Links and Resources

Agriculture, Biodynamic

Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association
25844 Butler Road
Junction City, OR 97448
Ph: 888 516-7797 or 541 998-0105
Fax:541998-0106
www.biodynamics.com
The North American hub for the biodynamic farming community. They distribute many of the books below, as well as the Stella Natura Sowing and Planting Calendar.

Klocek, Dennis. A Biodynamic Book of Moons. Bio-dynamic Literature, Wyoming, RI, 1983.

Philbrick, John and Helen. Organic Gardening for Health and Nutrition. Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1988.

Schilthuis, Willy. Biodynamic Agriculture. Hudson, N.Y: Anthroposophic Press, 1994.

Steiner, Rudolf. Agriculture. Hudson, N.Y: Anthroposophic Press, 1994.

Storl, Wolf. Culture and Horticulture: A Philosophy of Gardening. Bio-dynamic Literature, Wyoming, RI, 1979.

Thun, Maria. Work with the Land and the Constellations. England: Lanthorn Press, 1990. 

Agriculture, Industrial

Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. New York: First Mariner Books, 2000.

Kimbrell, Andrew. Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture. Covelo, California: Island Press, 2002.

Agriculture and Gardening, Organic

Eco-Farm Association

www.eco-farm.org

 

The Land Institute

www.landinstitute.org

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
www.attra.org
An excellent source of information about internships, research projects, funding, and much more.

Northeast Organic Farmers Association
www.nofa.org
In addition to the renowned annual NOFA Summer Conference, each of the seven state chapters comprising the Northeast Organic Farming Association provides educational conferences, workshops, farm tours and printed materials to educate farmers, gardeners, consumers and land care professionals. The Natural Farmer, the quarterly newspaper of the NOFA Interstate Council, publishes features on organic farming techniques, certification issues, environmental developments as they impact farmers and growers, organic market conditions and other topics of interest to the Northeast organic community.

Oregon Tilth
www.tilth.orgA non-profit research and education organization certifying organic farmers, processors, retailers and handlers throughout Oregon, the United States, and internationally. They offer a newspaper with tons of useful news and information about organic food and farming.

Organic Consumers Association.
6101 Cliff Estate Road
Little Marais, MN 55614
Phone: 218-226-4164
www.organicconsumers.org

Organic Research Association
www.organicresearch.com

Organic Trade Association
www.ota.com
PO Box 547
Greenfield, MA 01302

Seattle Tilth inspires and educates people to garden organically, conserve natural resources, and support local food systems in order to cultivate a healthy urban environment and community. Their site has lots of great stuff about children's gardening and organic living.

Acres, U.S.A. Monthly Magazine.
Published in Raytown, MO, since 1971.

Ausubel, Kenny. Seeds of Change. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.

Creasy, Rosalind. Complete Book of Edible Landscaping. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1982.

Fukuoka, Masanobou. The Natural Way of Farming. USA: Japan Publications, 1985. In this pivotal book about how to grow food without harming the Earth, Masanobou Fukuoka outlines a detailed yet simple system that incorporates rice, barley, fruits, and both annual and perennial vegetables, using seed balls made of clay and compost. It is his personal philosophy of simple, humble living, more than the specific gardening techniques, that puts this book on the list of most valuable references. Fukuoka advises taking responsibility for our lives while still enjoying them. He encourages a focused intentionality toward ecological harmony, coupled with a humble acceptance of the chaotic cycles of nature.

Hart, Robert. Forest Gardening, Cultivating an Edible Landscape. White River Junction VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1996.

Hemenway, Toby. Gaia’s Garden.  White River, VT: Chelsea Green, 2002. This book presents theories and techniques for home-scale ecological garden design. Much of what I learned about ecological gardening came through Toby Hemenway, either in this book or during one of the many opportunities I have had to study with him directly. Gaia’s Garden is the premier North American guide to ecological gardening, and an essential addition to any permaculture library. Also check out toby’s website, www.patternliteracy.com 

Jackson, Wes. Becoming Native to This Place. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1994.

Jeavons, John. How to Grow More Vegetables: and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine: A Primer on The Life-Giving Sustainable Grow Biointensive Method of Organic Horticulture. Berkeley, Calif: Ten Speed Press, 2002.

Kourik, Robert. Designing and Maintaining Your Edible Landscape Naturally. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2005.

Logsdon, Gene. The Contrary Farmer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1994.

Rosset, Peter and Benjamin, Medea. The Greening of the Revolution; Cuba’s Experiment with Organic Agriculture. Melbourne, Australia: Ocean Press, 1994.

Seymour, John. The Self-Sufficient Gardener. London: Corgi, 1994.

Shapiro, Howard. Gardening for the Future of the Earth. New York: Bantam Books, 2000.

Stout, Ruth. The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book. New York: Bantam Books, 1971.

Stout, Ruth. How to Have a Green Thumb Without and Aching Back. New York: Cornerstone Library, 1973.

Tilgner, Linda. Tips for the Lazy Gardener. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1998.

Weaver, William Woys. Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener's Guide to Planting, Growing, Seed Saving, and Cultural History. New York: Owls Books; Henry Holt and Company, 1999, ©1997.

Whitefield, Patrick. How to Make a Forest Garden. East Meon, Hampshire, England: Permanent Publications, 2000.

Animals and Birds

Feltwell, Ray. Small-Scale Poultry Keeping; A Guide to Free Range Poultry Production. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1992.

Lee, Andy. Chicken Tractor: The Permaculture Guide to Happy Hens and Healthy Soil. Columbus, N.C: Good Earth Publications, 1999.

Riotte, Louise. Raising Animals by the Moon Practical Advice on Breeding, Birthing, Weaning, and Raising Animals in Harmony with Nature. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1999. 

Biodiversity

Talking Leaves
co Lost Valley Educational Center
81868 Lost Valley Lane
Dexter, OR 97431
Ph: 541 937-3351
Since 1989, Talking Leaves has been dedicated to supporting projects that consider the intrinsic value of all inhabitants of the natural world and that work for the survival of intact natural systems both large and small.

Guidetti, Geri Welzel. from the Ground Up. Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Uncertain Times. Oxford, Ohio: Ark Institute, 1996.

Marinelli, Janet. Stalking the Wild Amaranth; Gardening in the Age of Extinction. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1998.

Shiva, Vandana. Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge. Boston, MA: South End Press, 1997.

Tuxill, John D. Nature's Cornucopia: Our Stake In Plant Diversity. Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 1999.

Children

www.schoolgardenproject.org

Cornell, Joseph Bharat. Sharing Nature With Children. Sharing Nature With Children: The Classic Parents' and Teachers' Nature Awareness Guidebook. Nevada City, Calif: DAWN Publications, 1998.

Fell, Derek. A Kid's First Book of Gardening: Growing Plants Indoors and Out. Philadelphia, Pa: Running Press, 1989.

Harlow, Rosie and Morgan, Gareth. 175 Amazing Nature Experiments. New York: Random House, 1991.

