Grow better not bigger AS LOCAL ORGANIC agriculture continues to flourish, young professional growers like Jean-Martin Fortier are leading the way with their innovative ideas about how to start a farm. Growing on just 1.5 acres, he and his wife have been making a good living from their vegetable operation for over 10 years, feeding more than 200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stand. Based on low-tech, high-yield methods of production, The Market Gardener is packed with practical information on: Setting-up a micro-farm by designing biologically intensive cropping systems, all with negligible capital outlay Farming without a tractor and minimizing fossil-fuel inputs through the use of the best hand tools, appropriate machinery and minimum tillage practices Growing mixed vegetables systematically with attention to weed and pest management, crop yields, harvest periods and pricing approaches. The Market Gardener is a complete, modern, micro-scale farming handbook which shows that making a living wage growing food without large capital outlay or access to an acreage may be closer than you think.