Articles: community
Doing Well By Doing Good
The list of issues impacting Earth’s rapid decline continues to grow at a highly alarming rate. Environmental concerns are entering the world of politics and business. Our…
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The Miracle of Farming: Toward a Bio-Abundant Future
Farmers have a close relationship with nature, seeing life cycles happen right in front of their eyes marvel in what the earth can produce. We wouldn’t survive…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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Permaculture Advice For Beginners
Trying something for the first time can be intimidating, especially when it’s something as big as learning how to live off your land. But like with any…
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Farmers Aren’t Created Equal: The “American Farmer” Fallacy
For those who aren’t in the know, it may seem like all farmers are created equal, but that’s simply not the case. In fact, there is such…
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Black Rural Land: Black Land Matters
As a young black girl, Leah Penniman struggled to understand who she was and where she fit in with the world. There was one thing she did…
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The Evolution of Earth, Humans, and Our Natural Resources
We have long been taught that evolution is a process that occurs gradually over millions of years, that change happens slowly without much attention. We’ve come to…
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Composting: Breaking Down the Core Principles
Composting is about more than just flinging your food scraps into a heap in your backyard. It’s about figuring out a way to give your unwanted food…
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Chelsea Green Publishing: A Year In Review
It’s been quite the year here at Chelsea Green! We opened our first international office in London, England, launched a brand new website, published a ton of…
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The World Needs Books: Notes from an Editor
I’ve worked as an editor for 35 years—my entire adult life. In that time I have seen many changes in the publishing industry: faster computers, better software,…
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How The Great Migration Led to Urban Farming
For centuries, humans have been migrating in search of better land, opportunities, and quality of life. For some, those migrations were voluntary while others were forced to…
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Everything You Need for a Grab-n-Go Survival Kit: Prepping 101
We know a lot of people are wondering what’s coming next in the US, as well as the world, given terrorism, politics, and global warming, among other…
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A 15-Point Urban Food Manifesto
What if farms and food production were integrated into every aspect of urban living—from special assessments to create new farms and food businesses to teaching people how…
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Lessons in Resilience: How to Plan a Successful Farm Business
Humans specialize in resilience. We have the capability to create wondrous things out of seemingly nothing and continuously reinvent ourselves. However, when the world is against us,…
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The 20 Rules of Slow Democracy
As millions of people head to the polls today to cast their vote, we got to thinking about the idea of democracy and how we need it…
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Homage to Chef Kurt Michael Friese
Chef Kurt Michael Friese, a Chelsea Green author and friend to staff, contributors and readers, died at age 54 in his home in Iowa City, Iowa. It…
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How to End a Food Apartheid
Apartheid ended in 1994, right? Not according to Leah Penniman, a young, black farmer living in the South End of Albany, NY where a modern day apartheid…
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How to Cheat In an Argument: A Beginner’s Guide
Manners. We were all taught them from a young age, and yet, they are oft forgotten when we find ourselves in the heat of an argument about…
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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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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.…
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Community Food Forests in Action
Alright. We’ve covered the basics of what a community food forest is, how to plan one, and which approach is best. Now it’s time to see some…
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A Community Food Forest: Planning and Managing
As Benjamin Franklin stated, “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” A good community food forest will always require robust planning but don’t let that scare…
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Agroforestry Versus Permaculture: Which Approach to Use for a Community Food Forest
Ok, so we’ve gone over some basics of community food forests: Now it’s time to figure out how to plan one. There are two schools of thought…
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