Hart, Avery and Mantell, Paul. Kids Garden. Williamson Publishing Company, Vermont1996.

Lovejoy, Sharon. Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots. New York: Workman Publishing, 1999

Sherlock, Marie. Living Simply With Children: A Voluntary Simplicity Guide For Moms, Dads, and Kids Who Want to Reclaim The Bliss of Childhood and The Joy of Parenting. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2003.

Stein, Sara. The Evolution Book. New York: Workman Publishing, 1986.

Wallace, Mackay, and Nagler. Children and Feminism. L.A.F.M.P.A.G., Vancouver, B.C. 1987. I discovered this evolutionary book several years ago when living with two single mothers. I had no children of my own, and little experience with children, but Children and Feminism provided a solid foundation for interacting with young people in a realistic and egalitarian way. If is somewhat obscure, but I encourage anyone who works with children or parents to put in the effort to find a copy. Even if you have no children and don’t intend to work with any, the appendix of nonviolent communication alone makes the book worth acquiring.

Community Gardening

Coe, Mary Lee. Growing with Community Gardening. Taftsville, VT: Countryman Press, 1978.

Naimark, Susan. A Handbook of Community Gardening. New York: Scribner, 1982.

Community Organizing

Bioneers
www.bioneers.org
An educational nonprofit that strengthens and expands networks of practical visionaries working on behalf of the environment and people. They host an annual conference in California.

The Center for Public Integrity
910 17th Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20006
Ph: 202 466-1300
www.publicintegrity.org

Prairie Fire Organizing Committee
2502 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622-2804
Voice: 773 278-6706 Fax: 773 278-0635
e-mail: pfoc@prairiefire.org
www.prairiefire.org

Helios Resource Network
www.helios.org

Design

Sustainable Living News: A West Coast Journal of Environmental Design. PO Bo 45472, Seattle, WA 98145.

Eck, Joe. Elements of Garden Design. New York: North Point Press, 2005.

Stevens, Peter. Patterns in Nature. Boston, Little, Brown, 1974. Out of print and hard to find but excellent and worth the search.

Todd, Nancy Jack. from Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design. Berkeley, Calif: North atlantic Books, 1994.

Van Der Ryn, Sim and Cowan, Stuart. Ecological Design. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1996.

Zelov, Chris and Danitz, Brian. Ecological Design: Inventing the Future. Video, 64 minutes. Knossus Publishing, 2000.

Direct Action

Earth First!
www.earthfirst.org
Earth First! is a loosely affiliated network of environmental activists who believe in using all the tools in the tool box, ranging from grassroots organizing and involvement in the legal process to civil disobedience and more. Their international links page, www.earthfirst.orglinks.htm, lists nearly a hundred organizations around the world who support and perform nonviolent direct action.

Food Not Bombs
www.foodnotbombs.net
McHenry, Keith. Food Not Bombs. Tucson, AZ: See Sharp Press, 2000.
www.foodnotbombs.net
Keith McHenry co-founded the first Food Not Bombs groups in the early 1980s, and spawned a food liberation movement that boasts several hundred autonomous chapters worldwide. Food Not Bombs has no formal leaders and strives to include everyone in its decision making process. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegetarian meals that are served in city parks, at protests, and at community events to anyone without restriction. This is one of the only books available that contains simple steps to organizing community events, and the format for setting up a local Food Not Bombs chapter can be applied to many different types of projects.

Greenpeace USA
www.greenpeace.org

Hansen, Ann. Direct Action: Memoirs of An Urban Guerrilla. Toronto: Between the Lines, 2001

Tracy, James. Direct Action: Radical Pacifism from The Union Eight to The Chicago Seven. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Dumpster Diving

www.dumpsterworld.com

www.dumpsterdiving.net

Hoffman, John. The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving. Port Townsend, Wash: Loompanics Unlimited, 1993.

Hoffman, John. Dumpster Diving: The Advanced Course, How to Turn Other People's Trash Into Money, Publicity, and Power. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press, 2002.

Ferrell, Jeff. Empire of Scrounge: Inside The Urban Underground of Dumpster Diving, Trash Picking, and Street Scavenging. New York: New York University Press, 2006.

Fleming, Leslie. Dumpster Diving Saved My Life. Seattle, Wash: Peanut Butter Publishing, 2004.

Ecofeminism

Daly, Mary. Gynecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism. Boston: Beacon Press, 1978

Mies, Maria and Shiva, Vandana. Ecofeminism. atlantic Highlands, N.J: Zed Books, 1993.

Ruether, Rosemary Radford. Women Healing Earth: Third World Women on Ecology, Feminism, and Religion. Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis Books, 1996.

Shiva, Vandana. Staying Alive: Women, Ecology, and Development. London: Zed Books, 1989.

Warren, Karen and Erkal, Nisvan. Ecofeminism: Women, Culture, Nature. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1997.

Ecological Building

Circle Round: The Women's Natural Building Newsletter, PO Bo 14194, Portland, Or 97293.

Eco-Building Times. PO Box 58530 Seattle, WA- 98138-1530.

Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language. New York: Oxford. 1977.

Evans, Ianto; Smiley, Linda; Smith, Michael. The Hand-Sculpted House: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Building A Cob Cottage. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2002. They also offer internships in cob building. Write to Cob Cottage Internships, PO Box 123 Cottage Grove, OR 97424.

Todd, John and Nancy. Bioshelters, Ocean Arks, and City Farming. Ecology as the Basis of Design. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1984.

Ecology and Science

Berkeley Ecology Center
www.ecologycenter.org

Capon, Brian. Botany for Gardeners. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2005.

Capra, Fritjof. The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. New York: Anchor Books, 1996.

Margulis, Lynn. Five Kingdoms: An Illustrated Guide to The Phyla of Life on Earth. New York: W.H. Freeman, 1998.

Margulis, Lynn. Symbiotic Planet: A New Look at Evolution. New York: Basic Books, 1998.

Margulis, Lynn. Microcosmos: Four Billion Years of Evolution from Our Microbial Ancestors. New York: Summit Books, 1986.

Moran, Edward. The Global Ecology. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1999.

Sessions, George. Deep Ecology for the 21^st Century. New York: Random House, 1995.

Thomas, Lewis. The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher. New York, Viking Press 1974, 1971.

Education

Goddard College
123 Pitkin Road
Plainfield, Vermont 05667
www.goddard.edu
My alma mater, they offer student-directed, interdisciplinary, distance-learning programs that encourage critical thinking, wide knowledge, personal growth, and thoughtful action.

Freire, Paolo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 1995.

Goldring, Andrew, Ed. Permaculture Teacher’s Guide. London, U.K: Permaculture Association, 2000. An anthology of games, outlines, diagrams, and techniques for teaching ecological living to adults. I highly recommend this book for teachers of all disciplines, because it provides such a nice range of ideas for activities to do with nontraditional students. My GOBRADIME design formula is a mutation of several similar acronyms this book. Packed with exercises and suggestions for activities to do during a permaculture course, the Teacher’s Guide yields a diverse array of ways to understand and share the tenets of permaculture in principle and practice.

