As our population booms, so does the need to produce more food. Arable farming land is decreasing quickly every year due to increased urbanization, deforestation, and general construction. Human innovation is finding ways around this, however, and urban farming is starting to become a common phenomenon in cities across the globe. The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone delves into how anyone can start their own urban farm and make a lot of money while doing so.
This article will cover what The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone has to offer and how it compares to other, similar books that guide you through the process of starting your very own urban farm. Whether you want this farm to serve as your sole source of livable income or you simply want to supply your own household with fresh fruits and vegetables, this article will help you decide which book you should choose to start your urban farm journey.
[amazon box=”0865718016,1570618402,0963810928,0865717656,” template=”table” /]
What Is The Urban Farmer By Curtis Stone?
Curtis stone is a self-starting entrepreneur who makes a highly desirable living off of producing food from small, urban plots of land. He sells this produce to high-end restaurants in his neighborhood. All of his produce is sustainable and organic. His farm is based out of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada and was established in 2010. It is called Green City Acres.
His success as a highly profitable urban farmer has caught the attention of nearly everyone in the sustainability world.
He focuses on high-intensity crop rotation. This means that the growing season is accelerated, the produce is harvested quickly, and all of the crops are high value, quick growing fruits and vegetables. He grows primarily out of green houses which extends the growing season into the winter months. His system ensures year round fresh produce and is part of the reason he pulls in so much money on an annual basis.
His book, The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone, guides readers through the necessary steps they must take in order to build their own profitable urban farms. He focuses on business growth models and streamlined labor in order to enhance production and change the way everybody thinks about farming. This, in combination with calculated inter-cropping methods means he has built the most successful urban farm to date, and his book is evidence of this success.
Curtis Stone still runs his farm, but on top of that he is well known as an author, speaker, and consultant, traveling the world and hosting events that help foster the urban farming movement.
Specs
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The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone is a book designed to read as a comprehensive, practical manual with step-by-step instructions on building your own urban farm. It provides you with practical information on costs, investment needs, and information on what crops work best for quick growing and quick profit. It also guides you through the essentials in business development. It shows you what you need to connect with the local community, who you should sell to, and how you should market and transport your goods.
The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone takes a look at what didn't work for him, so you can avoid making the same mistakes he did in growing his own profitable farm business.
This book is perfect for anyone. Even if you haven't grown a single vegetable in your life, Curtis Stone makes sure to give you the knowledge you need to start your own intensive plot, whether you want to start a garden for your family or build your life around a profitable urban farm.
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The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone comes in a wide variety of purchasable options. You can get the all in one bundle in either the US or Canada which includes the physical book, the audio book, and the Digital Tools Package. The Digital Tools Package will be downloadable after purchase and includes 9 video tutorials, 3 hours of workshop material, 4 videos on micro greens, 4 videos on how to use spreadsheets, and a virtual farm plan.
If you are looking for something a little cheaper, you can choose to order the paperback edition which comes with no audiobook but still includes the downloadable Digital Tools Package.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
[amazon link=”0865718016″ title=”The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone” /]
[amazon box=”0865718016″ /]
Description
Written primarily as a manual, this guide is broken down into a comprehensive list of insights, guides, and valuable information. It is designed to help readers start their own projects from scratch and reads as a very practical business manual. It will give you everything from growing know-hows to business know-hows while also helping you through the tangled web of marketing that comes along with starting your own business.
Pros
Cons
[amazon link=”1570618402″ title=”The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery” /]
[amazon box=”1570618402″ /]
Description
While this does hold a large amount of valuable knowledge, it can be overwhelming at times. If you are someone who is just looking to get started on a sustainable garden out of your small backyard, this book might not be for you. It will have a bunch of extraneous content that you won't need, such as livestock maintenance and information on how to purchase land as a beginning farmer.
If you are looking for something more than urban agriculture, however, this book has everything you could ever want. Not only does it provide practical, well written advice, it also comes chock full of delicious recipes that you can start using today.
This book was first written in 1969 and was the result of the back-to-the-land movement during the 1960s and 70s. Over the years, Carla Emery has added updated content that changes with the times as arable land dwindles and urban agriculture rises. It is known as the bible of sustainable living and is an extensive guide with a plethora of valuable information.
While it does have updated content on urban living, it is more suited to those wanting to start a life out in the country. So, while The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone focuses on growing produce on a small amount of acreage, this encyclopedia covers every aspect of farming. It talks about livestock, grazing, large-scale farming, barnyard upkeep, and gardening. Anything related to country living will be found in this book.
The 10th edition reflects the most updated content. Alongside practical advice on buying land, buying chicken coops, raising animals, and cultivating your own garden, you can find valuable recipes that incorporate the food you have raised or grown. This book will appeal to an old school farmer, aspiring farmer, old school gardener, or aspiring gardener.
Pros
Cons
[amazon link=”0963810928″ title=”You Can Farm by Joel Salatin” /]
[amazon box=”0963810928″ /]
Description
You Can Farm reads less like a manual and more like an inspirational novel. It is designed to inspire those with the dream to farm, and it does so by providing practical, honest advice on the realities of diving into this industry.
Unlike The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone, it steers away entirely from city environments. It focuses on revitalizing the dwindling farming community with energetic, inspired youth.
This book focuses on the dwindling farmer population and the growing breadth of opportunity left available for farming new comers. As previously mentioned, the demand for food is going nowhere but up, and there is a lot of space for new farmers to make a profitable living off of the land.
Joel Salatin guides new farmers through buying their first piece of land, how to maximize profit from said land, and how to make the profession of farming one that is desirable. It debunks the fantasies of farming while painting the picture of possibility for anyone who dreams of entering the profession.
Pros
Cons
[amazon link=”0865717656″ title=”The Market Gardener by Jean-Martin Fortier” /]
[amazon box=”0865717656″ /]
Description
The Market Gardener is a simple, practical guide on how to build your own small-scale farming operation and make money while doing so. It doesn't go into the same depth as The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone.
Jean-Martin Fortier is a farmer and author who specializes in biologically intensive vegetable production. He and his wife run an internationally recognized urban micro farm out of Quebec, Canada. He focuses on soil biology and farm design to maximize profit and production, both of which are key to his success.
Jean-Martin Fortier has a wide variety of sources for those looking for this kind of knowledge. You can watch the educational documentary, explore various online tools, or read The Market Gardener. The book focuses on small-scale organic farming and guides you through how to operate such a farm with profitable success.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
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If you are looking for a guide that will help you start your own garden or small urban farm, The Urban Farmer by Curtis Stone is the best book to buy. You can't go wrong if you follow his advice as he is the most successful small-scale urban farmer of this generation. He provides the greatest amount of practical and comprehensive information for urban farming in particular rather than branching out into other types of farming. He also details his path to making money from his farm. This is a great book for beginners who want to get into the urban farming industry.
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