Overview of intensive agriculture -- How mini-farming works for you -- Raised beds -- Soil composition and maintenance -- Compost -- Plant nutrients in-depth -- Time and yield -- Watering and irrigation -- Crop proportions and sizing -- Pest and disease control -- Seed starting -- Selecting and saving seed -- Season extension -- Fruit trees and vines -- Raising chickens for eggs -- Raising chickens for meat -- The Markham farm chicken plucker -- Public domain thresher designs -- Preserving the harvest -- Selling your produce -- Putting it all together.

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. Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertility practices, composting, pest and disease problems, crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. Because self-sufficiency is the objective, subjects such as raising backyard chickens and home canning are also covered. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations. - Publisher.