Postman, Neil and Weingartner, Charles. Teaching as a Subversive Activity. New York: Delacorte, 1969. One of my favorite books of all time, this text translates many of Dewey’s and McLuhan’s education theories into a readable and useable format. The authors provide many witty examples of how subversive and egalitarian teaching techniques empower students, and present an argument for teaching students how to teach themselves whatever is relevant to them.

Nagel, Greta, Ph.D. The Tao of Teaching. New York: Primus, 1994.

Renner, Peter. The Art of Teaching Adults. Vancouver, BC: PFR Training Associates, Ltd. 1993.

Terry, Mark. Teaching for Survival, a Handbook for Environmental Education. New York: Ballantine, 1971.

Elder Care

Oatfield Estates, An Alternative to Assisted Living.
4444 SE Oatfield Hill Rd.
Milwaukie, OR 97267
Phone: 503-653-5656
Oatfield Estates is an innovative residential care community in Milwaukie, Oregon focused on healthy living and elder-directed care, with a sustainable connection to nature. Oatfield features a greenhouse that grows thousands of vegetable and flower starts, and organic, edible landscapes with perennial fruit and raised beds, some of them wheelchair accessible. A seed-saving program allows residents to share the bounty with loved ones and contribute back to the community.

Energy and Technology

National Center for Appropriate Technology
815 15th St., NW Suite 938,
Washington, DC. 20005
202-347-9193

Home Power Magazine

www.homepower.com

Anderson, Bruce and Riordan, Michael. The Solar Home Book: Heating, Cooling, and Designing With The Sun. Harrisville, N.H: Cheshire Books, 1976.

Gipe, Paul. Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Small and Micro Wind Systems. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1999.

Kachadorian, James. The Passive Solar House. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1997.

Pahl, Greg. Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2004.

Potts, Michael. The New Independent Home: People and Houses that Harvest the Sun. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1999.

Schaeffer, John and Pratt, Doug. Gaiam Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living. Ukiah, CA: Gaiam Real Goods; Gabriola Island, BC: Distributed by New Society, 2005.

Still, Dean and Kness, Jim. Capturing Heat: Five Earth-Friendly Cooking Technologies and How to Build Them. Aprovecho Research Center, 80574 Hazelton Rd., Cottage Grove, OR 97424. 1996.

Ethics

Curry, Patrick. On Ecological Ethics: A Critical Introduction. Visit eco.gn.apc.org/pubs/ethics_curry.html

The Findhorn Community. The Findhorn Garden. New York: Harper and Row, 1975.

Shepard, Paul and McKinley, Daniel. The Subversive Science; Essays Toward an Ecology of Man. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1969.

Westra, Laura. Living In Integrity: A Global Ethic to Restore a Fragmented Earth. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 1998.

Festivals

Oregon Country Fair
442 Lawrence Street
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: 541-343-4298<
www.oregoncountryfair.org
It is the intention of the Oregon Country Fair to create events and experiences that nourish the spirit, explore living artfully and authentically on Earth, and transform culture in magical, joyous and healthy ways. They host an annual gathering every July in Oregon, and maintain a network of over 10,000 members.

National Rainbow Family Annual Gathering
www.welcomehome.org
From their website: “Some say we're the largest non-organization of non-members in the world. We have no leaders, and no organization. To be honest, the Rainbow Family means different things to different people. I think it's safe to say we're into intentional community building, non-violence, and alternative lifestyles. We also believe that Peace and Love are a great thing, and there isn't enough of that in this world. Many of our traditions are based on Native American traditions, and we have a strong orientation to take care of the the Earth. We gather in the National Forests yearly to pray for peace on this planet.”

Burning Man
www.burningman.org
An annual technology fest in the desert near Gerlach, Nevada. Very popular with the emerging urban hipster scene, and a useful place to find creative inspiration and meet interesting people, but the festival attitude as a whole is somewhat lacking in ecological integrity.

Fibers

Prance, Ghillean and Nesbitt, Mark. The Cultural History of Plants. New York: Routledge, 2005.

Lesch, Alma. Vegetable Dyeing; 151 Color Recipes For Dyeing Yarns and Fabrics With Natural Materials. New York, Watson-Guptill Publications, 1970. 

Food, History and Politics

Crispo, Dorothy. The Story of Our Fruits and Vegetables. Dorex, 1968.

Lappe, F. Moore and Collins, Joseph. World Hunger: 12 Myths. New York: Grove Press, 1986.

Lerza, Katherine and Jacobson, Michael. Food for People Not for Profit: a Sourcebook on the Food Crisis. New York: Ballantine, 1975.

Nestle, Marion. Food Politics: How The Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.

Root, Waverly. Food; an Authoritative Visual History and Dictionary of the Foods of the World. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1980.

Food Storage and Processing

Keeping Food Fresh: Old-World Techniques and Recipes: By the Gardeners and Farmers of Terre Vivante. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1999

Katz, Sandor Ellix. Wild Fermentation; A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Cultural Manipulation. Available through Chelsea Green Publishing Company.

Mollison, Bill. The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition. Tyalgum, NSW: Tagari, 1993.

Stoner, Carol Hupping. How to Preserve The Foods You Grow, Naturally. Emmaus, Pa., Rodale Press 1977. 3^rd Edition, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990, 1986.

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Free Stuff

Try a web searches for “freecycle” and “barter fair” and your hometown and you’ll find a wide variety of excellent resources. Also check out the free stuff section of www.craigslist.net.

Fundraising

www.artheals.org is a solid bank of resources for creative people, with many options that allow individuals to find funding for projects without having to go through a corporate nonprofit.

The Fund for Wild Nature offers grant funding for a wide variety of environmental activist projects. Deadlines are twice a year, early Spring and early Fall.
www.fundwildnature.org

Organic Farming Research Foundation
www.ofrf.org

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Foundation
www.sare.org

Hall, Mary S. Getting Funded: The Complete Guide to Writing Grant Proposals. Portland, OR: Continuing Education Press, Extended Studies, Portland State University, 2003.

 

Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs and Biotech

Marchese, Richard C. Grantwriting: Securing Resources For Non-Profit Organizations. Espanola, NM: Resource Development Services, 2000.

Campaign for Food Safety
www.purefood.org

NW-Rage- Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering
www.nwrage.org

Organic Consumers Association
www.organicconsumers.org

Rural Advancement Foundation International
www.rafi.org

Fowler, Cary and Mooney, Pat. Shattering: Food, Politics, and the Loss of Genetic Diversity. Arizona: University of Arizona Press, 1990.

Grace, Eric. Biotechnology Unzipped: Promises and Realities. Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2005.

Kneen, Brewster. Farmageddon: Food and The Culture of Biotechnology. Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society Publishers, 1999.

