
The Lean Micro Farm
How to Get Small, Embrace Local, Live Better, and Work Less
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Narrated by:
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Madison Niederhauser
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By:
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Ben Hartman
About this listen
“Ben Hartman is a true innovator for the small farm.”—Curtis Stone, author of The Urban Farmer
It’s time to think big about small farms. Award-winning author and “green leader” (Grist) Ben Hartman shares practical how-to tips, personal stories, and surprising examples of cutting-edge farmers and innovators around the world to show us how.
In the early 1970s, US Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz infamously commanded farmers to “get big or get out.” In The Lean Micro Farm, author Ben Hartman rejects that disastrous suggestion and instead takes up the charge of the late agrarian thinker Gene Logsdon: “Get small and stay in.”
Taking inspiration from the groundbreaking ideas of E. F. Schumacher and Mahatma Gandhi, The Lean Micro Farm shows how small, hyperlocal farms can be both ecologically and economically superior to industrial-scale operations geared toward export and commodity markets.
The Lean Micro Farm details the author’s remarkable journey to downsize his farm from one acre to a third of an acre in an effort to prioritize family and community over work, all without taking a pay cut. In addition, Hartman profiles six innovative farmers from across the globe who embody this “get small” mindset. These pioneering farmers show all of us a path toward resilience in the face of supply chain disruption, globalization, and climate change. They model a gentler, more ecological approach to farming that produces less waste and uses less plastic, petroleum, and fertilizer.
Like his previous two books, The Lean Farm and The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables, Hartman’s The Lean Micro Farm doesn’t just explain why smaller is better, it shows listeners exactly how it can be done with step-by-step guides on how to turn a profit from a tiny, but productive, parcel of farmland. Listeners will find not just philosophical justifications for a minimalist approach to agriculture but also actionable information for starting your own profitable micro farm, including:
- A description of the “deep mulch” method for building fertility
- Instructions on two-step bed flipping to increase production on a small footprint
- A guide for choosing essential tools and technologies “with a human face”
- An easy-to-follow process for making your micro farm lean and efficient
- A detailed plan for selling $20,000 worth of produce from your backyard
It’s time, Hartman makes clear, to pivot to a new kind of farming—one that builds upon ancestral knowledge, nourishes communities, and puts human joy, not technology, at its center.
“Hartman has revolutionized his methods, cut down his work hours dramatically, and shrunk the size of his farm, all while making a better income.”—Civil Eats
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2023 Ben Hartman (P)2023 Chelsea Green Publishing CompanyListeners also enjoyed...
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- By: Charles Dowding
- Narrated by: Charles Dowding
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Compared to Charles' other books, this is more about no dig, eliminating weeds, garden layout, compost making, and using compost. There is also a history of no-dig vegetable gardening in the last 100 years. I want listeners to understand the context and the reasons why no dig has not been much valued until recently, and why it is now. This audiobook has 18 sections, covering the key methods and wonderful results of no dig, from starting with weeds to sowing and planting straightaway, and cropping soon after.
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Probably the only gardening book you'll ever need!
- By Melissa Nixon on 04-23-23
By: Charles Dowding
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Composting Masterclass
- Feed the Soil, Not Your Plants
- By: Tony O'Neill
- Narrated by: Ric Chetter
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Have you ever had compost that would not break down? Or compost that turned into a smelly mess? You are not alone. Millions of people struggle with making compost at home. Composting is such an integral part of gardening that learning to get it right allows you to become a master of your special place. This audiobook will take you on a journey of how the microbial life in your soil and compost play vital roles in your garden. You will learn why specific things happen when making compost and how to solve common problems.
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truly a master class
- By Rebecca G. Tabor on 05-21-22
By: Tony O'Neill
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Your Successful Farm Business
- Production, Profit, Pleasure
- By: Joel Salatin
- Narrated by: Joel Salatin
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty years ago, Joel Salatin wrote You Can Farm, which has launched thousands of farm entrepreneurs around the world. With another 20 years of experience under his belt, bringing him to the half-century mark as a full-time farmer, he decided to build on that foundation with a sequel, a graduate-level curriculum. Everyone who reads (or listens to), and enjoys that previous work, will benefit from this additional information.
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Feel like I just got a PHD level masterclass.
- By jesse l hatton on 08-08-21
By: Joel Salatin
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Mini Farming
- Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
- By: Brett L. Markham
- Narrated by: Christopher Solimene
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family's food on just a quarter acre - and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require.
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Almost unlistenable
- By M on 02-23-18
By: Brett L. Markham
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The Intelligent Gardener
- Growing Nutrient-Dense Food
- By: Steve Solomon, Erica Reinheimer - With
- Narrated by: Matthew Boston
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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To grow produce of the highest nutritional quality the essential minerals lacking in our soil must be replaced, but this re-mineralization calls for far more attention to detail than the simple addition of composted manure or NPK fertilizers. The Intelligent Gardener demystifies the process, while simultaneously debunking much of the false and misleading information perpetuated by both the conventional and organic agricultural movements. In doing so, it conclusively establishes the link between healthy soil, healthy food, and healthy people.
