Lawnflower Ecoculture
Eco-Logical Agricultural and Horticultural
The most healthful way to produce food is to utilize a system that emulates the botanical diversity of wild ecosystems. Farms, homesteads, neighborhoods, and communities whose horticulture and agriculture mimic the botanical diversity of wild ecosystems will be yield the most nutritionally healthful harvests of vegetables, herbs, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, and forage.
Diverse vegetation creates a bounty of living and dead leafy material to protect soil from the elements. Plants and plant residues protect soil from rapid temperature changes, from solar and wind desiccation, and from rain and wind erosion. As these botanically diverse plant residues are decomposed by soil organisms, a variety of macronutrients and micronutrients are steadily released into the soil. These nutrients are taken up by plant roots, or adsorbed to soil particles for future use.
Diverse vegetation supports a wide array of carnivorous insects, spiders, birds, and other predators, along with parasites and pathogens, that effectively reduce populations of crop pests to inconsequential levels. Diverse vegetation is the infrastructure that houses complex webs of interconnected, crop protecting food chains.
Agriculture and horticulture are inherently unnatural. They are environmental manipulations intending to create unnatural abundances of unnaturally limited selections of species. No agriculture system can ever truly duplicate the biological richness of a natural, unadulterated ecosystem. But the example set by nature should be attempted to the fullest extent, both on the farm and on the homestead.
In the Lawnflowers Story, botanical diversity was derived from lawnflower lawns boasting a veritable plethora of mowable broadleaf flowering plants, both native and naturalized. There were lawnflower species adapted to dry soil through wet soil, rich soil through poor soil, sunny areas through shady areas, and high traffic through low traffic areas. There were constantly varying combinations of lawnflowers from area to area and from season to season. This lawnflower diversity was repeated by taller orchard lawnflowers and was matched by the great variety of crop plants that were grown.
Below is a sampling of the many available books that describe agricultural and horticultural methods and systems that promote, and attempt to emulate, the botanical diversity of natural ecosystems. Application of ideas and practices presented in these books will contribute to creating more healthful farms, homesteads, neighborhoods, and communities in which we and our non-human neighbors can live. Click on a title to view a description.
Agricultural Systems: Agroecology and Rural Innovation for Development
Agroecology Agroecology in Action: Extending Alternative Agriculture through Social Networks
Agroecology: Principles And Practices
Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems
Agroecology: The Science of Sustainable Agriculture
Agroecosystem Sustainability: Developing Practical Strategies
Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Allelopathy in Agroecosystems
American Perceptions of Immigrant and Invasive Species: Strangers on the Land
Anatomy of Life and Energy in Agriculture
Apple Grower: Guide for the Organic Orchardist
Backyard Berry Book: Hands-On Guide to Growing Berries, Brambles, Vine Fruit
Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow
Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees
Basics Of Permaculture Design
Biodiversity in Agroecosystems
Biodynamic Agriculture
Biodynamic Farm - Koepf
Biodynamic Farm - Lovel
Biodynamic Gardening: For Health and Taste
Biodynamic Year: Increasing Yield, Quality and Flavor
Biological Farmer: Sustainable & Profitable Biological System of Farming
Building a Sustainable Business: Business Plans for Farms and Rural Businesses
Coastal Wilderness to Fruited Plain: Environmental Change in North America
Civic Agriculture: Reconnecting Farm, Food, Community
Concise Encyclopedia of Temperate Tree Fruit
Conversion to Sustainable Agriculture: Principles, Processes, and Practices
Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants
Cover Crop Gardening: Soil Enrichment With Green Manures
Cover Cropping in Vineyards: A Grower's Handbook
Cover Crops and Smallholder Agriculture: Lessons from Latin America
Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime
Desert Gardening: Fruits and Vegetables
Designing And Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally
Earth User's Guide to Permaculture
Ecoagriculture: Strategies To Feed The World And Save Wild Biodiversity
Eco-Farm: Managing Farm and Ranch While Avoiding Dangerous Chemicals
Ecology for Gardeners
Ecology of Intercropping
Economics of Sustainable Energy in Agriculture
Edible Flower Garden
Edible Flower Garden - Creasy
Edible Flower Garden - Brown
Edible Flowers
Edible Forest Gardens (2 volume set)
Edible Herb Garden
Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with Food-Bearing Plants
Edible Landscaping in the Desert Southwest: Wheelbarrow to Plate
Encyclopedia of Herbs
Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener
Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation
Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea
Ex Situ Plant Conservation: Supporting Species Survival In The Wild
Extreme Gardening: How to Grow Organic in the Hostile Deserts
Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture: Participatory Learning, Adaptive Management
Farm as Natural Habitat: Reconnecting Food Systems With Ecosystems
Farm Your Backyard the Mulch-organic Way
Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature: Essays on Conservation-based Agriculture
Farming for Us All: Practical Agriculture & the Cultivation of Sustainability
Farming in Nature's Image: An Ecological Approach to Agriculture
Farming the Small Forest: A Guide for the Landowner
Farming with Nature: The Science and Practice of Ecoagriculture
Farming with the Wild
Field and Laboratory Investigations in Agroecology
Five Acres and Independence
Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden
Forest Farming: Towards a Solution to Problems of World Hunger, Conservation N
Forest Farms of Kandy: And Other Gardens of Complete Design
Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape
Foundations of Restoration Ecology: Science, Practice of Ecological Restoration
Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory: Nursery Catalogs Listing All Fruit, Berry,and Nuts
Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food
