Our new book with Chelsea Green Publishing.

Our new book is here. And if you like it and want to recommend it to others, please consider writing a review on the bookstore websites or goodreads.

Order at Chelsea Green or Amazon. And Barnes and Noble and IndieBound 

One farm’s decades-long journey into regenerative agriculture—and how these methods enhance biodiversity, pollinators, and soil health

Northern Vermont’s Nancy and John Hayden have spent the last 25 years transforming their draft horse–powered, organic vegetable and livestock operation into an agroecological, regenerative, biodiverse, organic fruit farm, fruit nursery, and pollinator sanctuary. In Farming on the Wild Side they explain the philosophical and scientific principles that influenced them as they phased out sheep and potatoes and embraced apples, pears, stone fruits, and a wide variety of uncommon berry crops; turned much of their property into a semi-wild state; and adapted their marketing and sales strategies to the new century. As the Haydens pursued their goals of enhancing biodiversity and regenerating their land, they incorporated agroforestry and permaculture principles into perennial fruit polycultures, a pollinator sanctuary, repurposed greenhouses for growing fruit, hügelkultur, and ecological “pest” management. Beyond the practical techniques and tips, this book also inspires readers to develop greater ecological literacy and respect for the mysteries of the global ecosystem. Farming on the Wild Side tells a story about new ways to manage small farms and homesteads, about nurturing land, about ecology, about economics, and about things that we can all do to heal both the land and ourselves.

Chelsea Green Publishing, 272 pages with full color photographs and illustrations throughout.

This book was funded in part by a grant from the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.