Review
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"Ben Hartman and I share similar approaches to growing
vegetables; we both run highly productive farms using efficient
techniques and well-designed space and procedures. With this
book, however, I believe Ben has taken our craft to new levels
with fresh ideas and different strategies. The information here
provides incredible value for any small-scale farmer seeking a
compact, yet profitable farm model. I highly recommend this
book."--Jean-Martin Fortier, author of The Market Gardener
"This manual of growing follows the lean principles of Ben and
Rachel's farm, its pages are jam-packed with useful advice for
efficient growing. 'Lean' is a great paradigm for
directing your time and energy into a fully effective approach,
whether in a large garden or small farm. I was fascinated to read
all the examples of seeding, ing, and harvesting, and the
gorgeous photos show the high productiveness of these
methods."--Charles Dowding, coauthor of No Dig Home &
Garden
"Ben Hartman clearly illustrates how the continual process of
lean thinking can benefit every farm. From targeted market
planning driven by what customers truly value, to effective and
efficient production from planning through harvest, and
ultimately to putting money into your bank account, this book is
full of practical and inventive ideas that will help your farm
prosper."--Richard Wiswall, author of The Farmer's
Business Handbook
"Another gem from Ben Hartman. The Lean Farm introduced a dynamic
new way of thinking about small farm businesses, pointing us in
the right direction. Now, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing
Vegetables gives us the detail, specifics, and tricks of the
trade that show us how to execute lean strategies on a small
farm. Ben is a key entrepreneur in diverse, sustainable, small
farm agriculture, and is emerging as the Midwest's heir apparent
to Eliot Coleman. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables is an
indispensable resource for all small farmers, new or experienced,
young or old."--Steve Hallett, professor of horticulture, Purdue
University; author of The Efficiency Trap; coauthor of Life
without Oil
"Applications of lean principles to a new arena are often
confusing and shallow. The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables
is clear and deep. This book is based on real-world experience,
drawing on lean principles to develop a radically new approach to
farming that gets you more for less."--Jeffrey Liker, author of
The Toyota Way
"If you liked The Lean Farm, you'll love The Lean Farm Guide to
Growing Vegetables. Ben's first book was the big picture of what
lean principles are and how they can be used to make farms more
efficient. This book focuses in for the close-up, with specific
examples of how to apply lean principles to vegetable farming and
case studies from the author's own farm experience. Ben's
discussion of kaizen, the practice of continuous improvement,
reminds us we can all be more efficient. Read this book with last
season in mind and you'll be inspired with ideas of how to
streamline next season. After reading this I have more than a few
lean ideas I'm going to apply on my own farm."--Andrew Mefferd,
author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook
"All revolutions require a leap in consciousness plus a set of
daily practices to sustain and gain the full benefits of the new
consciousness. Ben Hartman is that rare person who could describe
the lean farming revolution (in The Lean Farm) and then provide
proven practices from his own farm in his new book, The Lean Farm
Guide to Growing Vegetables, to help fellow revolutionaries grow
good food in a lean way for the long term. Together these volumes
describe all you need to know for a sustainable lean revolution
on your farm. The rest is up to you."--Jim Womack, founder and
senior advisor, Lean Enterprise Institute
"Everyone strives for efficiency in vegetable farming, but Ben
Hartman has actually achieved it. In his lean farming books, he
provides a clear-headed approach to achieving efficiency of
space, time, and resources. Every vegetable farmer who wants to
be profitable and enjoy the farming life would do well to read
these books closely."--Lynn Byczynski, author of Market Farming
Success and The Flower Farmer
"Ben Hartman is a true innovator for the small farm. The Lean
Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables takes the lean techniques from
his first book even further with new innovations and greater
detail. I have been eagerly awaiting this addendum so that I can
start trying these practices on my farm. This book is a must for
any market grower who wants to push the boundaries of
profitability while finding life balance at the same
time."--Curtis Stone, author of The Urban Farmer
"This is a great book on the methods that make Clay Bottom Farm a
successful compact farm, explaining the thinking behind those
methods. Ben gives clear, detailed descriptions of the day-to-day
systems, and further illustrates the concepts he first laid out
in The Lean Farm. This companion, The Lean Farm Guide to Growing
Vegetables, reveals a refined system that makes a great jumping
off point for any aspiring grower, and gives seasoned growers
ideas for how to improve their own systems."--Josh Volk, author
of Compact Farms
About the Author
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Ben Hartman grew up on a corn and soybean farm in Indiana and
graduated college with degrees in English and philosophy. Ben and
his wife, Rachel Hershberger, own and operate Clay Bottom Farm in
Goshen, Indiana, where they make their living growing and selling
specialty crops on less than one acre. Their food is sold locally
to restaurants and cafeterias, at a farmers market, and through a
community-supported-agriculture (CSA) program. The farm has twice
won Edible Michiana's Reader's Choice award. The Lean Farm, Ben's
first book, won the Shingo Institute's prestigious Research and
Professional Publication Award. In 2017, Ben was named one of
fifty emerging green leaders in the United States by Grist.