The Two-Wheel Tractor Handbook
Small-Scale Equipment and Innovative Techniques for Boosting Productivity
Small but mighty — a comprehensive guide to the use of two-wheel tractors for highly productive gardens, landscapes, and farms
TWO-WHEEL TRACTORS are multifunctional, economical, practical, maneuverable, portable, and low impact. Yet choosing the equipment is only half of it; the other half is integrating the right machine and implements into your land-based enterprise and coupling it with innovative high-efficiency techniques. Coverage includes:
- Why you need a two-wheel tractor
- Two-wheel tractor essentials including tractor implement options and functions
- Equipment decision-making to suit your scale, context, enterprises, and budget
- Safety equipment, operation, and basic maintenance
- Innovative use strategies including micro-plowing, making "Permabeds," in situ mulching, the "Compost-a-path Method," crop guilds, scaling up, and diversified crop management
- How to start from scratch, clearing new land, scaling up your enterprises, and more
- Case studies and rich examples from suburban landscaping to commercial market gardens from Europe and North America
- "Pro tips," "design boxes," and other sidebars for rapidly elevating your skills.
The Two-Wheel Tractor Handbook shows small-scale growers how to leverage walk-behind tractors to maximize the productivity and profitability of their enterprises. This full-color, highly illustrated guide is a must-have tool for urban farmers, suburban gardeners, rural homesteaders, orchardists, landscapers, and market gardeners looking to boost production.
Zach Loeks is an educator, grower, second-generation permaculture designer innovating and specializing in Edible Ecosystem Design. His passion is demonstrating how small actions – strategically linked – can create big change. He is director of the Ecosystem Solution Institute, where he consults widely with homes, farms, colleges, schools, and municipalities across North America and around the world. His purpose is to help people create more edible and diverse farms, gardens, and landscapes while enhancing food security, community well-being, and societal resilience. Zach manages an award-winning farm featuring diversified food forest products, heirloom garlic, and a hardy tree nursery. His innovations have earned him three provincial awards. He is the author of The Edible Ecosystem Solution and The Permaculture Market Garden. Zach splits his time between his rural farm in Ontario and a sister urban farm in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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