Smith, Jeffrey M. Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2005.

Teitel, Martin Ph.D. Changing the Nature of Nature. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 1999.

Greenhouses and Season Extension

Colebrook, Binda. Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest: Cool Season Crops for the Year-Round Gardener. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books, 1989. Though written by and for Northwest gardeners, this book is sop packed with valuable information about season extension that I highly recommend it for anyone living in climactic zones 4-9.

Coleman, Eliot. The Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 1999.

Poisson, Leandre and Vogel, Gretchen. Solar Gardening; Growing Vegetables Year-Round the American Intensive Way. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 1994.

Strickler, Darryl J. Solarspaces: How and Why to Add Greenhouse, Sunspace, Or Solarium to Your Home. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983.

Wahlfeldt, Bette G. All About Greenhouses: with 15 Build-Your-Own Plans. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1981.

Group Process

Lost Valley Educational Center
81868 Lost Valley Lane
Dexter, Oregon 97431
Ph: 541 937-3351
www.lostvalley.org
Lost Valley Educational Center is an intentional community and nonprofit educational center dedicated to learning, living, and teaching sustainable, ecologically-based culture. They host monthly personal-growth workshops entitled “The Heart of Now,” which are said to greatly improve ones ability to solve conflicts with themselves and others.

Butler, C.T. and Rothstein, Amy. On Conflict and Consensus: A Handbook on Formal Consensus Decisionmaking. The very best guide to classic consensus process. The entire text is available online at www.ic.org/pnp/ocac

Hunter, Dale. The Zen of Groups: A Handbook for People Meeting with a Purpose. Tucson, AZ: Fisher Books, 1995, 1992.

Hunter, Bailey, and Taylor. The Art of Facilitation: How to Create Group Synergy. Tucson, AZ: Fisher Books, 1995.

Guerrilla Gardening

www.guerrillagardening.org

Pallenberg, Barbara. Guerrilla Gardening: How to Create Gorgeous Gardens for Free. Renaissance Books, 2001.

Health and Healing

Columbine School of Botanical Studies

Unique herbal botanical field apprenticeships.
PO Box 50532,
Eugene, OR, 97405
home.teleport.com/~howieb

The Icarus Project
theicarusproject.net
Mental health for activists and others who don’t fit into mainstream treatment strategies. A non-profit community based website, support network, and underground media project created by and for people struggling with bipolar disorder and other “dangerous gifts” that are commonly labeled as mental illnesses. They believe that when we learn to take care of ourselves, the intertwined threads of madness and creativity can be tools of inspiration and hope in a repressed and damaged world.

Burton Goldberg Group. Alternative Medicine; The Definitive Guide. Tiburon, CA: Future Medicine Publications, 1999. The essential reference guide for people who want to take control of their own health care.

Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine. Williams, OR: Horizon Herbs, 2000. www.horizonherbs.com

Hausman, Patricia and Hurley, Judith Benn. The Healing Foods; The Ultimate Authority on the Curative Power of Nutrition. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1989.

Heinerman, John. The New Encylopedia of Fruits and Vegetables. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall

Kloss, Jethro. Back to Eden : A Human Interest Story Of Health and Restoration to be Found in Herb, Root, and Bark. New York : Benedict Lust Publications, 1981.

Lust, John B. The Herb Book . New York, B. Lust Publications, 1974.

Maggiore, Christine. What if Everything You Thought You Knew About AIDS Was Wrong? Published by the American Foundation for AIDS Alternatives, 11684 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604, 1999.

Parvati, Jeannine. Hygieia: A Woman’s Herbal. Published by the author in 1978. Very difficult to find, but unparalleled as a source of information about herbal birth control and related issues. Highly recommended.

Robbins, John. The Food Revolution; How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and the World. Berkeley, CA: Conari Press, 2001.

Humanure

Del Porto, David and Steinfeld, Carol. The Composting Toilet System Book: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Planning and Maintaining Composting Toilet Systems, A Water-Saving, Pollution-Preventing Alternative. Concord, Mass: Center for Ecological Pollution Prevention; White River Junction, VT: Distributed by Chelsea Green, 2000.

Jenkins, Joseph C. The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure. Grove City, PA: Jenkins, 1999.

Van der Ryn, Sim. The Toilet Papers: Designs to Recycle Human Waste and Water: Dry Toilets, Greywater Systems and Urban Sewage. Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 1978.

Insects and Pollinators

Buchmann, Stephen L. and Nabhan, Gary Paul. The Forgotten Pollinators. Washington, D.C: Island Press Shearwater Books, 1997.

Carr, Anna. Rodale's Color Handbook of Garden Insects. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1979.

Cebenko, Jill and Martin, Deborah, editors. Insect, Disease, and Weed I.D. Guide: Find-it-Fast Organic Solutions for Your Garden. Emmaus, PA: Rodale, 2001.

Flint, Mary Louise. Pests of the Garden and Small Farm; A grower’s Guide to Using Less Pesticide. 2^nd Edition, Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1998.

Inspiration

Berry, Wendell. Collected Poems, 1957-1982. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1985. This is just one of Mr. Berry’s many amazing books. He is one of the American pioneers in ecological agriculture and well worth discovering if you haven’t already.

Bloch, Ernst. The Principle of Hope. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1986.

Briggs, John and Peat, F. David. The Seven Life Lessons of Chaos: Timeless Wisdom from the Science of Change. New York: Harper Collins, 1999.

Callenbach, Ernest. Ecotopia and Ecotopia Emerging. See www.ernestcallenbach.com

Diamond, Jared M. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1998.

Le Guin, Ursula K. The Word for World is Forest. New York: Ace Books, 1989, ©1972.

Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. New York : Bantam/Turner Book, 1995.

Starhawk. The Fifth Sacred Thing. New York: Bantam Books, 1994.
www.starhawk.org

Intentional Communities

Communities Publications Cooperative
105 Sun Street
Steele Illinois, 60919.
Directory of Intentional Communities.
Evansville, IN: Fellowship for Intentional Community, since 1978. Semi-annual directory of hundreds of intentional communites around the world, indexed by geographic area, group size and focus, etcetera. Useful for people who are looking for a community to move to, but also makes an excellent travel guide for visiting organic farms and permaculture sites. Also don’t miss the International Intentional Communities website at www.ic.org.

The Farm in Tennessee is one of the U.S.A.'s pioneers in sustainable living and permaculture education. Their site contains design tips, links and resources and pages upon pages of useful information.

Roseland, Mark. Toward Sustainable Communities; Resources for Citizens and their Governments. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 1998.

Walters, J. Donald. Intentional Communities: How to Start Them and Why. Nevada City, CA: Crystal Clarity, 1988.

