Gretchen Kruesi
Artisan food-makers spend years studying their craft and perfecting their culinary techniques in order to give us the most delicious food possible. Our authors are sharing their knowledge with the world, whether it be brewing beer or making cheese. Pick up any one of the books this list to learn from the best! If these…
Read More
Books can bring comfort, happiness, and most important: hope. Let these books fill you with inspirational stories of perseverance, hope, and innovation. Following the collapse of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger economy, social activist Ruairí McKiernan questions whether he should join the mounting number of emigrants searching for greater opportunity elsewhere. McKiernan embarks on a hitchhiking odyssey…
Read More
What if we told you there’s a world of flavor that you’ve never tasted before? There is, and it all starts with a little mold called koji! In the right hands, koji makes anything taste better, from bread to cheese to ice cream. Check out our post on growing your own koji to get started.…
Read More
Sleep seems to be the thing that escapes most of us. In a society that praises long hours, we aren’t getting the rest needed for optimal physical and mental performance. Continuously practicing to be the best is an unhealthy myth that drives many athletes. Studies recently conducted are reporting that the best way improve athletic…
Read More
The stat sheet on hemp sounds almost too good to be true: its fibers are among the planet’s strongest, its seed oil the most nutritious, and its potential as an energy source vast and untapped. Our extensive use of hemp may seem like a hot new trend, but hemp is actually inextricably intertwined with human…
Read More
The story of the invention and use of electricity has been told before, but never from an environmental point of view. An assumption of safety, and the conviction that electricity has no negative impact on life, are by now so entrenched in the human psyche that new research and testimony by those who’ve been injured…
Read More
Investigative journalist, farmer, and goat herder Doug Fine has been writing about hemp for 26 years. Author of Hemp Bound and Too High to Fail, he believes that hemp can lead the way toward a new, regenerative economy. In this interview with Chelsea Green, Fine gives us the straight dope on one of the world’s…
Read More
Good oral hygiene equals a squeaky clean mouth, free of all bacteria, right? Wrong! Our mouths are actually at their healthiest when we have a thriving population of good bacteria. So ease up on those microbes, they get a bad rap! The following is an excerpt from It’s All in Your Mouth by Dominik Nischwitz.…
Read More
Inspired by a combination of his work treating patients with autoimmune disease and working in his garden, Dr. Cowan has developed six principles to help patients create healthy, natural autoimmune diets. He emphasizes the importance of sourcing quality food from your immediate environment and consuming the correct macronutrients. The following excerpt is from Vaccines, Autoimmunity,…
Read More
Lisa Fithian has shut down the CIA. She has disrupted the World Trade Organization and camped in a ditch with Gold Star mom and protester of the Iraq War, Cindy Sheehan. She has stood her ground in Tahrir Square, occupied Wall Street, marched in the streets of Ferguson, and walked in solidarity with tribal leaders…
Read More
Do you think making a 100%-from-scratch beer is near-to-impossible? We’re here to tell you, it’s not! With just a few ingredients and a little patience, you can malt your own grain at home and get started on a brewing a batch of beer completely from scratch! The following excerpt is from Brew Beer Like a…
Read More
Gone are the days where you can stick out your thumb to catch a carefree ride. For a long time though, hitchhiking was considered normal and even reasonably safe. Even more, it gave people a chance to connect with strangers, share stories, and spend a bit of time in someone else’s shoes. While the days…
Read More
Let’s be honest… cows (should) rule the world. Well, at least the dairy world. While many grazing animals have been milked throughout the course of history (reindeer and horses included), none have been more valued than the cow – a producer of wealth and nourishment and stability. The following excerpt is from Keeping a Family…
Read More
With spring in full swing, bugs are making a reappearance in our gardens and in our lives. Before you reach for the fly swatter, consider this: While they inspire fear in many of us, bugs also play an important role in the ecosystem. So let’s learn to live with bugs, not in fear of them!…
Read More
Cannabidiol – CBD – has become the new favorite natural wellness supplement for many ailments. It’s become near-impossible to find a product that hasn’t been infused with CBD, the non-hallucinogenic compound extracted from the hemp plant. Drinks, pet chews, smoothies, gummies — you name it, the exploding CBD industry has you covered. While many farmers are…
Read More
Are you looking to grow and prepare your own food, conserve energy, and be more resilient? Maybe you’re looking for ways to simplify your life. Wherever you find yourself, there are things you can do today to become more resilient. We’ve compiled our favorite books about all aspects of resilient living to get you started.…
Read More
The following is an interview with Ronnie Cummins, author of Grassroots Rising, and originally appeared in the Chelsea Green 2020 Spring Journal. It has been adapted for the web. It has been adapted for the web. As International Director of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), Ronnie Cummins works to promote healthy, just, regenerative systems of food,…
Read More
The control of oil has been at the center of the struggle for power and wealth that has fueled conflict and endless wars throughout the Middle East. When author Charlotte Dennet found the last letter from her father, a spy studying the route of the proposed Trans-Arabian Pipeline, she realized his death was likely much…
Read More
If you want to start a garden but don’t have much spare time, give eat-all greens a shot! These plants are sturdy and need little management or help at all, plus you can eat almost the entire plant! Try starting with Green Wave mustard. The following is an excerpt from The Tao of Vegetable Gardening…
Read More
The following is an interview with Ruairí McKiernan, author of Hitching for Hope, and originally appeared in the Chelsea Green 2020 Spring Journal. It has been adapted for the web. What does the future have in store if politicians aren’t beholden to the people, if the pace of development is compromising mental health, and if…
Read More
Did you know silver fillings (also called amalgam fillings) contain at least 50% mercury? Did you know mercury is highly toxic? In fact, if an amalgam filling has to be taken out, it needs to be thrown away in the hazardous waste bin. The following is an excerpt from It’s All In Your Mouth by…
Read More
Many carbon-conscious pet owners are aware of the non-recyclable waste that comes with owning a pet. Between kitty litter, puppy pads, and all those plastic dog bags, the waste adds up. Enter biochar. Imagine a world where the puppy pad is so odorless that your dog wants to sleep on it and the kitty litter…
Read More
In his new book Wildcrafted Fermentation, professional forager Pascal Baudar combines his curiosity, research, and in-depth understanding of terroir to explore new and surprising uses for wild ingredients through fermentation. The following is an excerpt from the Chelsea Green Spring 2020 Seasonal Journal. It has been adapted for the web Springtime offers an abundance of delicious and…
Read More
The miraculous abundance provided by the mesquite tree continues to astound us. It offers a plethora of culinary possibilities. It has the power to cure, to shelter, to elicit profound emotions, and to connect us to our environment and our neighbors in a way we may not have thought about before. The following excerpt is…
Read More
In the opening chapter of Trees of Power, author Akiva Silver sings the praises of tree identification. He first describes the skill as being “as useful to me as reading,” and later promises readers that in learning to discern trees by their bark, twigs, leaves, and silhouettes, “you will be able to read stories in…
Read More