Garden Tool Handbook

Zach Loeks is an educator, speaker, grower, second-generation permaculture designer, and innovator of edible ecosystem design. He holds an honors degree in Human Environment and is director of the Ecosystem Solution Institute, where he consults widely with homes, farms, colleges, schools, and municipalities, helping people create more edible and diverse farms, gardens, and landscapes while enhancing food security, community well-being, and societal resilience. He is also the core instructor at EcosystemU.com where he delivers the Edible Property Design Master Course. Zach manages an award-winning farm featuring diversified food-forest products, heirloom garlic, and a hardy tree nursery. His innovations have earned him three provincial awards. He is the author of The Two-Wheel Tractor Handbook, The Edible Ecosystem Solution, and The Permaculture Market Garden. Zach lives in Cobden, Ontario.

• PART 1: THE TOOLSThe Beginning Extending Human Power All about ToolsTool TypesTool Design DIY or BuyGarden Operation CycleTool System DesignScale-Based Decision-MakingScaling-Up Tool SystemsScaling-Up Your AvatarPART 2: YOUR GARDEN OPERATION CYCLE Chapter 1: Site Analysis and SamplingChapter 2: Garden Design and Crop Planning Chapter 3: Garden Starts Chapter 4: Primary Land Preparation Chapter 5: Plot and Permabed FormingCase Study: Container Gardening Chapter 6: Fine Seedbed Preparation Chapter 7: Seeding and PlantingChapter 8: IrrigationChapter 9: Garden Crop MaintenanceChapter 10: Crop WeedingChapter 11: Garden HarvestChapter 12: Season ExtensionChapter 13: Post-harvest Handling and Curing Chapter 14: Cold Storage Chapter 15: Marketing Chapter 16: Cleanup and MaintenanceConclusionResourcesList of Tool Companies and Suppliers Index About the Author PraiseAbout New Society Publishers

Holy Dibbler! Tools I never knew existed so I never knew I needed them. A fascinating book, fabulously illustrated and a great tool itself!—Jeff Lowenfels, North America's longest running columnist and author of the Teaming seriesIf you are serious about growing vegetables, this book will save you a huge amount of time. —Robert Pavlis, author of the Science for Gardeners book series and Garden Myths One of the challenges getting into gardening or farming is simply knowing what tools are actually out there and how to distinguish between so many that might look the same. Zach Loeks lays out the full range of tool options for all the different gardening operations you might undertake, and walks you through when you might want to use each of them. —Dan Brisebois, author, The Seed Farmer and host, the Seed Farmer podcast