Sustainable Subfloors: Best Options for Supporting Beautiful Earthen Floors
Your earthen floor’s foundation determines its durability, comfort, and efficiency. This excerpt from Earthen Floors, Second Edition explores the best subfloor options.
Book Excerpt
From Spectators to Leaders: Helping Youth Thrive in a Distracted World
Educator Kurt Hahn urged hands-on learning, adventure, and responsibility to keep youth engaged. Kids These Days by Nevin Harper and Will Dobud revives his timeless call to help young people…
The Power Of Imperfect Solutions In A Warming World
In this excerpt from Sami Grover’s We’re All Climate Hypocrites Now, he reminds us that our so-called hypocrisies can actually be powerful tools in the fight for climate justice —…
Simple Lifestyle Changes That Can Save The Planet (and Improve Your Health)
From Runaway Climate by Steven Earle: our everyday choices—from what we eat to how we travel—can cut emissions, save money, and create healthier lives and communities.
How Earth Stayed Habitable for Billions of Years — Until Now
In A Brief History of the Earth’s Climate, Steven Earle explains why human-caused global warming differs from the natural shifts in Earth’s climate. This excerpt explores how the first ideas…
Solar Energy Basics: Why 100% Clean Power Is Possible
In this excerpt from Solar Electricity Basics, Second Edition by Dan Chiras, where he discusses the popular rise in solar power and whether it can generate enough power to meet…
How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change in 2025
It’s 2025, and climate change is something our kids are hearing about everywhere—from school to social media to conversations at home. As parents and caregivers, we want to be honest…
Carbon Math Made Simple: Why 2.5 Tonnes Is The Magic Number
In this excerpt from Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle by Lloyd Alter, he looks at carbon reduction through an equity lens: How can we imagine a world where everyone gets…
Why Your Plants Look Tired (and How To Fix It)
This excerpt from Jean-Martin Fortier’s Living Soil dives into common deficiencies, what they look like, and simple ways to bring your plants back to health and keep your garden thriving.
Root Vegetables Explained: The Essentials of These Underground Staples
In Root Vegetables, the latest in Jean-Martin Fortier’s Grower’s Guides, you’ll discover what makes these simple, but nutrient-packed powerhouse crops special, how to tell varieties apart, and why they belong…
The Sustainability Gap: Energy, Economy, and Lifestyle
Today, we share an excerpt from Lloyd Alter’s Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle that looks at why living a more eco-friendly lifestyle can be easier for some than for others…
Rainwater Harvesting 101: An Ancient Practice for Modern Water Security
In today’s blog excerpt from Essential Rainwater Harvesting, Rob and Michelle Avis share simple, evidence-based ways to design, build, and maintain rainwater systems for any home, in any climate.
The Wild Path Home: Timeless Stewardship Principles for Children of All Ages
In this excerpt from The Wild Path Home, Jacob Rodenburg and Cathy Dueck explore timeless stewardship principles that anyone—parents, teachers, grandparents, and mentors—can use to nurture kids’ natural curiosity and…
Fun “Back-Pocket” Activities to Get Kids Outside and Learning Through Play
As the school year kicks off, The Big Book of Nature Activities offers simple ways for parents, educators, and caretakers to balance homework and screens with outdoor play and discovery.
The Benefits Of Using Hempcrete in Your Construction Projects
Hempcrete is a promising sustainable building material. It’s a green alternative to composites such as concrete, mortar and plaster. In this excerpt from Essential Hempcrete Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide,…
How to Teach Kids About Pollinators in the School Garden
In The School Garden Curriculum, author Kaci Rae Christopher shares Observing Pollinators, an activity that helps kids connect with bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. By watching these busy helpers in…
The S Questions Model And How To Use It In Mediation
In mediation, the right question can build bridges—or break them. In this blog excerpt from The Mediator’s Toolkit, Gerry O’Sullivan shares how strategic preparation and the S Questions Model help…
Innovative Strategies for Small Fruit Growing
In The Berry Grower, Blake Cothron offers a practical guide to growing and marketing organic berries, perfect for beginners and experienced farmers alike. In this excerpt, he shares what inspired…
Design From Within: The LUV Triangle In Permaculture
In this excerpt from Mulberries in the Rain, authors Ryan Blosser and Trevor Piersol introduce the LUV Triangle—a tool for navigating the human experience with clarity, compassion, and intention. They…
Challenging the Indian Act: An Ethical Perspective
This post, from The Rise of Indigenous Economic Power, challenges Indian Act economics by asking not what’s legal, but what’s right.
The Benefits of Growing Herbs Indoors
In this excerpt from Your Indoor Herb Garden, Master Gardener DJ Herda shares how growing herbs indoors offers flavor, beauty, and a simple path to greater self-reliance in uncertain times.
The Market Gardener’s Guide to the Paperpot System
Transplanting doesn’t have to be tedious—not with the right tools. In this excerpt from Vegetable Garden Tools: A Grower’s Guide, Jean-Martin Fortier introduces the Paperpot system, a game-changing tool for…
Learn to Spot The Tomato’s Common Enemies
In Tomatoes: A Grower’s Guide From The Market Gardener, Jean-Martin Fortier breaks down the most common pests and diseases that can wreak havoc on your crop—and how to fight back…
16 Factors to Help Keep Good Food on the Table Year-Round
Planning is central to sustainable farming. In this excerpt from Sustainable Market Farming, Second Edition, Pam Dawling shares 16 key planning factors that support both sustainability and steady production through…
Hardy Greens for Your Garden
In this excerpt from The Food Lover’s Garden by Jenni Blackmore, you’ll learn about some of the best hardy greens to grow (or to look for at your next market…
When The Trucks Stop: How To Build A Sustainable Food Plan
Growing your own food builds resilience and independence. In Grow a Sustainable Diet, Cindy Connor shares the challenges and rewards of eating only what you grow. This book sample offers…
The Commons, Simplified
In Think Like a Commoner, David Bollier shows how commons-based systems—from local gardens to open-source software—help us share wealth fairly. But these shared resources are under threat. When corporations privatize…
Using Zone 00 to Transform Your Inner Landscape
In Human Permaculture: Life Design for Resilient Living, authors Bernard Alonso and Cecile Guiochon create a guide for taking principles of permaculture to redesign your life and create a sustainable…
The Truth About Modern Communal Living
From bustling urban co-housing neighborhoods to eco-friendly villages, communities attract people from all walks of life seeking connection, sustainability, and a shared vision. This excerpt from Finding Community by Diana…
Schooling and Education in a Complex, Globally Connected World
In this excerpt from the new book The End of Education as We Know It, author Ida Rose Florez explores how schooling and education must evolve to meet the demands…
Understanding The Garden Operation Cycle
In this excerpt from The Garden Tool Handbook, author Zach Loeks explores how, by breaking the gardening year into stages like planning, planting, and harvesting, you can learn to use…
Five Essential Lessons to Better Manage the Workforce on Your Farm
In this excerpt from Microfarms, discover five essential lessons that will help you streamline team coordination, boost productivity, and create a positive working environment on your farm.