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Seems to revel in putting down all other approaches
- By Charles Phillips on 07-09-20
By: Steve Solomon, and others
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Compost
- Transform Waste into New Life
- By: Charles Dowding
- Narrated by: Charles Dowding
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Charles Dowding puts feeding the soil at the heart of his No Dig method of growing. He explains how to use your kitchen and garden waste to make homemade compost so that your plants can truly flourish. Discover what you can compost, how to get the perfect balance, and different ways to compost whatever your space with this beautiful, infallible guide.
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The best book on composting I know!
- By Vas Sladek on 02-22-25
By: Charles Dowding
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The Winter Market Gardener
- A Successful Grower's Handbook for Year-Round Harvests
- By: Jean-Martin Fortier, Catherine Sylvestre
- Narrated by: Genevieve Jones
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Profitable winter market gardening – the complete practical guide to growing vegetables year-round in northern climates for local markets. Many small farms shut down during the dark winter months. Yet with the right techniques, equipment, and cultivars, year-round growing can produce the highest quality and tastiest fresh local vegetables, all while banking a profit.
By: Jean-Martin Fortier, and others
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The Permaculture Gardening Bible: A Comprehensive Practical Guide to Building a Sustainable, Self-Sufficient Organic Garden
- Develop High Efficiency Seed, Water, Soil, Shelter and Energy Systems for Organic Natural Garden Growth in Your Backyard
- By: David Whitehead
- Narrated by: Kenneth Robert Hunt
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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What if you could build a garden that not only cuts back on these costs and eliminates harmful pesticides from your family’s diet, but also helps restore the planet in the process? The time is now to stop the waste of resources and consumption of contaminated foods and turn back to permaculture–this book is here to help you every step of the way.
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do not buy, it is ai
- By Alex W. on 12-03-24
By: David Whitehead
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The Companion Planting Playbook for Beginners
- A Simple 7-Step Guide to Thriving Gardens, Natural Pest Control, and Bountiful Crops
- By: P. Joseph Richards
- Narrated by: Rachael Doolen
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Gain expertise, embrace sustainable practices, and cultivate a garden that’s both beautiful and bountiful. According to US gardening statistics, more than 18 million people have recently taken up gardening. Whether you're growing flowers, vegetables, or houseplants, you might be wondering, “Is this really all there is to gardening?” What if you could have it all in one space, even if that space is just your balcony?
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Great Information
- By Anonymous User on 12-02-24
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The Profitable Hobby Farm
- How to Build a Sustainable Local Foods Business
- By: Sarah Beth Aubrey
- Narrated by: Rachel Dulude
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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No experience in farming? No problem! The Profitable Hobby Farm gives you all the tools you need to launch a thriving hobby-farm business. Based on the author's expert guidance and the motivating experiences of other small farmers, it shows you how to blend strategy, marketing, and money management in order to prosper. The Profitable Hobby Farm provides sound, friendly start-up advice on a variety of topics essential to making an initial foray into a local-foods venture. A supplemental PDF is included with this audiobook.
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Not helpful
- By samuel on 05-31-24
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Think Like an Ecosystem
- An Introduction to Permaculture, Water Systems, Soil Science and Landscape Design
- By: Amélie des Plantes
- Narrated by: Brian Pederson
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Permaculture makes the most use of what nature provides for us by using specific design strategies to maximize nature’s gifts, such as food, energy, and shelter. A counter to heavy industrial farming, permaculture is all about conscious planning that caters to the human needs while also respecting and healing the natural environment. At its core, it involves drawing inspiration from nature to build an ecosystem that thrives just like any other. If you want to start practicing permaculture and reap all its benefits, then you need to listen to this audiobook today!
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for goodness sake
- By Anonymous User on 02-14-24
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No Dig
- Nurture Your Soil to Grow Better Veg with Less Effort
- By: Charles Dowding
- Narrated by: Charles Dowding
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Transform a weedy plot into a thriving vegetable garden by following simple steps achieved in a few hours and with plants in the ground from day one. The crucial factor is understanding that not only is there no need to dig over the soil, but by minimizing intervention you are actively boosting soil productivity. This is the essence of the No Dig system that Charles Dowding has perfected over a lifetime growing vegetables.
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Charles is jaunty and uplifting.
- By Justin Marchant on 02-25-23
By: Charles Dowding
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Soil Science for Regenerative Agriculture
- A Comprehensive Guide to Living Soil, No-till Gardening, Composting and Natural Farming - Complete with a Step-by-Step Action Plan to Quickly Grow Soil
- By: Amélie des Plantes
- Narrated by: Al Pagano
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), each year, an estimated 24 billion tons of fertile soil are lost due to erosion. That’s a whopping 3.4 tons lost every year for each person on the planet.
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Primarily a review of the authors political opinions
- By Mechy on 05-04-25
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The Rooted Life
- Cultivating Health and Wholeness Through Growing Your Own Food
- By: Justin Rhodes
- Narrated by: Justin Rhodes
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Have you ever wanted to experiment with growing your own food but didn’t think you had the space, the time, or the knowledge? Justin Rhodes thought the same thing—until after years battling systemic illness and struggling to provide the kind of wholesome food he wanted for his family, he bought a seed packet at the grocery store and was hooked.
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Inspiring
- By Amazon Customer on 04-02-22
By: Justin Rhodes
What listeners say about The Lean Micro Farm
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Daniel Aguera
- 01-20-24
Great info but I had no access to the pdfs
No access to the pdfs. I want a refund. The author should know about this issue.
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