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Biofuels from Agricultural Wastes and Byproducts Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have read many books and papers on bioenergy and related issues over the years, but not until I read this book have I discovered one that presented academic knowledge and "real world" knowledge together. There is enough technical information to satisfy the scientist, and enough non-technical information to satisfy the rest. An excellent read that stays on my desk at all times.

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Traditional agriculture and emerging biofuels technology produce a number of wastes and by-products, ranging from corn fiber and glycerin to animal manure, that have the potential to serve as the basis for additional sources of bioenergy that includes both liquid biofuels and biogas.
Biofuels from Agricultural Wastes and Byproducts is the first book to focus solely on the production of biofuels primarily from agricultural waste and by-products. The book is divided roughly into two sections. The first section looks at liquid biofuel production from agricultural byproducts, densification of agricultural residues, and the delivery from farm to processing plant of waste and byproducts for use in biofuel production. The second section focuses on anaerobic digestion of food and animal wastes, microbial diversity, molecular and biochemical aspects of methanogensis.
Together these sections solidify Biofuels from Agricultural Wastes and Byproducts as a definitive source of information on the use of agricultural waste and by-products in biofuel production.

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Tack: Care and Cleaning: Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-121 (Storey Publishing Bulletin) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The interesting thing about this tiny little book is that it is chock full of interesting & valuable information that helps you become very knowledgeable about your tack. Cherry Hill teaches you how and why to care for your tack and your tack room. She also gives you details that will allow you to select high quality tack if you are planning to purchase more tack. The book is small enough to travel in a bag, large pocket or purse, but is a goliath when it comes to good info. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to truly care for their tack the way it should be cared for. Amy

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Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

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Commercial Poultry Nutrition: 3rd Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A lot of poultrykeepers feel the temptation to invent their own chicken feed blend. Doing this successfully requires quite a bit of knowlege, and this book provides it. It's quite accessible to the interested layman, though it assumes you already know something about nutrition (for example, it doesn't explain what amino acids are or why you'd care).
Not as exhaustive as Ewing's massive and long-out-of-print POULTRY NUTRITION, but it's more up-to-date and far easier to use.

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Covering a variety of essential topics relating to commercial poultry nutrition and production—including feeding systems and poultry diets—this complete reference isideal for professionals in the poultry-feed industries, veterinarians, nutritionists, and farm managers. Detailed and accessible, the guide analyzes commercial poultry production at a worldwide level and outlines the importance it holds for maintaining essential food supplies. With ingredient evaluations and diet formulations, the study's compressive models for feeding programs target a wide range of commercially prominent poultry, including laying hens, broiler chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and game birds, among others.

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Hobby Farm: Living Your Rural Dream For Pleasure And Profit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Hobby Farm: Living Your Rural Dream for Pleasure and Profit by Carol Ekarius is a collection of photos, "facts", and "helpful" tips for the urban adventurer looking for a new life in a rural farm setting. The book should be regarded as only Ekarius' opinion and not fact. It is based off of her experiences from living in a farming community. Coming from a rural farming background, I was appalled and disgusted with many of the skewed things Ekarius put in her book. Not only does it make the rural citizen seem backward (yes, she does use that word) but it comes across as being very condescending to the reader as well. Any farmer who reads this book is thinking, "She thinks I don't know about anything outside of the farm." Any non-farmer who reads this book is thinking, "She thinks I don't what a cow is."
Ekarius, apparently, is the only person who knows something about both the rural world and the urban. She considers herself to be "rurban"; a word coined by Ekarius and is used incessantly. Roughly it means something that is not entirely urban, but not entirely rural. Ekarius regards herself as an expert on the subject. She tells about a time when she set up an electric fence, something (she thinks) that farmers had never even thought of before. She made it seem as though her neighbor looked upon the fence like caveman looking upon fire for the first time.
She makes the farmer out to be a creature that has never had or heard of niceties found in "the big city." Ekarius tells her readers, "Rural people have long lived with different economic and social realities than their urban and suburban brethren. When they invite you for coffee, expect freeze-dried instant, not freshly ground beans or latte, and drink the former as though it were the latter".... Because farmers just don't know any better, right Carol? They've never even heard of Starbucks let alone tasted their coffee. Neanderthals.
The expectations Ekarius prepares her readers for are ridiculous. She says, "Get used to no privacy. Do you like to walk into a clean house, with shiny, polished floors and light colored furniture? Be prepared for mud and mess. Love to take in cultural events, like the opera or great museums? Instead, get ready for high school plays and cow-plop bingo at the town street-dance." Wow. According to Ekarius farmers are dirty, live like pigs and uncultured. This woman really knows her neighbors.
I have to ask the question, "Has she even met her neighbors?" Ekarius warns the reader, "Be prepared, also, for the social challenges of moving into rural or rurban areas. These communities often seem backward and closed to newcomers.... They are friendly and warm once you penetrate the surface, but penetration can take awhile." It sounds like all "rurban" people are stoic and misanthropic. If you had Ekarius as a neighbor you might be too!
I'd give this book negative stars if I could. Hobby Farm can be useful, however, if it used for kindling or toilet paper.

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Natural Cattle Care Review

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(More customer reviews)It is a book I refer to first for most situations. It is sometimes hard to figure out the dosage of copper,but the things I have tried have worked for us. The codliver oil for pinkeye worked.I do believe we would not have so many problems with our animals if they were getting the right dosage of the minerals. I would say it brings us back to the old time recipes that did work.

