Chelsea Green Blog
Community Resilience
Planet Coronavirus: Survival, Resistance and Regeneration
“There are times in history when sudden events—natural disasters, economic collapses, pandemics like Coronavirus, wars, famines—change everything. They change politics, they change economics and they change public opinion in drastic ways. By Ronnie Cummins, author of Grassroots Rising: A Call to Action on Climate, Farming, Food, and a Green New Deal, and originally appeared on…
Read More
A Small Farm Future COVID-19 Special: For Whom The Bell Tolls
By Chris Smaje, author of the forthcoming book, A Small Farm Future, to be published Fall 2020. This article originally appeared on Chris Smaje’s website Small Farm Future. It has been adapted for the web. Since nobody seems to be talking about anything except COVID-19 at the moment I thought I’d join the crowd and, in…
Read More
Resilience in Challenging Times: A Message From Our Publisher
Dear Readers and Supporters, As you know, Chelsea Green has been at the forefront of publishing books on self-sufficiency and sustainable living for over 35 years. Given the hundreds of books we’ve published and the groundbreaking authors we’ve had the privilege to work with, we like to think we have a lot to share about…
Read More
Making Massive Small Change
For generations, we’ve worked collectively as a society to build our cities into vibrant communities where we can progress and flourish together. Over the years, however, we’ve lost the art of collective and community evolution as our governments step in with their big ideas for urban growth – many of which come at a steep…
Read More
How We’re Helping to Close the Food Waste Loop
By Jill Kiedaisch, Content and Brand Manager In July 2020, Vermont’s Universal Recycling Law will go into effect. It calls for a full ban on food waste scraps being sent to Vermont landfills. This is the final step transitioning food wastes out of the waste stream—a changeover that began in 2014. In light of this…
Read More
RECIPE: Soup of Independence and Remembrance
For most people, traditional foods and family recipes are often thought of in the simple terms of comfort foods or those dishes that only make an appearance at the holidays. However, for many, traditional foods are so much more than that. They are a gateway to health and wellness and offer an opportunity to reflect…
Read More
Look to a Brighter Future
When looking to the future, it can feel impossible to make a difference as just one person in a world of millions; but when like-minded people join together for the common good, change is always possible. We can ensure a brighter future by telling our stories, learning from the stories of others, and then working…
Read More
Our Top Blog Articles of 2019: A Look Back
Ah, 2019 – how the time flies! The end of the year is always a little bit nostalgic, and as the year comes to an end, we’re taking stock of what our community has found most useful. If there’s one thing (or two) we know about our readers, it’s that they love growing food and…
Read More
The Battle of Seattle and the Power of Going to Jail for Justice
On November 30th, 1999, thousands of protestors descended on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, where the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference was being held to discuss economic globalization, a controversial set of negotiations. Several groups of protestors ranging from students to civilians, took control of the city blocks surrounding the building, deterring…
Read More
All In the Question: What If We Started Asking Better Questions?
Reframing an obstacle in a positive manner can reinvent the way we look at problems in both our everyday life and on a larger scale.
Read More
Veteran Activist and Organizer Lisa Fithian Visits Chelsea Green
Chelsea Green Publishing celebrated Employee Ownership Month with a visit from veteran activist, organizer, and author, Lisa Fithian! Invited to be the inaugural speaker in our “Lunch and Learn” program sponsored by the Employee-Ownership Committee, Lisa inspired us all with countless stories of her adventures on the frontlines of change. Lisa’s new book, Shut It…
Read More
The Importance of Imagination
From What Is to What If author Rob Hopkins is a co-founder of Transition Town Totnes and Transition Network. He is also the author of The Power of Just Doing Stuff, The Transition Handbook, and The Transition Companion. He earned a spot on Nesta and the Observer’s list of Britain’s 50 New Radicals and was…
Read More
A Search for Rural Justice
Charles D. Thompson, Jr., is the Professor of the Practice of Cultural Anthropology and Documentary Studies at Duke University. His numerous books and documentaries have helped bring underrepresented rural issues in the United States and Latin America to the forefront. When Chelsea Green sat down with him to discuss his latest book, Going Over Home:…
Read More
Back-to-the-Land Dreams
These days, becoming a farmer isn’t considered a “typical” career path. But for some folks, the allure of cultivating your food and owning your land seems too good to resist. These people were born to return to nature, where they can experience true freedom in the open air. The following is an excerpt from Going…
Read More
The Power of Nonviolent Direct Action
Some acts of nonviolent protesting put the message out for the public and brings attention to the issue. However, this strategy doesn’t always capture the attention of the people who have the power—the government. Adding strategy to nonviolence brings the attention it needs directly into the face of those who can change the rules and…
Read More
Why Isn’t Farming Enough?
