DIG IN

The latest articles from Chelsea Green and our authors: offering tips and techniques about how you can bring our books to life in your kitchen, backyard, or community.

capital building

Politics: There’s No Room for Politeness

The polite thing to do when asking for something is to say “please” and wait patiently. However, this doesn’t work in politics currently. Movements and change will only occur when the people demand action, when they have strong voices delivering their messages, and when they leave politeness on the table. Take Bernie Sanders for example.…

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forest

Northeastern Kvass

When you’re on a fall hike, taking in the colorful leaves, sharp snaps of twigs beneath your feet, marveling at the beautifully knotted roots of the trees in front of you, you’re probably not thinking about how delicious they all taste together. But boy, you should be! Almost every ingredient in this nature-infused Northeastern Kvass…

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farm

Farming Against Nature

When you’re walking around the grocery store looking at all of the different vegetables, it’s probably hard to imagine that a century ago there was twice the amount of options to choose from. Hundreds of years of growing crops and infusing the soil with chemicals have depleted the dirt of the essential nutrients needed to…

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yoga at sunset

What is Bioregulatory Medicine?

Finding out you have a chronic or degenerative illness can be overwhelming and mind-numbing on its own. Add to that already spinning emotional rollercoaster the possible treatment options, and you may find yourself unable to move forward. For those who are looking for alternative methods to traditional treatment plans, Bioregulatory Medicine could provide a solution.…

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mother and child

A Story for Parents: A Parent’s Worst Nightmare

For parents, there’s nothing more nerve wracking than making sure our children are safe and healthy. Unfortunately, it’s not always clear how to do that especially when it comes to vaccines. In his new book, How to End the Autism Epidemic, author J.B. Handley confronts the common misconceptions about vaccines and empowers parents to be…

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seed oil

Heart Health: Herbal Formulas and Medicinals

Whether you use them as a precautionary measure or for their restorative properties, there’s no denying the power of herbs when it comes to caring for your heart. You may already know that garlic reduces arrhythmias but are you aware that black currants can improve lipid ratios? As always, when working with herbal formulas you…

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how to end the autism epidemic

For the Love of A Child: A Family’s Fight and a Father’s Love

It all started when his second child was just two months old. After receiving six separate vaccines at a well baby visit, J.B. Handley’s son’s health quickly deteriorated. He developed eczema. He wasn’t sleeping. His play habits changed. Right before his parent’s eyes, Jamison Handley was changing, and they didn’t know why. In his new…

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four season farm

Vegetable Farm Tips: The Keys to Efficient Veggie Production

If the idea of running a vegetable farm sounds daunting, you’re not alone. How can you ensure success while also being environmentally conscientious? What can you do to simplify techniques and reduce expenses? Where do you even begin? Well, young farmer, we’re here to help. Eliot Coleman, a pioneer of organic gardening, has identified the…

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man foraging

Homesteading Skills: The Gateway to True Freedom

We wanted to touch on some of the important homesteading skills you may need to use on any given day. Some are learned while others are passed down from homesteader to homesteader, all are important. In this excerpt from The Nourishing Homestead, author Ben Hewitt talks about why these skills are important to pass down…

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garden fries

Recipe: Fall Harvest Garden Fries

Got a lot of root veggies in your fall harvest? Garden fries are an easy and delicious way to use them up! Enjoy them sans sauce, with ketchup, or if you’re looking to impress dinner guests pair them with a garlicky leek dipping sauce. Bon appetit! The following recipe is from Cooking Close to Home…

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tractor in field

Emergence of the Mechanical Mind and Its Dire Implications

For as far back as we can remember, humans have been driven by the Mechanical Mind – a desire to evolve, to expand, to consume, to manipulate everything around them to meet their needs without thinking about the consequences. Yet some 200,000 years ago, before the advent of agriculture, there was a different view and…

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wassail

Ancient Customs: Drinking to Good Health and More

It’s a little-known fact, but we here at Chelsea Green Publishing love a good piece of trivia. (Did you know beavers have a second set of lips behind their teeth?) When we found out that the saying “to the last drop” comes from ancient Danish drinking customs, you know we were thrilled. Who doesn’t love…

