The Tiny Farm Planner: Record Keeping, Seasonal To-Dos, and Resources for Managing Your Small-Scale Home Farm

by Jill Ragan

Genres: Gardening

192 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[BethK · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is mostly a workbook with checklists, containing some information. Written from the author’s experience managing her own 4-acre farm full-time in Arkansas. She's developed ways of planning her needs, her time, things that need to get done at a certain time or before a particular date. It's organized from Preseason to Winterseason, to using the Postseason to winterize, evaluate, inventory, and plan for next year. It’s an all-around planning guide, from where you want to plant things, staggered plantings to get crops throughout the season, what to do what seasons. Some of the worksheets are to plan out your day, and includes worksheets about what you want over the next 10 years, along with planned costs and expenditures. Focused on organic farming, she suggests interplantings for pest control, and organic soil amendments to change soil PH or fertilizers. There are charts to track weather, and charts to evaluate seed types and varieties for future plantings.

It is overall a great book. I would have liked to see where to get more information on what seeds to start when in your area, such as USDA or talk to local gardeners and farmers. Also, on planning for equipment: How much or how big or specialized equipment do you need. Do you have to buy it, or could you rent, borrow, or buy something used? Each reader’s situation is different.

This is a book you can use year after year, including what you've learned through trial-and-error from past years.

[MarryAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this planner to be a great tool for small and bigger farmers (but it you have a really tiny garden, it might be a bit too much for your needs).

It is very well organized and follows the gardening seasons, filled with trackers, schedules and so on. What I did not expect was to find so many useful information and tips throughout it.

All in all, is very cute, easy to use and helps you a lot with being organized and finding all the information you need in one place

Disclaimer: I received a free e-book copy in exchange for my honest opinion

[Ashley {_xamountofbooks} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Easy read filled with all season gardening tips and quite possibly every chart you could ever need in gardening.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not for a person who is just a casual backyard planter; this book is for someone who wants to start farming for profit. It is very informative for someone who would like to start a farm for a business.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tiny Farm Planner is a terrific tracking tool and diary which will be so useful not only for small farms but avid gardeners. It is a helpful reminder of tasks needing attention throughout the year. Using this planner year after year will also provide useful data to help plan and grow year after year. It’s all about learning from your successes and failures in the garden and this planner will help you do just that by keeping your records in one handy spot. There are also some helpful tips throughout for those thinking of taking their hobby to the next level when it comes to yields and keeping organized. I’ve been involved in farming both small and large scale for 5 decades and would certainly use this both in business and for my own personal garden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cool Springs Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.