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Growing Perennial Foods: A Field Guide to Raising Resilient Herbs, Fruits, and Vegetables Paperback – Illustrated, 28 February 2019

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

Acadia Tucker's long love affair with perennial foods has produced this easy-to-understand guide to growing, harvesting, and eating them.



A regenerative farmer and gardener deeply concerned about global warming, Acadia Tucker believes there may be no better time to plant perennials. Sturdy and deep-rooted, perennials can weather climate extremes more easily than annuals. They can thrive without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. And they don't need as much water, either.



These long-lived plants also help build healthy soil, turning the very ground we stand on into a carbon sponge.



In this book, Tucker lays the groundwork for tending an organic, sustainable garden. She includes practical growing guides for 34 popular perennials, among them, basil, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, garlic, radicchio, spinach, and sweet potatoes, and wraps in a recipe for each of the plants profiled.



Growing Perennial Foods is for gardeners who want more resilient plants. It's for people who want to do something about climate change, and the environment. It's for anyone who has ever wanted to grow food, and is ready to begin.

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Review

"Right from the beginning of the book, you really get the idea that not only does Acadia know what she's talking about, she is passionate about it. This book isn't technical, but also doesn't talk down to readers. Acadia is right there with you, explaining everything, encouraging you, and giving you all the info you need on growing various perennial foods. My favorite part is the section on the challenges you might face. As anyone who has ever grown a plant can tell you, one cannot simply plant and expect to have a successful harvest. I found it very refreshing to have an author write about pests, diseases, and growing problems. I also appreciated that she covered tips on how to overcome them. Acadia approaches gardening much the way we do at the National Gardening Association - organically, and with an eye toward working with nature rather than against it. We are very impressed and excited to see more of Acadia's work."-Trish Whitinger, COO, National Gardening Association



"Growing Perennial Foods is a down-in-the-dirt guide to growing food in a way that's good for the planet. It's also the account of one woman's transformation into climate activist and regenerative farmer. Acadia Tucker is on a mission to get more of us thinking about the power of regenerative agriculture. By the end of the book, you'll feel inspired enough to start your own Climate Victory Garden."-Jes Walton, Green America



"Acadia Tucker's Growing Perennial Foods is a must-have resource for home gardeners looking to take their conservation efforts to the next level. With hard-earned knowledge and conversational clarity, Tucker demystifies the concepts of regenerative agriculture, translates them to the garden level, and guides the reader both philosophically and practically. Her focus on perennial plants provides an exciting and useful method of enacting the principles of regenerative agriculture, one that any sustainable gardener will appreciate."-Stephanie Anderson, author of One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl's Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture



"Beautifully written and illustrated, Growing Perennial Foods will be a well-thumbed addition to your gardening library."-The Northern Light



"Great for new and experienced gardeners alike, Growing Perennial Foods is worth the purchase for the recipes alone. The book provides a short primer on general gardening topics, including composting and organic pest control, along with individual plant profiles for a wide variety of herbs, vegetables, and fruit. But, more than the academic knowledge, you will experience the love and passion Acadia Tucker has for the earth and making it a better place for all to enjoy."-Gardening Products Review



"I love this book. An easy-to-read, down-to-earth guide to regenerative gardening, Growing Perennial Foods provides a blueprint, and the inspiration, to start planting your own."-Virginia Aronson, R.D., M.S., Director, Food and Nutrition Resources Foundation



"In North America, we tend to think of perennials as primarily ornamental rather than food-producing. Regenerative farmer Acadia Tucker believes that taking cues from how plants grow in the wild will allow for cultivated gardens that produce bountiful harvests while addressing concerns about global climate change. This guide to creating a regenerative food garden starts with addressing the existing soil and moves through all the steps needed to create a healthy, nurturing bed. Tucker then recommends a variety of perennial herbs, fruits, and vegetables, including information for how to plant, grow, and harvest each, along with potential challenges specific to each plant. One recipe is included for each plant, with most of the recipes vegan or vegetarian. While the majority of these plants are able to survive winter in many parts of North America, some are tender and will need to be moved inside during cold months. A FAQ section and glossary are appended."--Anne Heidemann, Booklist, American Library Association



"Read this book! If we don't get together and take care of the soil, our atmosphere is toast."--Tim LaSalle, Cofounder, Regenerative Agriculture Initiative, Chico State



"This is the best book about growing perennial vegetables I've seen."-Simply Smart Gardening



"Tucker helps us tap into the deeper meaning of gardening and grow good food at the same time."--Anne Biklé, co-author of The Hidden Half of Nature The Microbial Roots of Life and Health



"I have every intention of referring back to the sections on individual plants as the season develops. The advice can likely be best internalized as you mull over your plants as you prepare the ground, seed them, and watch them develop. It is a book that should have lots of dirty fingerprints on it by the end of a growing season. There are plenty of gardening advice books, but the focus here on perennials and on carbon capture gardening sets this one apart."-Ivan Emke, Book on the Coffee Table

