still an organic machine. This isn't just a sentimentalist complaint tied to a misled vision of wilderness – it's pragmatic: it influences the choices you make and the results you get.
On the flip side, this pragmatic lens is a clear advantage. Mark is far more interested in monetizing good practices and achieving financial sustainability than in remaking the pre-Columbian Exchange oak savannah. This is a really, really important line of thinking because it unlocks a wonderfully appealing transition path. With restoration ag, we can restore cornfields to functioning ecosystems resilient to climate change, produce enough food to not only feed urban populations, but feed them in a way that solves serious nutritional issues, and at the same time engage in a restoration agriculture project that pays for itself in cold, hard dollars. Mark makes a number of suggestions that make this track seem feasible, but most of them boil down to putting in every niche an organism that yields marketable products. Large animals in the system are completely replaced with livestock; trees are chosen for their growth rate, timber quality, and edible bits; trees are laid out in patterns that facilitate mechanical harvesting and soil management. Even most of the ecosystem services are meant to reduce work and investment by bootstrapping themselves into perpetuity.
I've been ragging on the book quite a bit, so I want to emphasize the quiet enormity of Mark's idea. He doesn't express it very well (hopefully I can write a better book a few years down the road ;) but it really is totally revolutionary.
Mark does what sustainable agriculture practitioners have been saying they want to do for ages but have never thought they could really get away with. He uses ecological means to manage weeds, pests, diseases, and fertility. He makes food production compatible with wildlife – theoretically all of it. Mainstream organic farmers, on the advice of the Xerces Society, install hedgerows and insectary plantings and windbreaks that provide marginal habitat for insects on the borders of fields. The fields themselves are still essentially “sacrifice zones.” Mark builds the solutions into the system. It's organic farming that finally makes sense, that finally fulfills its promises.
It's the same in nutrition. Organic farmers play up the lack of poison and the nutritional density of fresh vegetables. They're marketing a product that is easy for them to produce, and they're right about those claims, but they aren't actually putting themselves in a position to solve global nutrition issues. Mark instead looks at what people eat and want to eat, and asks how he can supply that in a restoration agriculture system. Unlike most organic growers, he is attempting to create a nutritionally complete diet. Of course, this is the only way the movement can ever fulfill its goals. We can only end the devastating reign of industrial agriculture by replacing it completely.
So Mark's brilliant, incomparable, and endlessly worthwhile contribution is simply the explication and proof of concept of a great idea – perennial polyculture food ecosystems – but there were a few other great ideas in the book as well. His concept of on-farm plant breeding is empowering and exciting, and likely a necessity in dealing with the vicissitudes of catastrophic climate change. It takes the long view of diverse outcomes in succession, acknowledging that if we are going to shape artificial but permanent food-producing ecosystems, we will need to shape the genetics of each component as well, mimicking the locally specific and therefore regionally diverse gene pools found in nature.
While he wasn't particularly good at focusing on deep ecology and his particular place, he did make great strides in integrating environmental history into his design. He brings it back to pre-Clovis North America, to the Pleistocene megafauna, and uses that lens to translate functioning ecosystem traits (like what I saw in Tanzania) into lessons for the farm. I think a lot of the problems organic farmers have when implementing solutions stem from the fact that few people have a grasp of what truly rich and healthy ecosystems are actually like. This insight made me appreciate my lessons in Tanzania much more. It really puts the lie to the zero-sum thinking that encourages specialization and simplification of agroecosystems, showing that many different plant and animal species can coexist productively together. It is the norm in natural ecosystems.
It was everything I had ever wanted, and it was finally a real option on the table. I am presently about to graduate, I have no debt, and I benefit from an unusually strong support network. I have the opportunity to make Mark's dream my reality. It was also clear that every goal I planned to attend graduate school to accomplish would be simple to do on the farm: fulfilling curiosity by reading academic papers and books, but also by looking and watching and taking pictures: learning to understand ecology by doing it, trying to put the complex system back together and tune it up.
Mark's book, in consequence, was a rather large disappointment. I'd imagined that the presentation was sort of a teaser for the book, but having read it, it's clear Mark is a much better speaker than a writer, and more importantly that his book is nothing like the practical how-to manual he made it out to be. It's essentially an extended explanation of the system and an advertisement for it, with only the most cursory advice for an aspiring practitioner (though of course there were plenty of interesting ideas I took away - I'll get to that in a bit).
Restoration Agriculture is sorely in need of an editor, or a flock of them (in leader-follower mob grazing rotation, perhaps!). It is rife with typos, embarrassing things like "it's" instead of "its" or "compliment" instead of "complement." The prose is invariably clumsy and unpleasant to read. You can see Mark typing it out in Word or something - it doesn't feel polished from that point at all.
Worst of all, he just butchers native bee taxonomy. He implies that all N. American natives are Megachilids, while all Eurasian natives are Apids - ignoring the other families entirely. He goes on to speculate that there is "something about North America" that discourages sociality in bees - dismissing the achievements of all bumblebees and a few Halictids who have been doing just fine at social living here for millions of years.
Mark's treatment of scholarship is upsetting. He constantly throws out claims (most of which I'm sure are true and backed by at least a fair amount of research, since most of it is stuff I'm familiar with from more responsible sources) with clauses like "scientists claim" or "there is reason to believe." He essentially doesn't cite anyone but Paul Martin, and that case feels more like a recommendation than a citation. This betrays not only a lack of respect for the scientists whose work he is taking advantage of, but also a relatively ideological and thin understanding of the material in general.
This is symptomatic of Mark's conflicted relationship with science and research overall. His claims are based in a complex and rich body of work. At many points throughout the book he bemoans the lack of research and development on restoration agriculture systems. This is right - part of the reason perennial polyculture systems are perceived as financially unfeasible is because none of the efficiency-increasing equipment for them has been designed yet. But often he seems to scorn "science" and "scientific theories" and in his presentation he actively encouraged the audience to go plant trees instead of going into research.