Years ago family farms were an abundance. Generations of farmers passed the land down in hopes of it continuing to prosper. However, these farms are a rarity; smaller ones are put out of business by large corporations and the cost of maintenance yields no profit. Many farmers have to find other means of making a…
Read More
The Insatiable Call of Composting
James McSweeney is a composting consultant and educator who has been an ardent proponent and collaborator in the community composting movement in the United States. Through his work at the Highfields Center for Composting and current consultancy, Compost Technical Services, James has worked with hundreds of composters, large and small, on everything from site planning,…
Read More
So, You Want to get Arrested?
Change will come only at the hands of unflagging creativity, standing up, never backing down, making yourself heard, accepting risk, and embracing direct non-violent action. Lisa Fithian’s Shut It Down offers a first-person look into some of the most significant social movements over the past four decades and how they have been powered by people…
Read More
5 Reasons You Should Pick-Your-Own This Summer
Summer is here, and the days of fresh vegetables and local harvests are near. But this doesn’t mean only those with farms and gardens should feel the amazingness of picking their own crops. You may recall a moment last year when your friend asked, “Are those your blueberries?” when you brought pie to the potluck.…
Read More
Building Your Backyard Permaculture Paradise
The award-winning Paradise Lot takes a behind-the-scenes look at how two plant geeks transformed a desolate urban backyard into a permaculture paradise. At the same time, the pair were hoping to each find their own Eve for this special garden adventure. They succeeded on both fronts–creating an urban, food-producing oasis on a tenth of an acre, and…
Read More
How to Make Biochar
For something that looks like a lump of charcoal, biochar certainly has a great press agent. The subject of books, articles, blog posts, research papers, workshop presentations, conference talks, and various top-ten-ideas-that-will-change-the-world lists. Its potential ability to address a variety of global challenges is indisputably large. So, how exactly do you make this strange material?…
Read More
African Farming Traditions: Learning the Power of Tradition
Far before the release of her book Farming While Black, Leah Penniman had been helping countless Black and Brown farmers reclaim their right to the land. For years, Leah has been educating, inspiring, and working alongside so many individuals to make sure they truly understand the customs and traditions of their African farming ancestors and help…
Read More
An Edible Urban Oasis
More than 80 percent of the US population now resides in urban areas. This number is projected to rise in the next few decades. Finding ways to maximize use of existing open space is imperative, and increasing access to food through sustainable management of edible landscaping is one important approach among many that are underway.…
Read More
CARBON CASCADES: How to Restore Earth’s Natural Balance
In order to rescue ourselves from climate catastrophe, we need to radically alter how humans live on Earth. We have to go from spending carbon to banking it. A secret unlocked by the ancients of the Amazon for its ability to transform impoverished tropical soils into terra preta—fertile black earths—points the way. The indigenous custom of…
Read More
Sustain Your Land: Subsistence Strategies for the Long Haul
Peasants, indigenous agriculturalists, and old-time American farming families farmed first and foremost to feed their own families and those in need in their communities—only secondarily, if at all, for a market. They may have practiced shifting agriculture or were settled permanently in villages; they may have been members of free, “primitive” or “tribal” societies, or…
Read More