Desert Almond Farmer

Desert Almond Farmer is a true story about Frederick Godde (1863-1930) who received 160 acres of land in the Mojave Desert under the Homestead Act of 1862. His new life began without water, electricity, or roads. In the end, he had a wife, nine children, thousands of almond trees, and a role in California history. This is the family's story-how they survived, how they conducted their daily lives, and how they grew almonds in the desert. Author-illustrator Mary Kaye Godde Stamets grew up in the almond orchards on the land her grandfather Frederick homesteaded. She combined photographs and art to create an authentic representation of a bygone era; the book is a piece of folk art. Number of pages: 248 Dimensions: 8.25" W x 8.25" H; Weight: two pounds; Printing method: 4-color process; Language: English; Suggested age level: eight through adulthood; Cover: Softcover; Extras: Full-width cover flaps with photographs 15" W x 8.25" H

A vivid, searching journey into California's capture of water and soil—the epic story of a people's defiance of nature and the wonders, and ruin, it has wrought Mark Arax is from a family of Central Valley farmers, a writer with deep ties to the land who has watched the battles over water intensify even as California lurches from drought to flood and back again. In The Dreamt Land, he travels the state to explore the one-of-a-kind distribution system, built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s, that is straining to keep up with California's relentless growth. The Dreamt Land weaves reportage, history and memoir to confront the "Golden State" myth in riveting fashion. No other chronicler of the West has so deeply delved into the empires of agriculture that drink so much of the water. The nation's biggest farmers—the nut king, grape king and citrus queen—tell their story here for the first time. Arax, the native son, is persistent and tough as he treks from desert to delta, mountain to valley. What he finds is hard earned, awe-inspiring, tragic and revelatory. In the end, his compassion for the land becomes an elegy to the dream that created California and now threatens to undo it.

100 delicious and decadent dessert recipes from the founders of Beekman 1802. Dr. Brent Ridge and New York Times bestselling author Josh Kilmer-Purcell are not your average couple: The two Manhattanites left their big city lives behind, and found themselves living in bucolic Sharon Springs, New York, where they became "accidental goat farmers." But what began as a way to reconnect with their own style of modern country living soon exploded into a wildly successful brand, Beekman 1802, named after their historic home. Brent and Josh are now world-renowned for producing everything from magnificent handcrafted goat's milk soaps to artisanal Blaak cheese. Now, with The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook, they're bringing their special vintage-modern touch to classic, remarkable recipes bound to become family favorites year after year. The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook will show off the delicious and decadent recipes that the Beekman Boys have collected from across the generations of their family, from Brent's grandmother's Fourth of July Fruitcake to Josh's mother's Hot Chocolate Dumplings. Each recipe is accompanied by a personal memory from the authors or a story about how that recipe came to be, perfect for those who are nostalgic for some classic Americana in their kitchen or just hankering for a Blackberry Betty recipe.

Our best-selling guide for almonds covers 120 different pest problems including diseases, insects and mites, nematodes, vertebrate pests, and weeds; including 10 new insect pests and diseases including anthracnose, Alternaria leaf blight, rust, tenlined June beetle, and leafhoppers. New in the second edition you'll find: An extensively revised chapter on vertebrate pest management which adds recommendations for control techniques where endangered species occur. A revised and expanded chapter on vegetation management including detailed information on cover crops. A revised section on navel orangeworm, emphasizing cultural control techniques instead of insecticides. A revised section on peach twig borer includes discussions of bloomtime sprays with Bacillus thuringiensis and pheromone mating disruption. Revised and updated tables on susceptibility of rootstocks and scion cultivars to major pests and a detailed index. This indispensable reference is illustrated with 259 photos, including 33 new color photos, along with 69 line drawings and tables.

Savor the Flavors of Every Season with Beautiful Baked Goods Bake along with Kelsey Siemens, creator of The Farmer’s Daughter blog and fulltime apple farmer at her family’s orchard. In this inspiring collection, she shares the ins and outs of a year on the farm, along with new and heirloom recipes, plus gorgeous photography. Layered with crumbles, fillings, creams and curds, these impressive treats bring out the best in every fruit. Whether you want to take your pies to the next level with a braided lattice crust and creative flavor pairings, or just need clever ways to use your farmers’ market haul or garden harvest, you’ll find a bounty of delicious ideas and easy techniques. Welcome spring with Great-Grandma Enid’s Rhubarb-Pistachio Coffee Cake and capture the sweet taste of summer in Blueberry–Earl Grey Cream Roll Cake. Celebrate autumn’s return with favorite flavors in Apple Crisp Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and warm up your winter with preserves and spices in a festive Gingerbread Loaf with Chai-Spiced Poached Pears. Straight from Kelsey’s cozy farmhouse kitchen, these recipes turn everyday produce into irresistible creations that will have you looking forward to every season.

Argues that the Earth's deteriorating condition is man-made and outlines a way for the process to be reversed by rehabilitating the deserts using natural farming.

Gifted with a mind that continues to impress the elders in his village, Ichmad Hamid struggles with knowing that he can do nothing to save his friends and family. Living on occupied land, his entire village operates in fear of losing their homes, jobs, and belongings. But more importantly, they fear losing each other. On Ichmad's twelfth birthday, that fear becomes reality. With his father imprisoned, his family's home and possessions confiscated, and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ichmad begins an inspiring journey using his intellect to save his poor and dying family. In doing so he reclaims a love for others that was lost through a childhood rife with violence and loss, and discovers a new hope for the future. Reminiscent of The Kite Runner and One Thousand Splendid Suns, this is an uplifting read, which conveys a message of optimism and hope.

Once touted as the bright hope for feeding the world's growing population, desert irrigation now threatens to destroy the very prosperity it was meant to create. Sounding the alarm, Mirage traces the development of desert farming, successfully initiated in British India and the American West, and shows the startling, calamitous results of this shortsighted enterprise. With monumental dams and complex technology we have made the desert bloom, only to see those labors eventually poison the land, ruining it for future cultivation and devastating fragile ecosystems. Chronicling the history of desert agriculture and irrigation in India and the later application of these techniques in the western United States and elsewhere, Clemings portrays ecosystems assaulted by invasive practices and crop irrigation methods designed without heed to the consequences. From the canal colonies of the Indus River basin to the massive dams of the lower Colorado River, we see the disastrous results of bringing arid lands under the agricultural yoke at any cost. With one-third of the world's crops raised on irrigated lands, the problems of sustainability have serious consequences. One of the most dire results has already been witnessed in the devastation at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in California. In less than four years, Kesterson went from a "thriving wildlife refuge to a death trap". Dead fish, deformed chickens, and the death of thousands of migratory birds resulted from the subsurface drainage of irrigated lands, causing some to call the occurrence the "Three Mile Island of desert agriculture".