This hits close to home for me, of course, because right now I'm essentially trying to decide between going into doing restoration agriculture or being paid to research it (and of course practicing it on the side). Mark makes two things clear that definitely support the latter option: farmers, even those with low input costs, diverse crops, and high-value products, don't make enough money to support themselves, so there's no shame or failure in seeking off-farm work to support yourself; and research is desperately needed, and is still so rare that any new entries would be extremely helpful in guiding new practitioners. Yet in his presentation and speaking to him in person, he constantly heckled (it seemed like) me to not wait, to plant the trees now! Very stressful, confusing, annoying.
While it's clear that literally anything is better than an industrial cornfield (even parking lots are accompanied by drainage ponds, and have lower pesticide loads) and Mark's system is substantially better than any other agricultural system I know of, I'm interested in doing him one better. He has a cavalier disregard for invasives, going so far as encouraging people to plant the Siberian Peashrub because of its vigor. His system probably reproduces many of the ecosystem services we might expect from such a plot. But it doesn't go as far as it could in actually monetizing restoration of modified native ecosystems. The system is advocated for its benefits to the farmer and to society, and the "restoration" aspect is only vaguely referred to with some handwaving about bird species and tree frogs. Mark seems to be implying that if you put together something that resembles an ecosystem, the self-repairing aspects of ecology will take care of the rest.
Thus Restoration Agriculture lacks the flavor of deep ecology, bioregionalism, of love of place, that, for instance, Richard Manning communicates so beautifully in Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics and Promise of the American Prairie. There's a little too much of the engineer. Members of each canopy layer are interchangeable parts, altering the hydrology is a water harvesting strategy, not a return to free meandering rivers and the “story the land calls forth.” In some ways it's still an organic machine. This isn't just a sentimentalist complaint tied to a misled vision of wilderness – it's pragmatic: it influences the choices you make and the results you get.
On the flip side, this pragmatic lens is a clear advantage. Mark is far more interested in monetizing good practices and achieving financial sustainability than in remaking the pre-Columbian Exchange oak savannah. This is a really, really important line of thinking because it unlocks a wonderfully appealing transition path. With restoration ag, we can restore cornfields to functioning ecosystems resilient to climate change, produce enough food to not only feed urban populations, but feed them in a way that solves serious nutritional issues, and at the same time engage in a restoration agriculture project that pays for itself in cold, hard dollars. Mark makes a number of suggestions that make this track seem feasible, but most of them boil down to putting in every niche an organism that yields marketable products. Large animals in the system are completely replaced with livestock; trees are chosen for their growth rate, timber quality, and edible bits; trees are laid out in patterns that facilitate mechanical harvesting and soil management. Even most of the ecosystem services are meant to reduce work and investment by bootstrapping themselves into perpetuity.
I've been ragging on the book quite a bit, so I want to emphasize the quiet enormity of Mark's idea. He doesn't express it very well (hopefully I can write a better book a few years down the road ;) but it really is totally revolutionary.
Mark does what sustainable agriculture practitioners have been saying they want to do for ages but have never thought they could really get away with. He uses ecological means to manage weeds, pests, diseases, and fertility. He makes food production compatible with wildlife – theoretically all of it. Mainstream organic farmers, on the advice of the Xerces Society, install hedgerows and insectary plantings and windbreaks that provide marginal habitat for insects on the borders of fields. The fields themselves are still essentially “sacrifice zones.” Mark builds the solutions into the system. It's organic farming that finally makes sense, that finally fulfills its promises.
It's the same in nutrition. Organic farmers play up the lack of poison and the nutritional density of fresh vegetables. They're marketing a product that is easy for them to produce, and they're right about those claims, but they aren't actually putting themselves in a position to solve global nutrition issues. Mark instead looks at what people eat and want to eat, and asks how he can supply that in a restoration agriculture system. Unlike most organic growers, he is attempting to create a nutritionally complete diet. Of course, this is the only way the movement can ever fulfill its goals. We can only end the devastating reign of industrial agriculture by replacing it completely.
So Mark's brilliant, incomparable, and endlessly worthwhile contribution is simply the explication and proof of concept of a great idea – perennial polyculture food ecosystems – but there were a few other great ideas in the book as well. His concept of on-farm plant breeding is empowering and exciting, and likely a necessity in dealing with the vicissitudes of catastrophic climate change. It takes the long view of diverse outcomes in succession, acknowledging that if we are going to shape artificial but permanent food-producing ecosystems, we will need to shape the genetics of each component as well, mimicking the locally specific and therefore regionally diverse gene pools found in nature.
While he wasn't particularly good at focusing on deep ecology and his particular place, he did make great strides in integrating environmental history into his design. He brings it back to pre-Clovis North America, to the Pleistocene megafauna, and uses that lens to translate functioning ecosystem traits (like what I saw in Tanzania) into lessons for the farm. I think a lot of the problems organic farmers have when implementing solutions stem from the fact that few people have a grasp of what truly rich and healthy ecosystems are actually like. This insight made me appreciate my lessons in Tanzania much more. It really puts the lie to the zero-sum thinking that encourages specialization and simplification of agroecosystems, showing that many different plant and animal species can coexist productively together. It is the norm in natural ecosystems.
November 21, 2013
I hate to be the nay-sayer to this book. Mark Shepard has a fascinating story to tell about his 106-acre food forest. Unfortunately, he doesn't tell it! Instead, he titillates us with tidbits of hands-on information (which might cover about 20 pages), then rants and regurgitates for the rest of the book.
Luckily for you, I've written a lunchtime series with those useful tidbits in it, so you don't have to go gold-mining in this book.
Luckily for you, I've written a lunchtime series with those useful tidbits in it, so you don't have to go gold-mining in this book.
