Agro Commodities & Agricultural Produts

Tropical Moist Forest Silviculture and Management: (Cab International Publication) Silviculture in tropical forests has a long history going back many centuries and active management for timber production began about two hundred years ago. There is therefore a considerable body of evidence regarding both sustainable and destructive forestry practices in these forests, the future of which is the subject of one of the great scientific and public debates of the late twentieth century. Based on fifty years experience by each author and extensive research of the literature, this book provides information, much of which was previously not widely available, on the development of silvicultural systems in tropical moist forest (a broad term which encompasses many forest types). The book begins by tracing the early history and goes on to describe the later, more technical phases and the growth of global exploitation. Examples from many countries are described in detail, considering all…. Click here to Read More

Salad Bar Beef In a day when beef is assailed by many environmental organizations and lauded by fast-food chains, a new paradigm to bring reason to this confusion is in order. With farmers leaving the land in droves and plows poised to “reclaim” set-aside acres, it is time to offer an alternative that is both land and farmer friendly.Beyond that, the salad bar beef production model offers hope to rural communities, to struggling row-crop farmers, and to frustrated beef eaters who do not want to encourage desertification, air and water pollution, environmental degradation and inhumane animal treatment. Because this is a program weighted toward creativity, management, entrepreneurism and observation, it breathes fresh air into farm economics. List Price: $ 35.00 Price: $…. Click here to Read More

Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies The recent decline of the European honey bee and other pollinators in North America poses a serious challenge to our food supply and ecological health. About 75 percent of all flowering plants rely on pollinators in order to set seed or fruit, and from these plants comes one-third of the planet’s food.Attracting Native Pollinators is a comprehensive guidebook for gardeners, small farmers, orchardists, beekeepers, naturalists, environmentalists, and public land managers on how to protect and encourage the activity of the native pollinators of North America. Written by staff of the Xerces Society, an international nonprofit organization that is leading the way in pollinator conservation, this book presents a thorough overview of the problem along with positive solutions for how to provide bountiful harvests on farms and gardens, maintain healthy plant communinities in…. Click here to Read More

How to Raise Goats As pets or livestock, goats are increasingly popular animals on farms large and small. Easier and cheaper to keep than many larger animals, they will keep a pony company, pull a cart, and produce the perfect milk for many artisan cheeses or meat for some of the most up-and-coming ethnic cuisines. For anyone thinking of acquiring a goat or starting a herd–for whatever reason–this book is an essential resource. Written by an authority on goat breeding and behavior, this approachable guide covers every component of raising goats for fun or profit, meat or milk. Beginning with the basics–history and behavior, types and breeds–Carol Amundson answers all of a prospective owners questions about getting a goat, from land requirements and regulations to choosing or assessing particular animals or breeds. In a clear and engaging way, she goes into the details of housing and feeding, breeding and milking, training and showing, transporting and marketing goats of all…. Click here to Read More

Agricultural Value Chain Finance: Tools and Lessons Agriculture remains an important means of alleviating poverty, but shortage of finance can constrain its development. At the same time agriculture is evolving towards a global system requiring high-quality, competitive products and organized in value chains which often exclude smallholders. Value chain financing in agriculture offers an opportunity to increase the scope and reduce the cost and risk of financing to agriculture. It can also help value chains become more inclusive, by making resources available for smallholders to integrate into higher value chains. Agricultural Value Chain Finance provides a comprehensive look at the models, tools and approaches used by industry leaders in all parts of the developing world. These are described, analyzed and illustrated using many rich examples in order to demonstrate how they work and to extract lessons and applications for others to adapt. The book includes 40 industry examples…. Click here to Read More

The Chicken Encyclopedia: An Illustrated Reference From addled to wind egg, crossed beak to zygote, the terminology of everything chicken is demystified in The Chicken Encyclopedia, a comprehensive A-to-Z reference volume presented in a friendly, highly illustrated format. Chickophiles will find breed descriptions; definitions of the most common conditions, situations, characteristics, and behaviors of chickens; and much more. Whether it’s the difference between wry tail, split tail, and gamy tail; the meaning of hen feathered, forced molt, or quill feather; the characteristics of droopy wing; the content of granite grit; or the translation of a chicken’s alarm call, here are all the answers to every chicken question and quandary, from the practical to the curious. List Price: $ 19.95 Price: $…. Click here to Read More

Value Chain Finance: Beyond Microfinance for Rural Entrepreneurs In large parts of the world, small-scale farmers, traders and processors are constrained in their business operations due to a lack of finance. Farmers want to be paid immediately, but traders do not have the ready cash to buy their produce. Traders need working capital so they can buy and transport produce, but lack the collateral to get loans. Processors cannot get the money they need to buy equipment or ensure a steady supply of inputs.Value chain finance is a solution to such dilemmas. Value chain finance is when specialized financial institutions are linked to the value chain and offer services that build on the business relations in the chain. For example, a bank may loan money to a trader because the trader has a regular supply of produce from a farmers’ group and a supermarket as a loyal customer. When lead firms are willing to vouch for their suppliers, even smallholder farmers become creditworthy. This…. Click here to Read More

The Backyard Goat: An Introductory Guide to Keeping and Enjoying Pet Goats, from Feeding and Housing to Making Your Own Cheese This is the complete beginner’s guide to raising goats at home. Whether you want to raise goats for their milk and fiber or keep them as pets or companion animals, this book covers all the essentials. You’ll learn how to choose the right goats for your needs and space, house and feed them, keep them healthy, and train them to do simple tricks, pull and drive carts, and serve as pack goats. You’ll also learn how to milk, shear, breed, raise newborn kids, and more. The Backyard Goat makes it easy to enjoy the benefits of owning goats, with no experience necessary. List Price: $ 16.95 Price: $…. Click here to Read More

Barnheart: The Incurable Longing for a Farm of One’s Own Whether they’re about raising chickens or herding sheep, the tales of Jenna Woginrich have caught the imagination of thousands of young homesteaders. As she learns traditional farming skills by trial and error, Woginrich records her offbeat observations and poignant moments with honesty, humility, and humor.In BarnHeart, she lands at a small rented farm and struggles to find her place in a reserved rural community filled with working farmers who are scraping by and wealthy vacation-home owners with fancy barns that never house livestock. Although her barnheart — a term Woginrich coins to describe her state of longing for a farm of her own — never subsides, she makes do on her rented farmstead, caring for her sheep, chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, a goat, and a turkey, until relationships sour and she’s abruptly forced to leave. Where will she and her animals go? Will she finally be able to afford the farm she’s…. Click here to Read More