Making Small Farms Work follows the first seasons setting up what has quickly become one of Europe’s flagship farm scale Permaculture and regenerative agriculture sites. From a rural situation, nestled in the heart of Scandinavia, Ridgedale is a dedicated high-quality local food producer engaged in educating the next generation of agrarians with the design and management strategies to create farms for the future. The face of small-scale agriculture and the future of our food supply chain is changing. Pioneer educator and farmer Richard Perkins has dedicated his life to sharing effective solutions around the world, and this relatively remote farm has been receiving a lot of international interest as increasing numbers of people seek to participate in a regenerative economy. Covering every aspect of designing, installing and managing this diverse and productive farm, including the crucial decision-making processes and economics that make it all work, this book is full with hundreds of colour photographs, spreadsheets and details capturing the rapid development of the farm, with practical information on:
- Holistic Decision Making
- Property Selection
- Getting Started with Designing a Property
- Understanding Ecosystem Processes
- Keyline Design
- Water Systems
- Trees and Woody Crops
- Detailed Descriptions of Installing Systems
- Fencing on Farms
- Pastured Broiler Enterprise Details
- Building a Farm Slaughter Facility
- Pastured Eggs and Egg Mobiles
- Grasslands & Grazing
- Creating a Market Garden
- Tools and Tips
- Financial Planning