February 28, 2024
first off, this book got me very excited since ill soon be working on a restoration agriculture farm. the interconnectedness of a farm modeled off of a natural ecosystem is about as cool as it gets. hearing about the concepts and Mark's actual farm was super interesting. about mark though. he is so cunty, which makes for a very good read, but occasionally it gets in the way of a potential educational part. my favorite cunt mark line was when he was discussing the profitability of conventional farming vs restoration farming, in the middle of breaking down revenue streams for a restoration agriculture system he says "Do we really need to discuss this further or should I meet you down at the bank where you might be borrowing more money to plant corn?" that shit killed me, its so good. (its so "broke people should never laugh" which i understand was also about agriculture)
my only real complaint is that he goes from making these very declarative statements about changing the world of agriculture, but is then seemingly very insecure when discussing actual examples. keep note of every time he begins a discussion with "i am now going to list a few examples to back what I am saying, but dont worry theres more evidence i swear!" and then ends the discussion with "aw jeez man cmon i cant keep talking about these examples all day, i got the rest of a book to get through we gotta move on." yeah man thats how writing works i didnt think you were gonna list and discuss every pig breed, fungus, or biome-specific farm. youre saying interesting and important stuff, dont sandwich it in these weird apologies.
anywho, its a good book with a lot of great ideas, plans, and philosophy. it got me inspired and i enjoyed sass-man shepard's wisdom.
my only real complaint is that he goes from making these very declarative statements about changing the world of agriculture, but is then seemingly very insecure when discussing actual examples. keep note of every time he begins a discussion with "i am now going to list a few examples to back what I am saying, but dont worry theres more evidence i swear!" and then ends the discussion with "aw jeez man cmon i cant keep talking about these examples all day, i got the rest of a book to get through we gotta move on." yeah man thats how writing works i didnt think you were gonna list and discuss every pig breed, fungus, or biome-specific farm. youre saying interesting and important stuff, dont sandwich it in these weird apologies.
anywho, its a good book with a lot of great ideas, plans, and philosophy. it got me inspired and i enjoyed sass-man shepard's wisdom.
January 20, 2017
I really enjoyed the discussion of what crops could be used for perennial agriculture in temperate regions. The author, however, fails to address the problem of the huge amounts of physical labor necessary to harvest the diverse fruit, nut, and root crops that would replace the fields of corn, wheat, and beans that commercial farmers are now producing.
October 21, 2022
Restoration Agriculture is truly a revolutionary idea. I don't know what else to say about this book other than if you have any interest in becoming a farmer this book is essential and will change the way you think about how we produce our food. Now all I want to do is pick up a shovel and start planting some chestnuts and hazelnuts.
December 1, 2022
Ohhhhh I loved this, it’ll make you want to drop everything and become a nut farmer out in the woods.
February 28, 2024
Obviously I don’t have the knowledge to challenge this work, but his suggestions and points are reasonably easy to follow. I think this book is worth reading for several reasons:
1) Reduce the distance between you and your food. There’s a reason why our supermarkets look the same and the history of all the foods we chose to grow and feed is interesting. Americans have made a few large mistakes that eradicated entire species of food, oops. Our supermarkets could have looked different.
2) It became apparent to me that I know ~nothing~ about agriculture and I’m probably not alone. This is embarrassing because unlike AI or other fields people today are obsessed with, agriculture is a 6000 year old practice. It’s not as boring as you think!
3) a lot of these tips apply to small sized gardens, not just industrial sized farm land. It’s worth hearing out why you’re killing your plants LOL
1) Reduce the distance between you and your food. There’s a reason why our supermarkets look the same and the history of all the foods we chose to grow and feed is interesting. Americans have made a few large mistakes that eradicated entire species of food, oops. Our supermarkets could have looked different.
2) It became apparent to me that I know ~nothing~ about agriculture and I’m probably not alone. This is embarrassing because unlike AI or other fields people today are obsessed with, agriculture is a 6000 year old practice. It’s not as boring as you think!
3) a lot of these tips apply to small sized gardens, not just industrial sized farm land. It’s worth hearing out why you’re killing your plants LOL
November 12, 2025
An extremely helpful and enlightening read for any of those interested in caring for the land and making it productive in a regenerative way, especially those in the Midwest.
June 23, 2023
Mark is a pioneer larger than life, and through this convincing account of producing food in harmony with nature at his US-based farm, setting the bar to the world. Industrial, large-scale production of yearly crops has historically always led to the downfall of societies and destruction of habitats. Time to lead by example and take readers along in his journey towards a regenerative farming based business. His lines of argumentation address all dimensions of what 'non believers' might try to refute, including:
- regen. based farming is more efficient than traditional ways, having higher total yields per hectare through diversification of multiple crops
- regen. based farming is a stronger business case, since over time costs of production will go down, more stable cash flows because less season dependency and higher gross revenues per hectare
- a combination of plant polyculture, animal polyculture, honey and mushrooms on one acre produces more than twice the number of edible calories than an acre of corn
-Fighting climate change through carbon capture in the top soil is far more effective than decreasing global emissions or transitioning to EVs
- A gamechanger for biodiversity and conservation efforts because higher photosyntetic potential and soil fertility
And the list goes on. The passion and commitment of the author never cease to entertain and inspire up to the very last page. I hope more people will read this book and share the message on fixing our current food supply with ecological systems, restoring our soils, and make agri resilient and future-proof.
- regen. based farming is more efficient than traditional ways, having higher total yields per hectare through diversification of multiple crops
- regen. based farming is a stronger business case, since over time costs of production will go down, more stable cash flows because less season dependency and higher gross revenues per hectare
- a combination of plant polyculture, animal polyculture, honey and mushrooms on one acre produces more than twice the number of edible calories than an acre of corn
-Fighting climate change through carbon capture in the top soil is far more effective than decreasing global emissions or transitioning to EVs
- A gamechanger for biodiversity and conservation efforts because higher photosyntetic potential and soil fertility
And the list goes on. The passion and commitment of the author never cease to entertain and inspire up to the very last page. I hope more people will read this book and share the message on fixing our current food supply with ecological systems, restoring our soils, and make agri resilient and future-proof.
March 15, 2015
This is a fabulous book about permaculture principals and why a perennial, polyculture farm is more productive and healthier than an annual, monoculture counterpart. The descriptions are clear and concise.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject.
