Books on Natural Farming
A curated shelf on natural farming, living soil and toxin-free food — the books that shaped the movement in India and worldwide.
The One-Straw Revolution
by Masanobu Fukuoka
The founding text of natural ("do-nothing") farming — no tillage, no fertiliser, no pesticides, no weeding — and a philosophy of working with nature rather than against it.
Sowing Seeds in the Desert
by Masanobu Fukuoka
Fukuoka's vision for re-greening the world's deserts with seed balls and natural methods, extending his principles from the farm to the whole planet.
The Vision of Natural Farming
by Bharat Mansata
An accessible Indian introduction to natural farming, drawing on Fukuoka and local practitioners, and making the case for ecological agriculture in the subcontinent.
The Philosophy of Spiritual Farming (Zero Budget Natural Farming)
by Subhash Palekar
The foundation of ZBNF — Jeevamrutha, Beejamrutha, mulching and Waaphasa — the low-cost, chemical-free system now practised by millions of Indian farmers.
Farmers of Forty Centuries
by F. H. King
A 1911 study of how farmers in China, Korea and Japan sustained fertile soil for four thousand years through careful recycling of organic matter.
Teaming with Microbes
by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis
A gardener-friendly guide to the soil food web — bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes — and how feeding the soil life feeds the plant.
The Hidden Half of Nature
by David R. Montgomery & Anne Biklé
The microbiome of soil and of our own bodies, and why healthy living soil is the root of healthy food and healthy people.
Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture
by Toby Hemenway
A practical classic on designing resilient, food-producing home ecosystems — guilds, polycultures and closing the loop on a small scale.
Restoration Agriculture
by Mark Shepard
How perennial, tree-based farming systems can produce staple food while rebuilding soil, water and biodiversity.