Review: Specialty Cut Flowers

At a time when farmers struggle to make a profit from crops of corn and potatoes and soybeans it rankles the mind to learn of folks who buy spotted knapweed and Johnson grass as ornamentals, and of gatherers and growers who make money off such weeds. The fresh and dried cut flower business is blossoming in American but its not coming up roses.

Florists whose cut flower arrangements were predominantly roses, carnations or mums a dozen years ago are now experimenting with and creating a steady market for asters and bellflowers, coneflowers and dogwoods, lobelias and statice. Even stem cuttings of ornamental onions, sage and thistles are growing with value.

Specialty Cut Flowers

The Production of Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Woody Plants for Fresh and Dried Cut Flowers 

by Allan M. Armitage and Judy M. Laushman 

Timber Press, 2003

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Reading the History: American Windmills

From the earliest days of European settlement, Americans have cherished the sight of a windmill—an instantly recognizable feature of the American landscape. Boasting nearly two hundred striking images,
this book is the first devoted to photographs illustrating historic wind machines throughout North America.

T. Lindsay Baker, an expert historian on windmills, has written about wind-power history for twenty-five years. His album contains historic images captured by professional windmiller B. H. “Tex” Burdick and from corporate archives of windmill manufacturers. It depicts windmills in a wide range of settings and uses—not only on ranches and farms but also alongside railroads, in industry, and even in urban areas.

The photos chosen for this book illustrate windmill manufacture, distribution, and use in all regions of the United States, with an emphasis on the Great Plains.

American Windmills

An Album of Historic Photographs

by T. Lindsay Baker

University of Oklahoma Press, 2012

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Farm and Garden Picks: Organic Gardener's Companion

Lifelong gardener Jane Shellenberger brings us this comprehensive, hands-on guide to growing organic produce in the Rocky Mountain and western region, including Colorado, parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and eastern Oregon.

The text covers soil cultivation, plant selection, water, microclimates, and other concerns specific to semiarid and high-altitude climates.

Organic Gardener's Companion

Growing Vegetables in the West

by Jane Shellenberger

Fulcrum, 2012

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Now exploring Tales of a River Rat

Kenny Salwey is the last of a breed of men whose lifestyle has all but disappeared in this fast-paced, high-tech digital world. For thirty years, this weathered woodsman eked out a living on the Mississippi River, running a trapline, hiring out as a river guide, digging and selling roots and herbs, and eating the food he hunted and fished.

In Tales of a River Rat,  Salwey informs and entertains readers as he weaves his life story on the Mississippi River.

Tales of a River Rat

Adventures Along the Wild Mississippi

by Kenny Salwey

Fulcrum, 2012

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Review: The Dreaded Broccoli Cookbook

Packed with vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, broccoli is obviously a nutritious vegetable. Rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants, broccoli certainly deserves a prominent place in any diet.

Barbara and Tamar Haspel, a mother-daughter team of food writers, became very interested in broccoli and other healthful foods after their husband-father suffered a heart attack and had to make some radical changes in his diet. Determined to find ways of making low-fat meals full of flavor, they experimented with techniques and ingredients, documenting their recipes and ideas in a light-hearted and fact-filled newsletter called "Dreaded Broccoli."

The title of this book, and the newsletter, comes from a recurring joke that Barbara and her husband shared about vegetables served in restaurants. "The broccoli of the title isn't the actual broccoli of our old marital joke," Barbara explains. "It's the stuff that's good for you, that you know you should be eating, and that you haven't a clue how to get into your diet. It's all those vegetables and whole grains you keep hearing about."

The Dreaded Broccoli Cookbook

A Good-Natured Guide to Healthful

Eating with 100 Recipes

by Barbara and Tamar Haspel

Scribner, 1999

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Review: Little Old Lady Recipes

This is a collection of simple recipes culled from writer and comedian Meg Favrea's friends and neighbors as well as old out-of-print cookbooks. All are the nostalgic favorites of mothers and grandmothers who prepared daily meals for families and special dishes for church potlucks.

A nostalgic return to the kitchen of June Cleaver with casseroles, pot roasts, canned goods and comfort foods, the book is illustrated with wonderful portraits of ladies who may or may not have contributed recipes (none are identified) and spiced with quotes like: "Club soda is a wonderful thing. You can use it to remove any stain, or mix it with gin and drink until you don't care about the stain anymore" by 72-year-old Chastity, a deli clerk.

Little Old Lady Recipes

Comfort Food and Kitchen Table Wisdom

by Meg Favreau

Quirk Books, 2011

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New Guides: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Facebook Marketing

Millions of people use Facebook every day, and many of them could be your future customers. Facebook makes it easy for you to expand your customer base and nurture existing relationships with such tools as Marketplace, Places, and Deals. This book shows you how.

Covers all aspects including Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Places, and Facebook Deals.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Facebook Marketing

by John Wayne Zimmerman

ALPHA, 2012

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