August 24, 2023
I felt like I was fighting with Sheppard on every other page. My biggest complaint is that he NEVER truly addressed the very real challenges facing those transitioning to a system of restoration agriculture. He suggests that farmers should “simply” transition to restoration ag”. He then goes on to provide a helpful guide for how farmers can do this. HOWEVER, nothing is really that simple when farmers are deciding to give up a way of farming that they are used to. Also, by not being upfront about challenges, he is weakening his own case. Restoration agriculture’s biggest challenge is it’s complexity! Sheppard only implied that complexity is a challenge. He also neglected to mention the basic challenges traditionally associated with agroforestry in that section.
Also he would consistently say that we just need to, again, “simply” give up annuals. He totally ignores the cultural relevancy of annual crops, especially wheat, corn, and rice, to billions of people. These crops aren’t just staples, they are heritage. They represents someone’s connection to their family, to their faith, and to the planet itself. When he suggests that we give up these crops for something like chestnuts, it is an affront to the cultures of most of the planet. Cultures, that yes, rely on annual crops and fossil fuel infused agriculture, but could also benefit from perennialized staple crops from breeding programs like those at The Land Institute.
Also he would consistently say that we just need to, again, “simply” give up annuals. He totally ignores the cultural relevancy of annual crops, especially wheat, corn, and rice, to billions of people. These crops aren’t just staples, they are heritage. They represents someone’s connection to their family, to their faith, and to the planet itself. When he suggests that we give up these crops for something like chestnuts, it is an affront to the cultures of most of the planet. Cultures, that yes, rely on annual crops and fossil fuel infused agriculture, but could also benefit from perennialized staple crops from breeding programs like those at The Land Institute.
January 15, 2018
Every year there are more and more books published about Permaculture. Some of these new books show lovely example sites and explain a hundred inspiring techniques for using Permaculture. It's getting harder to tell which books are worth your time to read, though. Restoration Agriculture stands out in this ever increasingly crowded topic area. I've yet to read such a easy and exciting treatise that really addresses the "Why" of Permaculture like Restoration Agriculture.
Readers are treated to chapters that clearly outline what brought the author to Permaculture and how he uses it on his farm and in consulting practice. In every chapter he shows respect and admiration for his conventional neighbors and the dying agricultural communities throughout the country. This book is really meant for those folks. It is meant for the countless farmers looking for real ways to feed the world and survive in the communities they love. I adored reading his chapters laying out how conventional agriculture "feeds" the world and how restoration agriculture can nourish the wold.
If you are looking for a Permaculture book to really kick you into high gear for the new year, this is it! I don't think I've read a nonfiction book so fast and loved so much of it before!
Readers are treated to chapters that clearly outline what brought the author to Permaculture and how he uses it on his farm and in consulting practice. In every chapter he shows respect and admiration for his conventional neighbors and the dying agricultural communities throughout the country. This book is really meant for those folks. It is meant for the countless farmers looking for real ways to feed the world and survive in the communities they love. I adored reading his chapters laying out how conventional agriculture "feeds" the world and how restoration agriculture can nourish the wold.
If you are looking for a Permaculture book to really kick you into high gear for the new year, this is it! I don't think I've read a nonfiction book so fast and loved so much of it before!
March 31, 2022
Helpful intro to some of the ground level ideas in permaculture - the ideal savannah system landscape, prioritizing perennials for food crops, managing watershed to move slowly across land. I was intrigued by the idea of hazelnuts and chestnuts as becoming a staple replacement for corn. 3 stars because the writing lacked coherence and could have used quite a bit of paring down. Felt like 17 different essays smushed together and the author spent too many words stating his intentions for the book and not enough with his actual argument.
I thought the argument to pay attention to what actually grows and flourishes in your space with the least amount of added input was gold. "Modern farming is all about keeping things alive that want to die, and killing things that want to stay alive." Oi.
Would love to read more about his watershed management and how he uses his quick growing birch trees as a wind/pesticide barrier around his property. Glad I read it.
I thought the argument to pay attention to what actually grows and flourishes in your space with the least amount of added input was gold. "Modern farming is all about keeping things alive that want to die, and killing things that want to stay alive." Oi.
Would love to read more about his watershed management and how he uses his quick growing birch trees as a wind/pesticide barrier around his property. Glad I read it.
February 10, 2025
This was a random (and unexpectedly long) free audiobook pick while I waited for my audible credit to renew, but I liked it a lot!
Interesting and expansive but not too technical, a good overview of restoration agriculture farming and silvopasture and growing perennial food crops. And filled with reminders for people to stop trying so hard to control nature in the pursuit of convenience.
Everybody needs to eat, farmers feed the world, and the current practices of big Ag (mono-crop and industrial farming) are harming the environment and are rarely economically profitable. I will always love an alternative agriculture take that vouches for more sustainable food growing practices that require less space and less labour. Now I want to plant my own little perennial garden and eat nuts and berries forever :)
Interesting and expansive but not too technical, a good overview of restoration agriculture farming and silvopasture and growing perennial food crops. And filled with reminders for people to stop trying so hard to control nature in the pursuit of convenience.
Everybody needs to eat, farmers feed the world, and the current practices of big Ag (mono-crop and industrial farming) are harming the environment and are rarely economically profitable. I will always love an alternative agriculture take that vouches for more sustainable food growing practices that require less space and less labour. Now I want to plant my own little perennial garden and eat nuts and berries forever :)
June 23, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version of Restoration Agriculture. I am very interested in the topic and had high hopes for this book. First up, it needs editing. Lots of editing. I considered bailing on this book many times while reading it because it gets redundant and some of the evidence presented seems anecdotal. The author erases the history of Indigenous land management pretty thoroughly, when it seems to me like a critical piece of the puzzle.
July 16, 2018
It is an inspirational book - not only does Mark explain restoration agriculture but only offers methods to practically set up such a system.
April 6, 2025
I think this book is incredibly important. It's also flawed, and the final chapter kind of made me want to punch the author in the teeth. The attitude displayed there is not one that will encourage the kind of buy-in he wants (and that indeed, I think is urgently needed). I think some of this probably comes from how very much the book is a manifesto based on his own individual journey as a restoration agriculture farmer - an amazing and inspiring journey, but far from universally replicable.