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Natural Cattle Care is a comprehensive analysis of farming techniques that keep the health of the animal in mind. Pat Coleby believes that how you farm determines the health of your livestock and she brings a wealth of animal husbandry experience to bear in this analysis of many serious problems of contemporary farming practices, focusing in particular on how poor soils lead to mineral-deficient plants and ailing farm animals. Encompassing every facet of farm management, from the mineral components of the soils cattle graze over, to issues of fencing, shelter and feed regimens, Coleby provides system-level solutions and specific remedies for optimizing cattle health and productivity. She covers strategies for improving farm efficiency, breeding issues, common ailments and remedies, land regeneration and maintenance, and much more. Long revered in Australia as an outstanding expert in her field, Natural Cattle Care is an invaluable everyday resource for everyone with sheep.

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Homesteading in the 21st Century: How One Family Created a More Sustainable, Self-Sufficient, and Satisfying Life Review

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(More customer reviews)George and Jane are back! Nash's classics "Renovating Old Houses" and"Wooden Fences", with photos by Jane, are standards in every do-it-yourselfer's library. Now these long-time homesteaders offer a how-we-did-it manual on backyard farming - everything from a small flock of hens to market-size production of eggs, veggies, cider, and other home-grown foodstuffs. It's a fun, colorful adventure, as George and Jane narrate their successes, lucky breaks, and disasters over decades of building their hillside farm; the message is that any newbie, with even the smallest backyard - or front porch - can reap the pleasures of self-reliance. This book is infused with humor, know-how, and love. Grab it and start digging!

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Not since Thoreau made his home in the woods at Walden Pond has the notion of self-sufficiency held more universal appeal. There's no question we're going through some tough economic times, but this book offers an alternative. It's a guide for anyone who imagines a better life—from struggling families tired of energy dependency to dreamers who always wished they could live off the land someday. This ultimate DIY guide holds to the premise that anyone can homestead, and raise at least a portion of their food themselves—even if they live in the city. This book is absolutely brimming with ideas on how to take control of your life by degrees—whether that means keeping chickens, growing a garden, or brewing your own beer.

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Natural Sheep Care Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a very informative book that I loved reading. The sources to start the lick are not viable though and I have had lots of difficulty finding the items discribed to start the lick.

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In this comprehensive guide for all breeders and keepers of sheep, Pat Coleby draws on decades of experience in natural animal husbandry to provide essential information for organic and sustainable farmers. A longtime commercial livestock farmer who takes a natural approach to husbandry, Coleby covers breeds of sheep, wool, meat and milk production, feeding requirements, poisonous plants, minerals and vitamins, herbal, homeopathic and natural remedies, and more. Originally published in Australia, this edition has been expanded significantly in the areas of breeding for finer wool and meat, land management, sheep management, and treatment of health problems. Coleby's step-by-step explanations of how to best benefit from a naturalistic, holistic approach make this book an invaluable resource for everyone with sheep.

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Hobby Farming For Dummies Review

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(More customer reviews)There is a lot more work to Hobby Farming than the one would think. This book gives you an idea of what is involved. It causes one to think, what else can I be doing with my hobby farm, from raising and caring for livestock, to gardening and preserving the harvest. The concept of taking the byproducts and reinvesting them back into the farm to promote sustainability is something we should all be more into. Even if you are not a Hobby Farmer, there are hints and tips here that are appropiate for any landowner.

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Do you long for the country life? Hobby Farming For Dummies is a practical guide that will show you how to handle all the basics of small-scale farming, from growing healthy crops to raising livestock and managing your property. You'll see how to decide what to farm, provide shelter and utilities, select plants, and protect your investment. It's all you need to dig in and start growing!
You'll get a real idea of what it really means to jump from your current lifestyle to a life farming in the countryside. You'll get the information you need to decide if the farming lifestyle is right for you and your personality. You'll learn everything you need to know about property and how to access a power supply. You'll get practical advice on which animals would work best for your farm and you'll learn how to acquire them and what you need to know about caring for them properly. You'll get help with all of the major decisions like whether you're better off with subsistence farming or a more ambitious project. Find out how to:
Make from change to a farm lifestyle
Get along with your neighbors
Find and buy rural properties
Select and maintain equipment
Raise and care for animals
Use and preserve food items
Avoid common farming pitfalls
Choose plans for your farm

Complete with lists of the ten unique opportunities for fun and the top ten misconceptions about farm living, Hobby Farming For Dummies will help you discover how you can live the simple life.

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Wells and Septic Systems 2/E Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Much of the same comments I made about the "Builder's Guide to Wells and Septic Systems" apply to this book. Although oriented more towards a home owner-builder rather than a professional home builder, it still lacks detail on septic systems. There is no discussion of sand mounds, which account for about 90% of all installations in my region of PA, or other alternative system types. About 1/3 of the book relates to septic systems and the balance to well and water systems.
If you are interested mainly in wells, this is probably not a bad choice. If your desire is to design your own septic system, then I think this book is lacking.
Matt

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Here's all the information you need to build a well or septic system yourself - and save a lot of time, money, and frustration. S. Blackwell Duncan has thoroughly revised and updated this second edition of Wells and Septic Systems to conform to current codes and requirements. He also has expanded this national bestseller to include new material on well and septic installation, water storage and distribution, water treatment, ecological considerations, and septic systems for problem building sites.

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