How to grow organic, sustainable food in colder climates

WELCOME TO A WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING GROWS AND THRIVES

Here no one needs to do the weeding or watering, and neither chemicals nor human-made fertilizers are needed. Because when nature itself gets to decide, everything is perfect. We need to return to the basics: How nature’s ecosystems work and how we can use them to start growing more locally, on a small scale, and without toxins.

In SUSTAINABLE GARDENING MADE EASY, you’ll get insight into how everything works and how you imitate nature’s methods to succeed with your organic gardening endeavors. The book mixes permaculture and common sense in a way that makes it both easy and fun to garden – you’ll also get plenty of tools to figure out what the best solution is for your particular needs. The book delivers holistic thinking – it doesn’t only cover gardening, but also chapters on how to best make use of resources like water, sun, and heat, how to combine animals with gardening for happy animals and better growth, and so much more!

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Ease of access is the Alpha & Omega

To make information easier to access there are a whooping 138 descriptive illustrations in the book. There is also a 30-page appendix at the end of the book with fact tables covering:

● Plants that indicate soil types

● Green manure plants

● Plants for companion planting schemes

● Plants that thrive in shade

● Plants for natural wind protection

Reviews

“Swedish gardening author Eva first published her book in her native language in 2018, and it has since proved popular with gardeners across the country, but as she told us: “Sweden is not the only country with a colder climate, so I’ve since translated the book to English, and it’s now readily available all across the world.” Based on permaculture principles it is a highly detailed book which uses her own garden – now a mini smallholding – as an example of how to develop a plot to provide good food in a sustainable and organic way. More than just a book on how to grow food, it is really an entire gardening course which offers tutorials on everything from garden planning to water collection, soils, feeding and much, much more. There is even a section on keeping livestock. Eva encourages you not to rush into anything, but to take your time, stand back and observe your plot, getting to know it and its unique microclimate before deciding what to plant where. And because this is permaculture there are no straight rows of single crops – it’s all about which plants benefit others in terms of providing shade and shelter, making best use of nutrients and deterring pests, so Eva suggests planting plans which place the crops in groups, partnering plants to give best results. A great book for anyone eager to learn more about basic gardening principles and especially those who want to grow their crops using permaculture principles.”

- Ian Leatt

President, Pegasus Media (Canadas Local Gardener)

“This is a book that everyone who eats should read. Above all, it is an almost comprehensive handbook for those who grow for self-sufficiency or small-scale business. Everything is presented in a very easy to understand and educational way. I get insight, inspiration and gardening joy.”

- Jonas Wangsten

President, The Swedish Small Farmers’ Association

“Permaculture is the best method for success with their crops; man has always cared for his crops with nature’s growth and diversity as a model. The methodology works just as well for large-scale agriculture as for the small allotment, the ecological principle nurtures your soil and gives you rich harvests. Permaculture is the right path for the future that benefits both vegetation and animals.”

- Gunnar Rundgren

Author & Agricultural Consultant

For those who want to see their garden from new
perspectives. Common sense on steroids.”

- Petter Bergström

Homesteader & Editor for The Swedish magazine Åter

”Permaculture is the best method for success with their crops; man has always cared for his crops with nature’s growth and diversity as a model. The methodology works just as well for large-scale agriculture as for the small allotment, the ecological principle nurtures your soil and gives you rich harvests. Permaculture is the right path for the future that benefits both vegetation and animals.”

- Hannu Sarenström

Author & Gardener

From – to +

The negative reasons behind the book, to the positive!

– The food production of today

With fewer and fewer farms with ever-increasing monocultures, today’s industrial farming causes enormous problems – such as deforestation, soil erosion, and pollution. Just because a farm has gone organic does not always mean that it is better or more sustainable than the conventional farm was, especially if it’s made up of large monocultures. The only good thing about these large-scale organic crops is that the toxic chemicals are gone.

– Genetic modification & synthetic biology

Today scientists are cutting and pasting DNA with the gene scissors CRISPR in everything from bacteria, yeast, and green plants to zebrafish, fruit flies, mice, rats, and human cells. The newest thing is something called synthetic biology. It is a form of genetic modification that is based on creating new synthetic life forms where the industry decides what goes, instead of nature.

– Today’s food supply

Everything we feel we need has to be produced far away from our reality and transported into the cities; at just the right moment when store shelves needs replenishing. This means that many have lost understanding of how things are produced and what they contain. Many foods are diluted with everything from water to various chemical additives. Domestic food supply in Sweden is said to be just under 50%. We are also dependent on the import of goods needed to get those crops – such as fuel and artificial fertilizer. In the event of a crisis, inventory won’t last for many days. This is an unsustainable system that risks crashing at the slightest disturbance in the various transport routes.

+ Organic & small scale farming

The UN has published a report that points to the problem with today’s industrial agriculture. They believe that by switching to more local, organic, small-scale and sustainable agriculture, we will be able to provide for an increased population while nature and the environment will be better for it. The best form of organic farming is one where you cultivate with a crop rotation and keep different kinds of animals. Such a system does not deplete the soils but strengthens them. In an organic system, the animals also get to live more naturally and eat the food they are intended for, which means that they stay healthier and that less medication is needed. It is good for the animals, but also for us who choose to eat meat from such animals.

+ Growing your own food

Starting to grow your own food is not only exciting and fun, it gives you food that you know is healthy. If you don’t know how to start, I warmly recommend the permaculture cultivation technique. More and more of us around the world are using permaculture with great success when we cultivate. We just need to take it a little more easy, follow nature’s own rules and rhythm of time. Because everything doesn’t have to – and shouldn’t – happen right away. Actually taking the time to observe, to think about what is there and what is happening on our own little patch of earth, not only gives knowledge but also more opportunities to just enjoy what we already have.