I also have some questions regarding the ecological feasibility of some of his recommendations and choices. He'll rightly cite the destructiveness of certain invasives (like multiflora rose and garlic mustard) on the one hand, but turn around and casually encourage his readers to actively plant introduced and potentially invasive species because of the way they fit into his schema for production without considering their impact on the complex and evolutionarily specialized nature of native ecosystems.
I'm left wanting more on the subject, both in terms of ecological research and how-to guides at a wide variety of scales (but especially smaller ones, because I personally don't see myself running a full-scale family farm anytime ever - but how I would love to someday have a small sub/urban garden based on a perennial polyculture model). All that said ... this is an impressive and inspiring introduction, and I definitely recommend it.
I also have some questions regarding the ecological feasibility of some of his recommendations and choices. He'll rightly cite the destructiveness of certain invasives (like multiflora rose and garlic mustard) on the one hand, but turn around and casually encourage his readers to actively plant introduced and potentially invasive species because of the way they fit into his schema for production without considering their impact on the complex and evolutionarily specialized nature of native ecosystems.
I'm left wanting more on the subject, both in terms of ecological research and how-to guides at a wide variety of scales (but especially smaller ones, because I personally don't see myself running a full-scale family farm anytime ever - but how I would love to someday have a small sub/urban garden based on a perennial polyculture model). All that said ... this is an impressive and inspiring introduction, and I definitely recommend it.
March 17, 2021
A weird but very informative read. There are times when his ideas seem VERY far fetched, but also a lot of spot-on analysis and solid advice.
December 16, 2021
Shepard does a terrible disservice to his own great ideas in this unhinged and unbalanced approach to thinking out loud. Did anyone review this work? Permaculture is such a profound and elegant solution that will benefit the world greatly. However, Shepard is undaunted by making false statements or unwarranted opinions in pursuit of his utopian dreams and should be trusted with maybe 1 in 5 claims made in this book. No acknowledgements for this personal philosophic work speaks volumes about the quality for ideas presented. Through the entire book you will find no rationalization of the opposition or even good will to one who might disagree with Mark Shepard, a true believer...
All the information you need to know can be summarized by the following:
1 current agriculture practices prioritize massive industrialization and speed over resource optimization and sustainability
2 these priorities produce monoculture practices which degrade soil eventually ruining themselves as well as massive wastes in limited resources like water, sun energy, chemical energy, space, heavy equipment, etc etc
3 instead of prioritizing industrialization and speed, prioritizing resource conservation produces practices which are significantly more resilient to disease and decay, longer lasting (perennial), potentially money and labor saving, and produces much more overall yield.
One will find some useful anecdotes here and there, and the rest can be summarized as a random walk through a fragmented and ideologically totalizing mind.
All the information you need to know can be summarized by the following:
1 current agriculture practices prioritize massive industrialization and speed over resource optimization and sustainability
2 these priorities produce monoculture practices which degrade soil eventually ruining themselves as well as massive wastes in limited resources like water, sun energy, chemical energy, space, heavy equipment, etc etc
3 instead of prioritizing industrialization and speed, prioritizing resource conservation produces practices which are significantly more resilient to disease and decay, longer lasting (perennial), potentially money and labor saving, and produces much more overall yield.
One will find some useful anecdotes here and there, and the rest can be summarized as a random walk through a fragmented and ideologically totalizing mind.
September 18, 2014
This is, so far, the best collection of permaculture philosophy that points toward a specific system of planting that yields food and replenishes the soil. Most of the permaculture books I've read are either broadly preaching to a set of sparkly principles or a reference book lacking a compelling narrative, but this manages to do both. It doesn't get into the daily details of maintaining such a system, but the point is also to develop plants that survive neglect, which is cool for this lazy, lazy gardener.
Some of his points could use some explanation (i.e. how has every civilization reliant upon annual plants failed?), and I lost momentum toward the end, but it's still a fantastic book that gets me excited to plant a bunch of trees on land I don't yet own.
Some of his points could use some explanation (i.e. how has every civilization reliant upon annual plants failed?), and I lost momentum toward the end, but it's still a fantastic book that gets me excited to plant a bunch of trees on land I don't yet own.
December 22, 2012
This is a permaculture resource book that is up-to-date, inspirational, informative and transformational. Mark makes the case for a new vision of perennial agriculture as a way for humans to live sustainably on the planet. And it's full of practical discussions of the reality of annual/tillage farming as compared to his own data from his demonstration perennial-based farm.
December 31, 2020
Farm outside Madison, bucket list to visit
March 20, 2024
Why I chose to read book:
I’m working on a project proposal to create a development at an organic farm;
it’s spring almost and I’m getting ready to plant a garden.
Synopsis/Summary:
The book argues that permaculture food systems should be adopted by farmers to meet nutrient, caloric, sustainability and financial needs. Permaculture is a food system based on harvesting perennial plants and using little/no outside inputs. The book walks us through the logic, the how and addresses the common objections. This book argues that on a per acre basis, permaculture ag is more profitable and calorically dense than monoculture. This book argues that the pre agricultural staple crops of the past should be revisited- chestnuts and hazelnuts in particular. The book also argues that we should begin a mass selection campaign to try to develop chocolate and coffee cultivars that are hardy and may be grown in colder climates. The book claims that every culture which bases its food supply on annual staple crops has collapsed. The author argues that bad management practices on former perennial staples led to rising costs for those staples (esp hazelnuts) which led to them no longer being considered staple crops.
What I liked about book:
I liked the approach of not being overly ambitious while still being thorough. The author writes from experience and has many ideas, which if implemented, would have a massively positive benefit. I loved the lengthy discussion of how agriculture is effectively breeding and selecting for pests with current practices.
What I disliked about book:
At times (only a few times) I felt like the author caricatured his opposition’s arguments.
