Reading & Listening

These days I’m…

Reading:
Flower Confidential. I’ve known about this book for several years but finally picked it up at a used book store several weeks ago. I’m really loving it so far and it has me rethinking buying cut flowers, but not only that it delves into this crazy world of hybridization and growing plants. I’m about halfway through and will likely do a full review at Sprout Dispatch when I am done.

Barnheart: The Incurable Longing for a Farm of One’s Own. This I picked up on a whim one day when I went to the library to pay a fine. At first glance I thought I would really like it but the more I read the more I’m disappointed with it. I’d briefly read the author’s blog in the past, so I was vaguely familiar with her and knew she was somewhat popular in the homesteading world so I expected much more from the book. I really hate giving negative reviews, and while I’m not going to put the book down (about halfway through), the author could have written something much more deep and defining than she did. Sometimes she jumps from the time frame she’s writing in to another time period within a sentence or two all without giving any backstory, expecting the reader to know who she is or about her blog. Scratch most of that…. I couldn’t finish it. I really wanted to but the book had no plot, no substance and so I returned it to the library. It is rare I don’t finish a book, usually I’ll just take forever to read it, but this one I just couldn’t finish.

Listening:
Edible Education 103: “Farming as Dance, The Choreography of Polyculture”, by Joel Salatin. This one is more of a watching thing and I watched over the course of a few nights. Joel Salatin is really dynamic and fun to listen to. A few things I disagreed with him on, mostly from a natural/environmental aspect that I’ll have to read up on further.

Paul Wheaton’s Permaculture Podcasts. I’ve only recently been introduced to Wheaton and his style is definitely educational with a heavy dousing of opinions. Some of the ones I’ve enjoyed were: Farmageddon, Joel Salatin Part 1 and there’s a Part 2 as well.

Sustainable World Radio. In particular All Good Things Organic Seeds which lead me buy three packets of seeds from them. I’m looking forward to making some roselle tea sometime in the future!

Growing a Greener World. I’ve liked The Truth About Organic Gardening which brought up some items that some organic methods of fertilizing and pesticides are not necessarily sustainable themselves (re: fish oil, green sand, phosphates) because they are mined or in the case of fish oil—fished. I also liked the interview with Maria Rodale.

A Way To Garden. I’d heard about this blog before but it really isn’t big on my radar, however Gayla at You Grow Girl recently did a podcast with her regarding tomatillos which I listened to, and then I listened to a few more of her podcasts. It was nice but definitely region specific (New England) so some items you have to take for what it is worth and make it adapted for you.

Garden Confidential. This one is from Fine Gardening and I really liked it but it was definitely not long enough, or often enough. Once a month!

Gestalt Gardener. This one is broadcast in Mississippi Public Radio by Felder Rushing who is the author of Slow Gardening. I like his attitude and he is definitely interesting and offers a southern approach to gardening.

Cultivate Simple. I love this podcast and it is probably my favorite, mostly because I really love Susy’s blog.

There was another podcast I listened to that also took place in New England but I can’t find it at the moment, however they had really good interviews. There are a couple others that I found that were in Texas but they are on weekends with a more call-in format as they are on the radio. I’ve also found a couple other podcasts but they are in the survivalist/doomsday prepper vein and are frankly a little over the edge with me.

Anything you want to share that you are reading or listening to?