Making Small Farms Work May 2026

The book argues that small farms can be highly successful and contribute significantly to the modern agricultural landscape if they employ and innovative practices [4]. Key themes include:

: Unlike many idealistic farming texts, Perkins focuses on "hard" data, sharing detailed spreadsheets, set-up costs, and financial planning vital for long-term viability [12, 14]. Key Components Covered Making Small Farms Work

: Using a structured framework to manage the ecological, financial, and personal aspects of farm life [5, 19]. The book argues that small farms can be

: Managing trees and perennials within a farm system [14, 20]. Perkins focuses on "hard" data

: Integrating livestock to build soil fertility [14].

The text serves as a detailed "how-to" manual covering every stage of farm development:

: Intensive market gardening techniques [14].