Concepts/Ideas Introduced:
The Prime Directive
Agridation
Silvo pasture
Masting tree
Leader follower grazing system
Langstroff hive
Tropic pyramid
Overyielding Polyculture
Short rotation woody cropping systems
Riparian buffers
Precocious plant varieties
Interesting Facts:
Chestnut trees used to be 30% of biomass of eastern forests making them the most important species in the US for millennia;
Corn yields 13.9 million calories per acre with only 1.4 million calories being eaten by humans;
If ppl eat grain fed meat you only get 5.4 % of the calories you’d get if you just are the corn;
Some springs smell like cat urine in spring due to nutrient run off from nearby agriculture;
The majority of IRS schedule F filing farmers receive the majority of their incomes from off farm activities;
Things this book made me understand better/deeper:
Just how varied and productivy a permaculture system could be.
Opinions updated/changed/Disconfirmation:
Honeybees aren’t native to the americas and other pollinators may be more important;
Before reading this book I didn’t see an issue with a society having an annual crop as its staple whereas now I do.
I now believe that our staple crops should be composed of perennials rather than annual crops
Ideas I got while reading:
Many suburban backyards are big enough to experiment on a small scale with permaculture
Memorable quotes:
“A blending of the natural, the traditional and the futuristic”
“If a plant wants to die, let it. We’re not interested in the ones that get diseases the ones that are unproductive”
“Why do perfectly well meaning people sit around discussing how to solve the problem of urban food deserts when they could be out planting food in those very same food deserts - everyone, everywhere.”
“Do it first then talk about it, not the other way around”
Taking Action:
Eat and buy more perennial crops;
Try to convince two rural property owners I know to incorporate permaculture design;
Chewing on/Food for thought:
Enter text here
We are just trying to get back to Eden which we have had available to until the proliferation of agriculture;
How can a system (monocropping) that shits the bed in almost every way be so dominant?
Readings referenced(ones that come to mind):
Walden Pond
One Straw Revolution
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture
The Biological Farmer
Permaculture: a designers manual
6 month + impact:
Enter text here
I’m working on a project proposal to create a development at an organic farm;
it’s spring almost and I’m getting ready to plant a garden.
Synopsis/Summary:
The book argues that permaculture food systems should be adopted by farmers to meet nutrient, caloric, sustainability and financial needs. Permaculture is a food system based on harvesting perennial plants and using little/no outside inputs. The book walks us through the logic, the how and addresses the common objections. This book argues that on a per acre basis, permaculture ag is more profitable and calorically dense than monoculture. This book argues that the pre agricultural staple crops of the past should be revisited- chestnuts and hazelnuts in particular. The book also argues that we should begin a mass selection campaign to try to develop chocolate and coffee cultivars that are hardy and may be grown in colder climates. The book claims that every culture which bases its food supply on annual staple crops has collapsed. The author argues that bad management practices on former perennial staples led to rising costs for those staples (esp hazelnuts) which led to them no longer being considered staple crops.
What I liked about book:
I liked the approach of not being overly ambitious while still being thorough. The author writes from experience and has many ideas, which if implemented, would have a massively positive benefit. I loved the lengthy discussion of how agriculture is effectively breeding and selecting for pests with current practices.
What I disliked about book:
At times (only a few times) I felt like the author caricatured his opposition’s arguments.
Concepts/Ideas Introduced:
The Prime Directive
Agridation
Silvo pasture
Masting tree
Leader follower grazing system
Langstroff hive
Tropic pyramid
Overyielding Polyculture
Short rotation woody cropping systems
Riparian buffers
Precocious plant varieties
Interesting Facts:
Chestnut trees used to be 30% of biomass of eastern forests making them the most important species in the US for millennia;
Corn yields 13.9 million calories per acre with only 1.4 million calories being eaten by humans;
If ppl eat grain fed meat you only get 5.4 % of the calories you’d get if you just are the corn;
Some springs smell like cat urine in spring due to nutrient run off from nearby agriculture;
The majority of IRS schedule F filing farmers receive the majority of their incomes from off farm activities;
Things this book made me understand better/deeper:
Just how varied and productivy a permaculture system could be.
Opinions updated/changed/Disconfirmation:
Honeybees aren’t native to the americas and other pollinators may be more important;
Before reading this book I didn’t see an issue with a society having an annual crop as its staple whereas now I do.
I now believe that our staple crops should be composed of perennials rather than annual crops
Ideas I got while reading:
Many suburban backyards are big enough to experiment on a small scale with permaculture
Memorable quotes:
“A blending of the natural, the traditional and the futuristic”
“If a plant wants to die, let it. We’re not interested in the ones that get diseases the ones that are unproductive”
“Why do perfectly well meaning people sit around discussing how to solve the problem of urban food deserts when they could be out planting food in those very same food deserts - everyone, everywhere.”
“Do it first then talk about it, not the other way around”
Taking Action:
Eat and buy more perennial crops;
Try to convince two rural property owners I know to incorporate permaculture design;
Chewing on/Food for thought:
Enter text here
We are just trying to get back to Eden which we have had available to until the proliferation of agriculture;
How can a system (monocropping) that shits the bed in almost every way be so dominant?
Readings referenced(ones that come to mind):
Walden Pond
One Straw Revolution
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture
The Biological Farmer
Permaculture: a designers manual
6 month + impact:
Enter text here
May 30, 2019
This book is a great introduction to permaculture. Mr. Shepard is passionate about the topic and provides a very good foundation for readers who are new to these ideas. He weaves historic case studies into this primer section that improve your understanding of the current state of our planet.
That state is at best perilous. At worst some might say hopeless.
Restoration Agriculture is the permaculture concept applied to both repair the degradation that we have done as well as turn our local environment into a natural factory that produce the foods and materials that are of value to the people in their vicinity.
The book is much more accessible than some of the technical manuals that have been composed, such as "Permaculture One" or "Restoring Natural Capital" which are critically necessary documents to support the relatively new permaculture mindset.
So why would I give a good book on a critical subject just three stars?
This is quite close to being the book I would have written about permaculture. The introductory chapters held little new information for me though I appreciated the way Mark built into the topic.
What I found somewhat off-putting was actually his passion. He seemed to be almost yelling at me at times from the pulpit of permaculture. I don't need to be converted and I don't think anyone else needs any more than the facts and concepts laid bare to see their merit.
There was also some repetition that might be helpful to someone new to the field but I just skimmed over it.
So I'm sorry to have only given this the 3 stars but that's just for me at this moment in time.
