The Organic Grain Grower: Small-Scale, Holistic Grain Production for the Home and Market Producer

Before I talk about this book,a little context for it.According to the US census only 1% of us list our occupation as farmers. That is 1 in 100 people for those who dislike percentages.In New Hampshire , where I live - a mostly rural state with no city even close to a half million people- nit is 1 in 1,000, and that one is part-time.This is how civilizations collapse. This is ecological imbalance that no technology can address. Jack Lazor has, as he stresses, obsessed about growing and processing grain for local markets for at least 35 years, living in far northern Vermont. This book details his experience, but not as autobiography. Instead it is meant to light a fire under the feet of anyone who can spare enough attention to wonder where their bread, oatmeal, beans, and cooking oil might come from. Next year. The year after that. I have been hoping like hell a book like this would show up. The information here may be available somewhere (the references are all online-a first in my experience for a book, but a concession and an aid that is necessary now) but here it is collected and presented in the real world of dirt and weather. This is not the most basic primer that some might want , but it is the Rosetta Stone for anyone who has a desire to grow grain and even a little experience in a garden. Heavy New England character, but, again, readily translatable to anywhere in a temperate climate. Here is where we start if we want to have real food security.

Friends of mine got this book back when it was first published. I purchased my own copy now that I'm embarking on my own garden-scale grain growing adventure. Lots of great general information and information specific to each crop. It is especially helpful for folks like me who live in a similar climate to where Jack's farm is located (Vermont). Some of the information is specific to this climate, though overall the book is worthwhile even for someone in a different part of the country. There are a few instances where the editor missed some things, but these are superficial. This book isn't cheap, but it is a great resource. Five stars. Also, I was sad to hear of Jack's passing late last year.

This is an decent book if you don't know much about the subject and live in New England. Some of the farming methods are outdated and not really that good for the soil, especially if your soil has a high clay content. Though I understand he's trying to give hints about how to farm on a low budget, he should give more background into why and where these methods might be OK or not, the way its written is a little too one size fits all. Its written far too New England specific, in many places like here in Ohio with my heavy clay soil, many of his methods would be pretty detrimental and he doesn't address that subject at all. A beginning farmer facing different farming conditions than those in New England and who didn't know any better might be better off not having read this book unless he knew enough to sort out what was region specific but then he probably wouldn't need the book in the first place. Like said its an OK book but I didn't really learn much from it and would do things a little differently. As it is the title should read 'The Organic Grain Grower: Small-Scale, Holistic Grain Production for the Home and Market Producers of New England"

Be forewarned that the author is a member of a group trying to restore grain production to Vermont and the surrounding region, and this book is about that effort. Therefore, the title is misleading, in that it does not reflect that the information is very Vermont-specific. Secondly, it is written for someone raising grain at some scale- small perhaps by US grain-belt standards but still way beyond the scale of a 'homesteader". It's not a cheap book, so really small scale producer hopefuls might not consider their money well spent.That said, it is an enjoyable book, well written, and Mr. Lazor's passion for grain shines through on every page. For the right person, it is a 5 star book.

For a couple of years, I have been idly encouraging my family members who work and manage a farm in Vermont to try growing some grain and move into a more biodynamic direction in managing their fields. Finding information on the practicalities of doing so however was difficult--no longer. This tour de force work covers just about everything you need to know in order to move into grain production--it also covers in detail, the history of grain growing in New England and the natural history of the species that have provided the bulk of nutrition to humans since we settled down to grow crops around 11,000 years ago.

Jack brings years of experience and involvement with both ends of the farming community - old timers and new farmers - into a book full of details. He gives options for different sizes of operations and budgets. I was ordering seeds late one night and needed to order inoculant for several hundred pounds of beans of different variety. Seed company websites weren't being specific enough. "Who can I ask? Jack will know!" and I quickly found exactly what I was looking for - the names of two different types of inoculant. It's a high price for a farming book, but it's really a solid, thick textbook and worth every penny.

Exhaustively well written and excellent reference book. He has a depth of knowledge that is evident in this book. This is an excellent book to help anyone trying to grow organic grains. No one has completely solved the method of homestead grain processing for consumption and I hope that someone will be able to do that someday. His passion for the subject/work is basis for this text.

Most of us don't have a few acres to spare, and even then, potatoes are probably a more reliable source of carbs for most of us to grow, but if you have ever contemplated growing even a few square feet of grain as bird feed or as protein sources for a vegan diet, this book will give you lots of ideas and references to see you on your way.

Solid practical information. What more could you ask for?