Internet Hubs and Resources

Craigslist
www.craigslist.org

Global Family
www.globalfamily.net

Green People
www.greenpeople.org

MySpace
www.myspace.com

Mutual Aid
www.mutualaid.org

Sustainable Communities Network
www.sustainable.org

Tribe
www.tribe.net

Zenzibar Alternative Culture Network
www.zenzibar.com

Internships and Volunteer Opportunities

Most of the organizations listed in the Resources section, especially those listed under Permaculture, offer internships, volunteer opportunities and sometimes, jobs. In addition, here are some excellent places to find compiled listings of opportunities from around the world.

ATTRA
www.attra.org

Organic Volunteers
www.organicvolunteers.org

Willing Workers on Organic Farms, a.k.a. WWOOFF
www.wwooff.org

Short Term Job Adventures
www.backdoorjobs.com

Idealist
www.idealist.org

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 85, Number 4, 1998. A detailed list of plant genera and classifications, based on new genetic data Alan Kapuler used this data to develop his kinship theories.

Kapuler, Alan. Peace Seeds Resource Journal. Published semi-annually by Peace Seeds, 2385 SE Thompson, Corvallis, OR 97333. email alkapuler@yahoo.com for more information. My guru and mentor, I value his work above most else. If you have any interest in organics, seed saving, biodiversity, or kinship gardening, get your hands on a set of Kapuler’s Resource Journals. Also see an extensive review of Alan Kapuler’s work at www.organicseed.com.

Lawns

LawnReform.org

Bormann, Balmori, and Geballe. Redesigning The American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.

Jenkins, Virginia Scott. The Lawn; History of an American Obsession. Washington, D.C: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994.

Primeau, Liz. Front Yard Gardens; Growing More than Grass. Firefly Books, 2003.

Media and Outreach

International Independent Media Collective
www.indymedia.org

Alexander, David. Ways You Can Manipulate the Media. 1993. Boulder: Paladin Press.

Ratner, Ellen and Scarrah, Kathie. Ready, Set, TALK! A Guide to Getting Your Message Heard by Millions on Talk Radio, Talk Television, and Talk Internet; a Must-Have Resource for Campaigns of All Kinds. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2006.

Ruggiero, Greg and Sahulka, Stuart. Project Censored; The Progressive Guide to Alternative Media and Activism. New York: Seven Stories Press, 1999. Highly recommended collection of alternative media resources around the world. Get it, use it.

Permaculture

Alliance for Sustainability
1521 University Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-331-1099
www.mtn.orgiasaevent.htm

 

Aprovecho Research Center
80574 Hazelton Rd
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
Ph: 541 942-8198
apro@efn.org
www.aprovecho.net
"Aprovecho" is a Spanish word meaning, "I make best use of." Eight on-site staff study and teach the elements of one approach to a more eco-centered lifestyle: sustainable forestry, organic gardening, and appropriate technology. Up to fourteen interns study with the staff, sharing a life based on voluntary simplicity.

Earthhaven Ecovillage and
The Permaculture Activist
PO Box 1209W
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Voice: 828 669-6336Fax: 828 669-5068
www.permacultureactivist.net
Permaculture Activist magazine is published quarterly from offices at Earthaven Ecovillage near Black Mountain, North Carolina, where they also offer workshops and internships. Circulated internationally and distributed throughout the US and Canada, the 18-year old journal covers the development of sustainable culture through ecological design. The extensive website offers international calendars of events; a planetary directory of permaculture links, people and projects; an extensive catalog of necessary books and videos; lists of Permaculture Institutes and listservs; contacts for seeds and plants; and much more.

EcoLandTech is a great meta-link for permaculture-related topics. A great launchboard for further online investigation. www.ibiblio.org/london

International Permaculture Directory
www.permaculture.net

La'akea Permaculture Hawaii offers courses and information about permaculture around the globe. Excellent site. www.permaculture-hawaii.com

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
15290 Coleman Valley Road
Occidental, CA 95465
Voice: 707 874-1557
www.oaec.org
OAEC is a nonprofit organizing and education center and organic farm in Northern California's Sonoma County. OAEC's programs combine research, demonstration, education, and organizing to develop collaborative, community-based strategies for positive social change and effective environmental stewardship.

Permaculture Pages Worldwide has hundreds of links to other sites and lists of books, seed companies, cooperatives, etc. http://csf.colorado.edu/perma/contacts.html

Permaculture Portal is a must see website just dripping with practical information. Operated by the Bullocks Brothers on Orcas Island, the site represents many years of combined experience.
www.permacultureportal.com

Bell, Graham. The Permaculture Garden. London: Thorsons, 1994. Available through Chelsea Green.

Bell, Graham. The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps to Create A Self-Sustaining World. Permanent Publications, available through Chelsea Green, 2005. The Permaculture Way shows us how to consciously design a lifestyle which is low in environmental impact and highly productive. It demonstrates how to meet our needs, make the most of resources by minimizing waste and maximizing potential, and still leave the Earth richer than we found it. Graham Bell discusses human health, community interaction, rural agriculture, urban landscape design and personal choices. I recommend The Permaculture Way as an essential introduction to permaculture, ecological living, and community organizing.

Brown, David. A Western Permaculture Manual. Published for the Permaculture Association of Western Australia by Cornucopia Press, 1989.

Holmgren, David. Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability. Hepburn, Victoria, Australia: Holmgren Design Services, 2002.

Jacke, Dave and Toensmeier, Eric. Edible Forest Gardens. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2005.

Kern, Ken and Barbara. The Owner-Built Homestead. New York: Scribner, 1977. Said to be one of the books that inspired Mollison, I highly recommend this timeless classic on ecological rural living.

Mollison, Bill. Permaculture, A Designer’s Manual; Introduction to Permaculture; Permaculture One; Permaculture Two. Tyalgum Australia: Tagari Publications, 1988-1994. These are the premier and, in my opinion, still some of the best permaculture books. The illustrations are excellent, and combined with the witty and informative text, provide a theoretical roadmap for developing permaculture gardens and communities in almost any setting. Unfortunately, because Mollison is Australian, many of the plant and animal species don’t work in other climates. Still, his humor and unique perspective on people, plants, and politics make these books highly recommendable and a joy to read. Also, look for Bill Mollison’s hilarious video documenting four permaculture sites on four different continents, The Global Gardener with Bill Mollison (Oley, PA: Bullfrog Films, 1991.)

Morrow, Rosemary. Earth User's Guide to Permaculture. Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press, 1993. Still one of the only permaculture books besides this one written by a woman, the Earth User’s Guide is a useful and informative resource for ecological gardeners of all levels.

Whitefield, Patrick. Earth Care Manual: A Permaculture Handbook For Britain and Other Temperate Climates. Portsmouth: Permanent Publications, 2004.

Whitefield, Patrick. Permaculture in a Nutshell. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2000.

Plants

Cocannouer, Joseph A. Weeds, Guardians of the Soil. Old Greenwich, CT: Devin-Adair, 1980.

Couplan, François, Ph.D. The Encylopedia of Edible Plants of North America. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, 1998. 585 pages of first hand information about edible species that grow in North America. Contains nutrition information, parts used, history, etymology, geographical location, medicinal uses, and cooking techniques.