If you are new to "Restoration Agriculture" or the more all-encompassing permaculture, and are looking for a positive vision for the future I would call this book a 5 star must-read!
You will know there is hope.
That state is at best perilous. At worst some might say hopeless.
Restoration Agriculture is the permaculture concept applied to both repair the degradation that we have done as well as turn our local environment into a natural factory that produce the foods and materials that are of value to the people in their vicinity.
The book is much more accessible than some of the technical manuals that have been composed, such as "Permaculture One" or "Restoring Natural Capital" which are critically necessary documents to support the relatively new permaculture mindset.
So why would I give a good book on a critical subject just three stars?
This is quite close to being the book I would have written about permaculture. The introductory chapters held little new information for me though I appreciated the way Mark built into the topic.
What I found somewhat off-putting was actually his passion. He seemed to be almost yelling at me at times from the pulpit of permaculture. I don't need to be converted and I don't think anyone else needs any more than the facts and concepts laid bare to see their merit.
There was also some repetition that might be helpful to someone new to the field but I just skimmed over it.
So I'm sorry to have only given this the 3 stars but that's just for me at this moment in time.
If you are new to "Restoration Agriculture" or the more all-encompassing permaculture, and are looking for a positive vision for the future I would call this book a 5 star must-read!
You will know there is hope.
June 12, 2022
This book has about 6 excellent ideas, but they're repeated over and over again for 755 pages. It's exhausting. There are typos, there are weak swipes at "science". There's good content in there if you can find it. About 70% of the way in, I just wanted it to be over.
I was hoping for a book that intermingled the story of New Forest Farm, all the successes and failures, the history, plenty of anecdotes, the humour and the sadness; with the practical content of "this is how to do this". I get that you can't instruct people on what to do because everyone's circumstances are different, but ... try?
Anyway, that book is not this book. It's not a bad book, and it has some crucial ideas in it. But it's extremely repetitive and frustrating. There's a lot of waffling: low signal to noise ratio. It's amateur blog-post content. The book could be at least quartered in length and not lose anything important.
The kicker though: no citations. There isn't one citation for any of the many claims made in the book.
The main theme is "this system totally works, I'm begging you to believe me, but it's so deeply complicated that I couldn't possibly explain to you how to do it, and I won't cite any of the claims that support my argument, but you should totally do it."
I've never been to NFF, but it sounds awesome. I'd like to think it's possible to create my own but this book didn't convince me that it's not just a case of survivorship bias: this guy's farm happened to work and we don't hear from the thousands from whom it didn't work. Is that down to his methods and circumstances; did he do it better? I've no idea.
Still, I'm hoping this book inspires a thousand people to become R.A. farmers, and at least one of them has the genetics to write a better book in the future.
I was hoping for a book that intermingled the story of New Forest Farm, all the successes and failures, the history, plenty of anecdotes, the humour and the sadness; with the practical content of "this is how to do this". I get that you can't instruct people on what to do because everyone's circumstances are different, but ... try?
Anyway, that book is not this book. It's not a bad book, and it has some crucial ideas in it. But it's extremely repetitive and frustrating. There's a lot of waffling: low signal to noise ratio. It's amateur blog-post content. The book could be at least quartered in length and not lose anything important.
The kicker though: no citations. There isn't one citation for any of the many claims made in the book.
The main theme is "this system totally works, I'm begging you to believe me, but it's so deeply complicated that I couldn't possibly explain to you how to do it, and I won't cite any of the claims that support my argument, but you should totally do it."
I've never been to NFF, but it sounds awesome. I'd like to think it's possible to create my own but this book didn't convince me that it's not just a case of survivorship bias: this guy's farm happened to work and we don't hear from the thousands from whom it didn't work. Is that down to his methods and circumstances; did he do it better? I've no idea.
Still, I'm hoping this book inspires a thousand people to become R.A. farmers, and at least one of them has the genetics to write a better book in the future.
February 22, 2024
There's some really great explanations of the complexity of nature and agriculture and the importance - perhaps even to our survival as a species of working with the complexity to get what we need (food, materials etc from the land) rather than trying to dominate it (eg by killing the things in nature we don't think we need (weeds, insects etc).
I also love the explanation of swales and soil building and planting rows of trees and shrubs - I'm planning to do something a bit like this on part of my land to see how it goes - very inspiring.
However, it also has some strange examples to illustrate points and I was left with some questions about how the whole system would work - if I let my hazels grow freely with other plants around and don't cut the suckers in the winter then harvesting the nuts becomes quite tricky in my experience - perhaps there's a solution for that, but the same logic will probably apply in lots of other situations. This doesn't rule the whole thing out, but suggests to me that the practical solutions needed at various stages in the system might be quite considerable.
Also, the tone of the author suggested to me that he is quite emotionally attached to the rightness of his system (which does look really great in lots of ways). However in my experience, being too emotionally attached to being right can cloud clear thinking and get in the way of being open to others viewpoints so I would definitely bear that in mind when reading this book.
I also love the explanation of swales and soil building and planting rows of trees and shrubs - I'm planning to do something a bit like this on part of my land to see how it goes - very inspiring.
However, it also has some strange examples to illustrate points and I was left with some questions about how the whole system would work - if I let my hazels grow freely with other plants around and don't cut the suckers in the winter then harvesting the nuts becomes quite tricky in my experience - perhaps there's a solution for that, but the same logic will probably apply in lots of other situations. This doesn't rule the whole thing out, but suggests to me that the practical solutions needed at various stages in the system might be quite considerable.
Also, the tone of the author suggested to me that he is quite emotionally attached to the rightness of his system (which does look really great in lots of ways). However in my experience, being too emotionally attached to being right can cloud clear thinking and get in the way of being open to others viewpoints so I would definitely bear that in mind when reading this book.