Gardening for Life - The Biodynamic Way: Introduction to a New Art of Gardening
Gardening for the Future of the Earth
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times
Getting Started In Permaculture: Practical Projects to Design Productive Gardens
Good Growing: Why Organic Farming Works
Grape Grower: A Guide to Organic Viticulture
Great Meadow: Farmers and the Land in Colonial Concord
Growing Food in the High Desert Country
Growing Green: Animal-Free Organic Techniques
Handbook of Alternative Cash Crops
Handbook on Mulches
How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits by the Organic Method
How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back: Mulch Gardening
Herbs: Organic Gardening Basics
Honey Plants of North America
Improving Garden Soil with Green Manures
Interactions Between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities
Invertebrate Biodiversity as Bioindicators of Sustainable Landscapes
Kmhmu' Livelihood: Farming the Forest
Landscape Agroecology
Landscape Ecology in Agroecosystems Management
Landscaping Revolution: Garden With Mother Nature, Not Against Her
Landscaping with Fruits and Vegetables
Larding the Lean Earth: Soil and Society in Nineteenth-Century America
How to Make a Forest Garden
Making Your Small Farm Profitable: New Crops, New Markets, Maximize Profits
Managing Cover Crops Profitably
Medicinal And Aromatic Crops: Harvesting, Drying, and Processing
Micro Eco-Farming: Prospering from Backyard to Small Acreage
Mini Farming for Self Sufficiency
Modern Homestead Manual
Mulch Book: A Complete Guide for Gardeners
Mulch It!: A Practical Guide to Using Mulch in the Garden and Landscape
Native American Gardening: Buffalobird-Woman's Guide to Traditional Methods
Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture
Natural Way of Farming: The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy
Nature-Friendly Communities: Habitat Protection And Land Use Planning
New Dimensions In Agroecology
Non-Timber Forest Products: Medicinal Herbs, Fungi, Edible Fruits, and Nuts
Non-Toxic Farming Handbook
One-straw Revolution
Organic Farming
Organic Farming and Growing
Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture
Organic Farming: Everything You Need to Know
Organic Fruit Growing
Organic Gardener's Handbook
Organic Gardening for 21st Century: Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, Flowers
New Organic Grower: Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener
Organic Livestock Farming
Organic Orcharding
Organic Production and Use of Alternative Crops
Organic Vegetable Production: A Complete Guide
Organic Way to Mulching
Outwitting Critters: A Surefire Manual for Confronting Devious Animals
Permaclture: A Designers' Manual
Introduction to Permaculture
Permaculture Garden
Permaculture in a Nutshell
Permaculture Plants: A Selection
Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability
Permaculture Teachers' Guide
Permaculture Two
Permaculture Way: Practical Steps To Create A Self-Sustaining World
Plants for a Future: Edible & Useful Plants for a Healthier World
Precious Heritage: The Status of Biodiversity in the United States
Prehistoric Native Americans and Ecological Change Since the Pleistocene
Principles of Biodynamic Spray And Compost Preparations
Profitable Organic Farming
Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in Garden and Designed Landscape
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands: Guiding Principles: Rain into Your Landscape
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands: Water-Harvesting Earthworks
Reclaiming the Commons: Community Farms and Forests in a New England Town
Restoration of Endangered Species: Conceptual Issues, Planning, Implementation
Restoring Diversity: Strategies For Reintroduction Of Endangered Plants
Road Back to Nature: Regaining the Paradise Lost
Roots of Change: Nebraska's New Agriculture
Safe and Sustainable World: The Promise Of Ecological Design
Science in Agriculture: Advanced Methods for Sustainable Farming
Self-Sufficiency
Self-Sufficient Agriculture: Labor and Knowledge in Small-Scale Farming
Self-Sustaining Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Matrix Planting
Sell What You Sow: The Grower's Guide to Successful Produce Marketing
Silent Spring
Slash/Mulch Systems
Small-Scale Grain Raising
Smart Permaculture Design
Soil Tillage in Agroecosystems (Advances in Agroecology)
Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management
Success with Organic Fruit
Success with Organic Vegetables
Successful Organic Gardening: Herbs
Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable Agriculture and Resistance
Sustainable Agriculture in the American Midwest: Lessons, Prospects
Sustainable Agroecosystem Management: Integrating Ecology, Economics
Sustainable Vegetable Garden: Backyard Guide to Healthy Soil Higher Yields
Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture (Conservation Classics)
Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
Uncommon Fruits Worthy of Attention: Gardener's Guide
Voices from the Forest: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in Sustainable Farming
Wildlife in the Garden: Live in Harmony With Deer, Raccoons, Rabbits, Crows, etc.
Woodland Way: A Permaculture Approach to Sustainable Woodland Management
You Can Farm: Entrepreneur's Guide to Succeed in Farming Enterprise
Related Links
Home Page - Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
Home Page - Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network
Home Page - Alternative Farming Systems Information Center - USDA
Home Page - Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association
Home Page - Ecological Farming Association
Home Page - Farming Pages
Home Page - Grow Alabama
Home Page - How to Go Organic
Home Page - National Family Farm Coalition
Home Page - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Home Page - New Crop Resources
Home Page - Organic Farming Research Foundation
Home Page - Organic Product Pages Online
Home Page - Organic Seed Alliance
Home Page - Organic Trade Association
Home Page - Rodale Institute
Home Page - Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Home Page - Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
Links - Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest
Links - How to go Organic, Transition Assistance
Links - Sustainable Agriculture Information
Search Tool - New Crop Look-up Tool
Search Tool - Organic Trade Associations Pages Online
Search Tool - Small Farm Center - Online Library
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