Druse, Kenneth and Roach, Margaret. The Natural Habitat Garden. Portland: Timber Press, 2004.

Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia II: A Source Book of Edible Plants. Vista, CA: Kampong Publications, 1998. Includes listings of approximately 3000 species of plants, fungi, algae, and bacteria, with information on edibility, toxicity, nutritional content, geographical regions, uses, and more. Contains detailed descriptions of several hundred cultivars, and provides a variety of sources for each species.

Fern, Ken. Plants for a Future. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2000. An excellent source of information about multifunctional plants from around the world. Includes cultivation techniques, conservation and ecology; sorts the plants by application, and provides the most extensive plant uses appendix I have ever seen. Also don’t miss the website, www.pfaf.org, which is a database of over 7000 useful plants. The sheer richness of options involved means that its search engine can be a little intimidating at first. Some old hands consider it one of the most valuable eco-design resources on the web.

Harris, Ben Charles. Eat the Weeds. Barre, MA: Barre Publishers, 1969.

Hickmott, Simon. Growing Unusual Vegetables; Weird and Wonderful Vegetables and How to Grow Them. Bristol, England: Eco-logic Books, 2003. Available through White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.

Hobbs, Jude. A Guide to Multi-Functional Hedgerows. Eugene, OR: Agro-Ecology Northwest and Cascadia Landscape Design, 2003-2005. Jude Hobbs is well-known as the West Coast expert on hedgerow design. She is a permaculture instructor and a teacher and mentor of mine. Also see her website, www.cascadiapermaculture.com.

Mabberley, D.J. The Plant Book, A Portable Dictionary of the Higher Plants. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. The most comprehensive book of temperate plants, with easy to reference entries containing genus, species, family, description and origin of tens of thousands of plant species.

National Resource Council. Lost Crops of Africa. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press, 1996.

National Resource Council. Lost Crops of the Incas, Little-known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation. 1989. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. The same people who brought us potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers also cultivated several other types of edible tubers, grains, and vegetables. I took this book to South America, and was surprised that even the locals were unfamiliar with many of the foods upon which their culture was founded. Most of these plants will do quite well in temperate climates, and I highly recommend tracking down a copy.

Nugent, Jeff and Boniface, Julia. Permaculture Plants: A Selection. Hampshire, UK: Permanent Publications, 20o4.

Pfeiffer, Ehrenfried. Weeds and What They Tell. Wyoming, R.I: Bio-Dynamic Literature, 1981.

Philbrick, Helen Louise Porter and Gregg, Richard B. Companion Plants: Plants That Help Each Other and How to Use Them. Kenthurst, NSW, Australia: Kangaroo Press, 1991. An alphabetized list of plants and their allies. Highly recommended.

Plants (cont'd)

Phillips, Roger. Vegetables. New York: Random House, 1993. Part of a highly-regarded series of books on plants that includes other titles like Early Perennials, Late Perennials, Trees, and many more, Vegetables is an excellent place to start finding information about a plethora of edible plants.

Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Charlotte, VT: Garden Way, 1981, 1975.

Riotte, Louise. Roses Love Garlic. Charlotte, VT: Garden Way, 1983.

Sally Jean Cunningham, Sally Jean. Great Garden Companions: A Companion Planting System For A Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1998. Illustrated, user-friendly, and highly recommended.

Schuler, Stanley. How to Grow Almost Everything. New York, M. Evans, 1965. An encyclopedia of cultivation instructions for hundreds of plants.

Smith, J. Russell. Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture. Washington, D.C: Island Press, 1987, 1950. Considered one of the essential foundation books of permaculture design, and said to have inspired much of Mollison’s work, this book is hard to find but well worth the search.

Thomas, Eric. Hedgerow. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1982, 1980. This beautifully illustrated book that tells the story of hedgerows in England. Their origins, growth, resources, wild life, and their place in the changing landscape. Very applicable to temperate climates.

Tompkins, Peter and Bird, Christopher. The Secret Life of Plants. New York: Harper and Row, 1989, 1973. 

Recycling

Bring Recycling
www.bringrecycling.org

Food, Fuel, and Fertilizer from Organic Wastes. Report and an ad hoc panel of the advisory committee on technology innovation, National Research Council. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1981.

Seeds

Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL)
www.ecologycenter.org/basil
The BASIL Project is part of a growing network of concerned farmers and community gardeners dedicated to conserving the remaining genetic diversity of our planet's seed stock. They host annual seed swaps and have a library of healthy vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that are available free to the public.

National Plant Germplasm Service (NPGS)
www.ars-grin.govnpgs
Focused on preserving the genetic diversity of plants by acquiring, preserving, evaluating, documenting and distributing crop germplasms to research .

Native Seeds/SEARCH
www.nativeseeds.org

Organic Seed Alliance
P.O. Box 772
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Ph: 360 385-7192
www.seedalliance.org

Planting Seeds Project
www.newcity.ca/Pages/planting_seeds.html

Primal Seeds
www.primalseeds.org
From their website: “Primal Seeds exists as a network to actively engage in protecting biodiversity and creating local food security. It is a response to industrial biopiracy, control of the global seed supply and of our food. This evolving tool is designed to empower individuals to participate in the creation of tomorrow.”

Scatterseed Project
www.gardeningplaces.com/gardening/scatterseed.htm

Seed International
www.seedinternational.org
A wonderful website with explanations of permaculture ethics and principles, great photos and an excellent links page.

Seeds of Diversity
www.seeds.ca

Seed Sanctuary
www.seedsanctuary.com

Seed Savers Exchange
www.seedsavers.org
See chapter six for a description.

Sow Organic Seed Co.
www.organicseed.com
Not just another seed company, Sow Organic exists for the purpose of expanding the public domain. Their website contains a ton of useful information. Highly recommended.

Alexander, Polly, Rogers, Marc and Watson, Ben. Saving Seeds: The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1991.

Ashworth, Suzanne. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners. Decorah, Iowa: Seed Savers Exchange, 2002.

Deppe, Carol. Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2000.

Guillet, Dominique. The Seeds of Kokopelli. A wonderful book full of color photos. Guillet’s Association Kokopelli is heavily involved in the protection of biodiversity and in the production and distribution of biodynamic and organic seeds.
Also visit www.kokopelli-seeds.com

Kapuler, Alan. Peace Seeds Resource Journal. Published by the author and available through Peace Seeds
2385 Thompson SE
Corvallis, OR 97333
Ph: 541 752-7421
alkapuler@yahoo.com
Alan Kapuler is my mentor and guru, and has taught me much of what I know about seed saving, polycultural gardening, kinship gardening, plant propagation, soil building, and interpersonal communication. His life’s work has become my own passion, and I highly recommend any and all of his writing.

Klein, Mary Ann and Percy, David O. Seed Saving: A Guide for Living Historical Farms Accokeek, MD: Accokeek Foundation, 1986.