April 29, 2022
Overall an interesting book. So much information for a novice on this subject but it was mostly shared in an interesting, engaging way. I feel like he gives you a good sense of what permaculture is all about, it’s philosophy, it’s principles, and it’s overall benefit to the environment. He also share some interesting stories along the way. My only criticisms would be that some of his comments on nutrition, especially regarding nutrients, are somewhat misleading and some of his conclusions are overstated regarding the nutrient values of corn. He vilifies corn to the point that he actually says that it is not food—that’s a little extreme. He also makes certain comments about other nutrients, such as magnesium and calcium, in his attempt to prove just exactly how deficient or toxic corn is but his presentation on the issue demonstrates a lack of understanding on how those nutrients are absorbed and metabolized in the body. Also, he gets a little preachy and redundant towards the end of the book but other than that, I think it was overall a great read. I feel I understand the core principles of permaculture better after reading this book and I feel I now have a good foundation to further build my knowledge on this topic.
February 28, 2024
I listened to this on audio book in 2021 and picked up a used paperback copy and have re-read it, finishing today. I really enjoy the ideas Shepard has for restorative agriculture and the implications it could have for our national/global food supply.
Be forewarned though that if you're picking this book as a hobby farm or market gardener looking for ideas to change some things on your 10 acre farm this isn't the book for you. The ideas promoted by Shepard are geared towards "big ag", i.e. large farms with the acreage to input the Savanah type ecosystems that can support large biodiversity and create a steady income as well.
Even though I'm on a 13 acre homestead I still really enjoyed most of the book so it's still worth a read just know what you're getting into when you pick it up.
My biggest gripe.... throughout the book you'll be chewing on the cud. Shepard repeats and regurgitates ideas constantly throughout the book. At almost 300 pages of info, it could be edited down to probably 220-230 pages and still contain the same amount of worthwhile info. With that said, I understand Shepard's goal. He wants to drill these practices of restorative agriculture so deep into your brain that you have no choice but to remember them and that is the case by the time you're done.
Be forewarned though that if you're picking this book as a hobby farm or market gardener looking for ideas to change some things on your 10 acre farm this isn't the book for you. The ideas promoted by Shepard are geared towards "big ag", i.e. large farms with the acreage to input the Savanah type ecosystems that can support large biodiversity and create a steady income as well.
Even though I'm on a 13 acre homestead I still really enjoyed most of the book so it's still worth a read just know what you're getting into when you pick it up.
My biggest gripe.... throughout the book you'll be chewing on the cud. Shepard repeats and regurgitates ideas constantly throughout the book. At almost 300 pages of info, it could be edited down to probably 220-230 pages and still contain the same amount of worthwhile info. With that said, I understand Shepard's goal. He wants to drill these practices of restorative agriculture so deep into your brain that you have no choice but to remember them and that is the case by the time you're done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2021
Mark has a less-industrial style of growing food in forest orchards with multiple species mixed together in one integrated ecosystem, however he uses too much of the book going over general environmental science concepts. It would be great to see more information about the farming equipment and site layouts he uses, as well as weeding and harvesting techniques.
He makes up for the wordiness at the end with a few nice photos.
It was fascinating to learn that hazelnut is one of the highest oil-producing perennial crops that not only has applicability as a chocolate flavoring, but also as a biofuel feedstock (incl. the woody shell).
Mark presents currants, berries, and nuts are good choices for a homestead or larger farm that wants to minimize inputs and maintenance requirements. It would be great to combine the perennial crops with annual crops to be used to help build the soil and suppress weeds. Instead of fescue, maybe grains and peas would be a good base layer providing forage feed for chickens and other livestock, as well as broad leafy vegetables that could feed people and suppress weeds?
He makes up for the wordiness at the end with a few nice photos.
It was fascinating to learn that hazelnut is one of the highest oil-producing perennial crops that not only has applicability as a chocolate flavoring, but also as a biofuel feedstock (incl. the woody shell).
Mark presents currants, berries, and nuts are good choices for a homestead or larger farm that wants to minimize inputs and maintenance requirements. It would be great to combine the perennial crops with annual crops to be used to help build the soil and suppress weeds. Instead of fescue, maybe grains and peas would be a good base layer providing forage feed for chickens and other livestock, as well as broad leafy vegetables that could feed people and suppress weeds?
June 19, 2021
I love people challenging the status quo. There is an immense amount of work here; however, I do some critical points too. Shepard does not provide sources of what he claims. He makes sound arguments, but being unable to check the literature is, to me, a strong minus. There are some contradictions too: just to bring up an example, after having starkly insisted on how beneficial his STUN approach is, he just admits "but well, neither you want to lose the entirety of your trees, so, care of them as much as you can for the first three to five years". I've read two of Masanobu Fukuoka's books before this and have had similar WTF epiphanies.
All over the book, he states that restoration agriculture means little to no time spent on maintenance, spraying, pruning and the like, but then, he almost squelches the fact that, for mass selection of new breeds, you have to sweat too. It's a different kind of effort - hopefully, one rewarding and sustainable - but a helluva lot of work nevertheless.
But overall, it's a fascinating, inspiring book. The aha-moments were aplenty while reading it. My wish is that several demographics and guilds take it up, read it thoroughly, investigate, practice and squeeze all the juice there is to obtain from it. It'd be cool too if he could put himself to work again and provide other books, also practical ones, for many issues weren't addressed but it would be awesome if they could, i.e. restoration agriculture in other biomes, what's the minimum amount of land you need to have to go full restorational, how to do the work if one does not want to resort to livestock, etc. We need more Shepards in this world.
All over the book, he states that restoration agriculture means little to no time spent on maintenance, spraying, pruning and the like, but then, he almost squelches the fact that, for mass selection of new breeds, you have to sweat too. It's a different kind of effort - hopefully, one rewarding and sustainable - but a helluva lot of work nevertheless.
But overall, it's a fascinating, inspiring book. The aha-moments were aplenty while reading it. My wish is that several demographics and guilds take it up, read it thoroughly, investigate, practice and squeeze all the juice there is to obtain from it. It'd be cool too if he could put himself to work again and provide other books, also practical ones, for many issues weren't addressed but it would be awesome if they could, i.e. restoration agriculture in other biomes, what's the minimum amount of land you need to have to go full restorational, how to do the work if one does not want to resort to livestock, etc. We need more Shepards in this world.
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