About the Author

Acadia Tucker is a regenerative farmer, climate activist, and author. Her books are a call to action to citizen gardeners everywhere, and lay the groundwork for planting an organic, regenerative garden. For her, this is gardening as if our future depends on it. Before becoming an author, Acadia started a four-season organic market garden in Washington State inspired by farming pioneers Eliot Coleman and Jean-Martin Fortier. While managing the farm, Acadia grew 200 different food crops before heading back to school at the University of British Columbia to complete a Masters in Land and Water Systems. She lives in Maine and New Hampshire with her farm dog, Nimbus, and grows hops to support locally sourced craft beer in New England, when she isn't growing food in her backyard, or in her dining room. Acadia is an Ambassador for regenerative agriculture for The Rodale Institute.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stone Pier Press; Illustrated edition (28 February 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0998862355
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0998862354
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

About the author

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Acadia Tucker
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Acadia Tucker is a regenerative farmer, climate activist, and author. She has just published Growing Perennial Foods: A field guide to raising resilient herbs, fruits & vegetables. It’s a call to action to citizen gardeners everywhere, and lay the groundwork for planting an organic, regenerative garden. For her, this is gardening as if our future depends on it. Before becoming an author, Acadia started a four-season organic market garden in Washington State inspired by farming pioneers Eliot Coleman and Jean-Martin Fortier. While managing the farm, Acadia grew 200 different food crops before heading back to school at the University of British Columbia to complete a Masters in Land and Water Systems. She lives in Maine and New Hampshire with her farm dog, Nimbus, and grows hops to support locally sourced craft beer in New England, when she isn't raising perennials in her own backyard. She is also the author of Growing Good Food: A citizen’s guide to backyard carbon farming.

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4.4 out of 5 stars
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  • David
    5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand this garden growing guide
    Reviewed in the United States on 22 April 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I really loved reading this easy to understand garden growing guide! Acadia Tucker (love that name!) lays out important advice every aspiring or even experienced gardener should know. I live north of New York City and, because of deer and squirrels, I grow my vegetables in containers on my porch, but I have never focused on the quality of the soil in the containers. After reading this book, especially a very good chapter on preparing the right soil for each type of plant, I now have an explanation as to why my crop yields have been low. I have never composted before and this book discusses how to compost and how to use compost in a garden. It inspired me to get a compost bin! I also liked the chart showing which fruits and vegetables do well in containers (I may even try to grow some blueberries this year).
    The other great thing about this book is the recipes at the end of each chapter. Pretty creative stuff, and it reminds us that we're not just supposed to grow these plants, but we're supposed to enjoy eating them (putting sunflower seeds, as opposed to pine nuts, in the pesto with your home grown basil sounds like a cool idea).
    Since I'm a big tomato grower (if I can keep the squirrels away), I liked the tips on how to harvest them so they keep growing new tomatoes through the season (and now I know what a peduncle is!). The recipe for roasted tomato soup sounds delicious.
    I would have liked to have read more on pest control (near and dear to my heart) and seen even more fruits and vegetables discussed, but maybe those are ideas for a future book. Thanks for a great book Acadia!
  • John MacArthur
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Resource
    Reviewed in Canada on 27 October 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Well laid out and easy to understand. Has helpful recipes for each perennial
  • Kira B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent step-by-step guide with recipes!
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 April 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I love this book! It is a thrill for our whole family when we can grow something in our garden that we all love to eat. But as a relative novice to growing food, I've had mixed successes. This book is quickly teaching me the fundamentals and proving to be a great resource! It is easy to read, thoughtfully written and laid out. Most importantly though, it provides individual step-by-step instructions to growing all of the herbs, fruits, and vegetables our family and most people enjoy, as well as the challenges I might encounter along the way and what to do about them. There are great recipes for each of the plantings too. And, I'm gaining a better understanding of soil composition, compost, mulch, pruning, how to combat weeds, organic pest solutions, and much much more. I definitely recommend it!
  • WinnSF
    5.0 out of 5 stars Grow good food! Love the recipes and illustrations!
    Reviewed in the United States on 6 May 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book is jam packed with tips and lots of detailed information for the gardener who is just starting out or someone already skilled looking to gain more knowledge about soils and regenerative gardening. What sets it apart from "just another gardening book" are the delicious recipes and regional planting ideas. I plan on using this book to grow a summer garden. A field guide indeed! Looking forward to seeing more books by Stone Pier Press.
  • Viola Blue
    2.0 out of 5 stars Considering such high reviews not what expected...
    Reviewed in Canada on 4 July 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Basic information. No photos. Basic black and white line drawings. That kind of book. It's not one that I expect will take up valuable book shelf space at my house for long.