McDorman, Bill. Basic Seed Saving. International Seed Saving Institute, 1994. A 48-page booklet describing useful terms and concepts central to seed saving.

Stickland, Sue. Back Garden Seed Saving: Keeping Our Vegetable Heritage Alive. Bristol, England: Eco-logic Books; White River Junction, VT: Distributed by Chelsea Green, 2001.

Turner, Carole B. Seed Sowing and Saving: Step-by-Step Techniques for Collecting and Growing More Than 100 Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1998.

Seed Companies

When you decide to buy seed, it is important to find them as locally as possible. Here is a list of bioregional seed sources that support small-scale, organic growers.

Abundant Life Seed Foundation
www.abundantlife.org

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Mansfield, MO.
www.rareseeds.com

Bountiful Gardens, Willits, CA.
www.bountifulgardens.com

Cook’s Garden, Warminster, PA.
www.cooksgarden.com

Dancing Tree Seeds, Bend, OR.
www.dancingtreeseeds.com

Heirloom Seeds, W. Elizabeth, PA.
www.heirloomseeds.com

High Mowing Organic Seeds, Wolcott, VT.
www.highmowingseeds.com

JL Hudson, Seedsman
Star Route 2, Box 337
La Honda, California 94020-9733
www.jlhudsonseeds.net

Johnny’s Select, Winslow, ME.
www.johnnyseeds.com

Natural Gardening Company, Petaluma, CA.
www.naturalgardening.com

Nichols Garden Nursery, Albany, OR.
www.nicholsgardennursery.com

Peace Seeds
2385 Thompson SE
Corvallis, OR 97333
Ph: 541 752-7421
alkapuler@yahoo.com

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, Grass Valley, CA.
www.groworganic.com

Salt Spring Seeds, Salt Spring Island, BC.
www.saltspringseeds.com

Seeds of Change, Santa Fe, NM.
www.seedsofchange.com

Seeds Trust, Hailey, ID.
www.seedstrust.com

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Mineral, VA.
www.southernexposure.com

Sow Organic Seed Company, Williams, OR.
www.organicseed.com

Terra Viva Organics, Richmond, BC
www.tvorganics.com

Territorial Seed Company, Cottage Grove, OR
www.territorial-seed.com

Underwood Gardens, Woodstock, IL.
www.underwoodgardens.com

Victory Seeds, Molalla, OR
www.vistoryseeds.com

Soil

Sakura Eigasha. Life in the Soil. Video recording. Japan: International Research Center for Nature Farming: MOA Productions, 1992. Extremely difficult to find but the best video ever made about soil communities. Full color, microscopic and time-lapse photography show soil animals and plants interacting in a variety of natural and agricultural settings. Highly recommended.

Soil Foodweb, Inc.
www.soilfoodweb.com
An international group of soil biology laboratories analyzing and advising on microbial life in the soil and on plants. I highly recommend this website as a source of information about how to understand and care for your soil community.

Worm Digest
PO Box 2654
Grants Pass, Oregon 97528
Ph: 541 476-9626
Fax: 541-4764555
e-mail: mail@wormdigest.org

Appelhof, Mary. Worms Eat My Garbage. Kalamazoo, MI: Flower Press, 1997.

Dale, Tom and Carter, Vernon Gill. Topsoil and Civilization. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1955. A fascinating treatise on the history of agriculture, from ancient Mesopotamia to the present state of American farms. The authors make clear the fact that our future as a species will utterly depend on our ability to steward the soil that feeds us.

Gershuny, Grace and Smillie, Joe. The Soul of Soil, A Soil Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers. 4^th edition, White River, VT: Chelsea Green, 1999.

Howard, Sir Albert. Soil and Health: Astudy of Organic Agriculture. New York: Schocken Books, 1947, 1972.

Logan, William Bryant. Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996, 1995.

Nancarrow, Loren and Taylor, Janet Hogan. The Worm Book: The Complete Guide to Worms in Your Garden. Berkeley, Calif: Ten Speed Press, 1998.

Schaller, Friedrich. Soil Animals. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1968.

Tompkins, Peter and Bird, Christopher. Secrets of the Soil: New Age Solutions For Restoring Our Planet. New York: Perennial Library, 1990.

Street Theater

Art and Revolution.
www.artandrevolution.org
A collective of dancers, musicians, puppeteers and activists, Art and Revolution conducts workshops and organizes street theater around social and environmental justice issues.

Bread and Puppet
www.breadandpuppet.org
One of the originators of giant puppet parades, the collective still hosts internships and annual pageants, and tours around the world doing shows about social, political, and ecologically relevant topics.

Bolton, Reg and Hignett, Jo. Circus in a Suitcase. Rowayton, CT: New Plays, 1982.
This book is written specifically for doing children’s shows, but contains such a good overview of low-tech performance ideas, that I recommend it for performers of all kinds.

Cohen-Cruz, Jan. Radical Street Performance: An International Anthology. London, New York: Routledge, 1998.

Kershaw, Baz. The Politics of Performance: Radical Theatre As Cultural Intervention. London, New York: Routledge, 1992.

Lesnick, Henry. Guerilla Street Theater. New York: Avon, 1973.

Simon, Ronald and Estrin, Marc. Rehearsing With Gods: Photographs and Essays on the Bread and Puppet Theater. White River Junction: Chelsea Green, 2004.

Van Erven, Eugène. Radical People's Theatre. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988.

Transportation and Biofuels

Critical Mass Bicycle Rides
www.critical-mass.info
www.critical-mass.org

Diesel to Vegetable Oil Conversion kits:
www.greasecar.com
www.greaseworks.org
www.gobiodiesel.org

Urban and Inner-City Strategies

The City Repair Project
www.cityrepair.org
An excellent example of how a small group of committed citizens can change a large city for the better. From their website: “Born out of a successful grassroots neighborhood initiative that converted a residential street intersection into a neighborhood public square, City Repair began its work with the idea that localization (of culture, of economy, of decision-making) is a necessary foundation of sustainability. By reclaiming urban spaces to create community-oriented places, we plant the seeds for greater neighborhood communication, empower our communities and nurture our local culture.”

Path to Freedom.
www.pathtofreedom.org

Not waiting on the five-acre rural home to begin realizing their dream, the Dervaes family are living an urban homestead project on a city-sized lot. They document their progress in an urban diary, sharing the successful experiences of a self-sufficient lifestyle and providing informational resources for others interested in simple and sustainable living.

Boland, Jeroen. Urban Agriculture: Growing Vegetables In Cities. Wageningen, the Netherlands: Agromisa Foundation and Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, 2002.

Bryan, John E. Small World Vegetable Gardening; Growing Your Own in Limited Spaces. San Francisco: 101 Publications, 1977.

Cheema, G. Shabbir. Urban Agriculture: Food, Jobs and Sustainable Cities. New York: United Nations Development Program, 1996

Corp Rooftop Gardens Task Force of San Francisco Beautiful. Rooftop Gardens: From Conception to Construction. San Francisco: San Francisco Beautiful, 1997.