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mesquite in desert

Cooking with Mesquite: Ancient Nourishment

Mesquite has been a staple in desert dwellers’ diet for far longer than maize or even livestock.  With its nutritional value (it’s filled with both complex carbs and protein!) and endless possibilities for preparation, it’s no wonder it was once an integral source of sustenance for such a large region. If you happen to get…

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farm animals and a house

Celebrate Homesteading Month with Chelsea Green

That’s right, September is International Homesteading Education Month, and throughout the month we’ll be publishing some of our favorite homesteading tips, techniques, recipes, and more. We’ll be featuring some of our favorite homesteading authors including Ben and Penny Hewitt, Beth and Shawn Dougherty, and Carole Deppe. We’ll also be sharing a few sneak peek excerpts from…

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wild deer

Happy National Wildlife Day!

Furry friends, ecological heroes, and wild beasts—we celebrate them all. In honor of wildlife and all there is to learn from our favorite creatures, we have curated a list of some of Chelsea Green’s best wildlife books. Get your hands on some of these and prepare yourself for a literary safari! Eager is a powerful story…

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man who hated work but loved labor

The Man Who Loved Labor And Hated Work

In response to one of the nation’s darkest labor-history chapters, Congress passed a law in 1894 making the first Monday of every September “Labor Day,” to pay tribute and honor the achievements and contributions of American workers. While the passing of the law helped to improve conditions, standards, and relations there was still work to…

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open sign

Why Economic Development Incentive Programs Don’t Work

When it comes to economic development programs, most people are quick to hang their hat on the incentive rack. It’s shiny and big and full of promise.

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mushrooms

Foraging 101: Where to find your bounty

We’ve given you descriptions. We’ve given you recipes. We’ve given you (hopefully) inspiration to explore. And now we’re giving you the information you need to begin foraging on your own: where to do it and how to be safe. So go forth, young foragers, and start gathering your bounty. The following excerpt is from Forage,…

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mitochondria

Mitochondrial Theory: Setting the Mitochondrial Thermostat

In his new book, naturopathic doctor Lee Know takes a deep dive into how our mitochondrial work and
 the implications this system has on a number of age-related conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The following excerpt is from Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine by Lee Know, ND. It has been adapted for the…

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farm

A Call for Regenerative Agriculture: From the Group Up

Farmland covers 38 percent of the Earth’s land area and is a major contributor to climate change. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Soil and plants have the capacity to store huge amounts of carbon in the ground, thus how we grow food can be one of the key solutions to our climate…

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pesticides

A Grassroots Revolution for Pesticide-Free Communities

As the ‘poison cartel’ creeps relentlessly across food systems, there is overwhelming evidence that something must be done to stop them. The small town of Mals, Italy took a stand and started a revolution to stop the corruption and pave the way for a pesticide-free future.  The following excerpt is the foreword by Dr. Vandana…

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Patience Gray

The Life of Patience Gray: Gathering Honey from a Weed

Iconoclastic food writer, forager, and force of nature Patience Gray always found the good in the simple.
 In Fasting and Feasting, Gray’s biographer Adam Federman discovers that her life was never simple. “Struck by Patience Gray’s mind, her vision and her prose, Federman went in search of her past. . . . He’s done the…

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doughnut economics

Fixing the Economy: Radical Thinking for 21st-Century Economists

The economy is a complex, evolving system, and that’s an empowering thought: it means that every one of us can play a part in shaping its evolution. When it comes to understanding economics you may be familiar with classic texts like Adam Smith’s, but don’t view that as the be-all-end-all, lest you get stuck in…

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book lovers day

It’s National Book Lovers Day! Hip Hip, Hooray!

f you’re anything like us, this might be one of your favorite days of the year. To help you celebrate as only book lovers can (with a stack of tomes in your favorite reading nook), we’ve rounded up a few Chelsea Green faves – from bestsellers to staff favorites to brand new, just hit the…

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beaver

Give a Dam and Worth a Dam

If you’ve been following our blog recently, you’ve probably read about the myriad abilities beavers have. With the ingenuity to help with things like water conservation, flood damage, and wildfires beavers are one of the few species capable of cleaning up after the ecological destruction caused by humans. If you’re not a Beaver Believer yet,…

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