Food Grown Right, in Your Own Backyard - by Colin McCrate & Brad Halm (Paperback)

About the Book

Easy gardening instruction for saving money and eating better by growing your own food in the city

Book Synopsis

As the founders behind the Seattle Urban Farm Company, Colin McCrate and Brad Halm have heard it all: My backyard is too small; how can I make space for a garden? Do I really need to buy fertilizer? What on earth is that creature crawling on the tomatoes? My crops took off and the zucchini are in the sidewalk -- who has time to harvest this all?!

Food Grown Right, in Your Backyard is a primer for these questions and more. In response to the rising interest in homegrown foods, the Seattle Urban Farm Co. builds vegetable gardens for everyone from busy families to restaurants. Along the way, Colin and Brad teach beginner growers from all walks of life the techniques of organic food production. In this full color, beautifully photographed guide, they prove that anyone can develop a green thumb, as they show readers how to build a garden from the ground up, explain general garden basics, discuss the best types of crops to try, and much more, including:

* Garden size and design for any setting (no matter how small!), including container gardens
* Soil types, and watering and irrigation
* Plant life 101, and profiles of recommended vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and berries
* Garden tools and time-saving rules
* Crop planning, tips on what to do with the harvest, and a garden calendar to keep your garden growing year-round

Q&A material, profiles of other beginner gardeners, and step-by-step instructions all come together in this unique, friendly guide that was inspired by the kinds of questions Colin and Brad hear every day on the job with the Seattle Urban Farm Co.

The book is clear, concise, and beautifully illustrated. Even the more technical sections are presented in 'layman's terms, ' so even if you are new to gardening you will understand them. The photographs make understanding the text easy. Additional tables throughout the text also help, including one giving materials for composting. Because of the way the information is laid out, it won't matter where you live, you will still be able to use the information. If you wish to plant a vegetable garden, this is easily one of the most useful books I've seen.
-- The National Gardener

Review Quotes

..There's nothing stopping you from settling down with these inspirational and informative tomes out on the porch swing, backyard hammock, or from the comfort of a bench in a local park.-- "Mother Nature News"

"Discover your own green thumb with this wonderfully detailed introduction to backyard gardening." "Save time and money, while eating more healthfully with this easy, inspiring book of instruction."-- "Territorial Seed Company 2014 Spring Gardening Catalog"

featured as a Best Beach Reads 2012: Green and Gardening Books for the Summer-- "Huffington Post Green"

[Food Grown Right] teaches beginners the basics, like where to put their gardens, how to test their soil and how to keep their plants alive.-- "The Akron Beacon Journal"

Beginners should (green) thumb through Food Grown Right, in Your Backyard, the new tome from Seattle Urban Farm Company.-- "Daily Candy"

If only all textbooks were this pretty. Founders of the Seattle Urban Farm Co. have created a terrifically informative, nicely photographed guide to gardening--not just for Western Washington, but for any planting zone.-- "Edible Seattle"

If you are in your first couple seasons of growing and you find yourself with more questions than answers when you look at your raised bed, or if the idea of vegetable gardening sounds great - until it sounds way too overwhelming to try - then this is the book for you.-- "Northwest Edible Life"

McCrate and Halm prove that anyone can develop a green thumb.-- "Urban Farm magazine"

The cofounders of Seattle Urban Farm Co.--a nationally recognized outfit that has helped hundreds of families, schools and restaurants design and implement urban gardens--share the wisdom they have accumulated over the years in this overstuffed, lively and personable tome.-- "Cascadia Weekly"

With gorgeous photos and conversational writing, the authors lay out an easy-to-follow plan.-- "The Everett Herald"

With information based on organic farming and gardening principles, from building a raised bed to specific growing techniques, this guide will make you a farmer from the get-go.-- "Mount Baker Experience"