Gardiner, Nancy. Gardening in Small Spaces: Including Townhouse, Courtyard, Patio, Balcony, Rooftop, Containers. Welgemoed, South Africa: Metz Press, 2004.

Guerra, Michael. The Edible Container Garden. Fireside, 2000.

Wiland, Harry and Bell, Dale; with Joseph D'Agnese. Edens Lost and Found: How Ordinary Citizens are Restoring Our Great American Cities. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2006.

Olkowski, Helga and Bill. The Integral Urban House: Self-Reliant Living in the City. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1979.

Watkins, David. Urban Permaculture. Hampshire, England: Permanent Press, 1993.

Wingate, Marty and Koch, Jacqueline. Big Ideas for Northwest Small Gardens. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 2003.

Wilson, Peter Lamborn and Weinberg, Bill. Avant Gardening: Ecological Struggle in the City and the World. Seattle: Autonomedia, 1999. An anthology of essays by ecological gardeners from around the country, this is a little treasure of a book. The last essay in particular, “Paradise Gardening,” by Joe Hollis, became a major turning point for my personal philosophy, and inspired me to visit Mr. Hollis at his home in North Carolina, where I learned the tenets of paradise gardening and adopted the term for my own work.

Wolfe-Erskine, Cleo. Urban Wilds: Gardeners' Stories of the Struggle for Land and Justice. Oakland, CA: WaterUnderground Publications, 2001.

Voluntary Simplicity

Culture Change Magazine
www.culturechange.org

Northwest Earth Institute.
www.nwei.org
They organize community learning opportunities with the goal of “motivating individuals to examine and transform personal values and habits, to accept responsibility for the earth, and to act on that commitment.”

Savage, Scott, editor. The Plain Reader; Essays on Making a Simple Life. New York: Ballantine, 1998.

Callenbach, Ernest. Living Poor with Style. San Francisco: Bantam, 1972

VandenBroeck, Goldian. Less Is More; The Art of Voluntary Poverty: An Anthology of Ancient and Modern Voices Raised In Praise of Simplicity. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1996.

Yeoman, John. Self Reliance: A Recipe For The New Millennium: A Practical 'Cookbook' of Tested Ideas to Secure Your Family's Future. Hampshire, England: Permanent Publications; White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 1999.

Elgin, Duane. Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich. New York: Quill, 1993.

Grigsby, Mary. Buying Time and Getting by: The Voluntary Simplicity Movement. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004.

Levine, Karen. Keeping Life Simple; 7 Guiding Principles, 500 Tips and Ideas. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1996.

Wigginton, Eliot. Foxfire 1-7. Garden City, N.Y., Anchor Press Doubleday. This series of books documents the lives of real people practicing simple and rural traditions, with topics such as animal care, homemade banjos and dulcimers, hide tanning, butter churns, water systems, wood carving, hog dressing; log cabin building; mountain crafts and foods; planting by the signs; snake lore, hunting tales, faith healing; moonshining; shoemaking, gourd banjos, and much more. Highly recommended.

Water

Alexandersson, Olof. Living Water: Viktor Schauberger and the Secrets of Natural Energy. Wellow: Gateway, 1990.

Christopher, Thomas. Water-Wise Gardening: America's Backyard Revolution. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.

Emoto, Masaru. The Hidden Messages in Water. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words, 2004. The Hidden Messages in Water introduces the revolutionary work of Dr. Masaru Emoto, who discovered that molecules of water are affected by our thoughts, words, and feelings. Since humans and the earth are composed mostly of water, his message is one of personal health, global environmental renewal, and a practical plan for peace that starts with each one of us. Also see www.hado.net.

Emoto, Masaru. The True Power of Water: Healing and Discovering Ourselves. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words, 2005.

Gould, John. Rainwater Catchment Systems For Domestic Supply: Design, Construction and Implementation. London: Intermediate Technology Publications, 1999. Design, construction and implementation of low tech strategies for collecting and storing rainwater, including how to build various types of rainwater storage vessels.

Kourik, Robert. Gray Water Use in the Landscape: How to Help Your Landscape Prosper with Recycled Water. Santa Rosa, CA: Edible Publications, 1988.

Lancaster, Brad. Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Vol. 1; Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life and Landscape and Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Vol. 2; Water-Harvesting Earthworks. Rainsource Press, 2005.Available through White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green.

Leopold, Luna B. Water: A Primer. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, 1974.

Logsdon, Gene. Getting Food from Water: A Guide to Backyard Aquaculture. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1978.

Ludwig, Art. Create and Oasis with Graywater: Your Complete Guide to Choosing, Building, and Using Greywater Systems. Santa Barbara, CA: Oasis Design, 2000. Just one of several excellent and essential books by the same author on graywater use in the landscape.

Matson, Tim. Earth Ponds: The Country Pond Maker's Guide to Building, Maintenance, and Restoration. Woodstock, VT: Countryman Press, 1991.

Pacey, Arnold and Cullis, Adrian. Rainwater Harvesting: The Collection of Rainfall and Run-off in Rural Areas. London: Intermediate Technology Publications, 1986.

Riotte, Louise. Catfish Ponds and Lily Pads Creating and Enjoying a Family Pond. Pownal, VT: Storey Communications, 1997.

Schwenk, Theodor. Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996, 1965.

Solomon, Steve. Water-Wise Vegetables: for The Maritime Northwest Gardener. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 1993.

Yeomans, P. A. Water for Every Farm: Yeomans Keyline Plan. Southport, Queensland, Australia: Keyline Designs, 2002. Available through Frank Espriella, PO Box 206 Guinda, Ca 95637. The premier guide to designing and maintaining farms and garden beds that make best use of land contours to conserve water. Also visit www.keyline.com.au.

Wilderness and Wildcrafting

Columbines School of Botanical Studies
(See Health and Healing)

Lomakatsi Restoration Project
www.lomakatsi.org

Walama Restoration Project
www.walamarestoration.org.

Gibbons, Euell. Stalking the Wild Asparagus. Chambersburg, PA: Alan C. Hood and Company, Inc., 1962. 

McQuarrie, Jack. Wildcrafting: Harvesting The Wilds for a Living: Brush-Picking, Fruit-Tramping, Worm-Grunting, and Other Nomadic Livelihoods. Santa Barbara: Capra Press, 1975

Pilarski, Michael. Resource Guide to Sustainable Wildcrafting and Medicinal Herbs in The Pacific Northwest. Bellingham, WA: Friends of the Trees Society, 2000.

Thie, Krista. A Plant Lover's Guide to Wildcrafting: How to Protect Wild Places and Harvest Medicinal Herbs. White Salmon, WA: Longevity Herb Press, 1989.

Tilford, Gregory L. The Ecoherbalist's Fieldbook: Wildcrafting In The Mountain West. Conner, MT: Mountain Weed, 1993.