CONTENTS

Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xi

Introduction:
From Gardening for Fun to Gardening for Health 1
Real Food Matters • How to Use This Book

PART I
Nourishment from the Ground Up
Chapter 1: A New Garden Model 15
The Soil/Plant Model • Putting the Models Together • Reaping
the Harvest

Chapter 2: Methods and Strategies 39

Mineral Amendment Sources • Biological Amendment Sources
• Amendment Strategies • Starting a New Garden Plot • Amend-
ing at Planting Time • Amending Perennial Crops • Amendment
Strategies Throughout the Growth Cycle • Summing Up

Chapter 3: Sustainable, Regenerative Garden Tools 73

Good Water • Foliar Sprays and Drenches • Compost • Cover
Crops • Mulches • Weeds • Crushing Tool

Chapter 4: Data and Measurements 95

Using a Refractometer • Conducting a Soil Test • Amendment
Analysis Results • Garden Math • A Garden Notebook
 PART II
Making Mineral and Biological
Amendments
Chapter 5: Raw Materials 113
Weeds and Crop Plants • Local Rocks and Soils • Ocean Products
• Raw Milk

Chapter 6: Amendment Recipes 121

Water Extractions • Apple Cider Vinegar • Vinegar Extractions
• Fermented Plant Juice • Fermented Fish • Leaf Mold Fermen-
tation • Leaf Mold Biology • Lactic Acid Bacteria • IMO #1:
Capturing Local Microorganisms • IMO #2: Fermenting Local
Microorganisms • IMO #3: Propagating Local Microorganisms
• IMO #4: Living Soil Amendment

Appendix A: Summary of Amendment Recipes 179

Appendix B: Optimal Soil Mineral Amounts 181
Appendix C: A Sample of Dr. James Duke’s
Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Database 183
Appendix D: Plant Mineral Deficiency Indicators 184
Appendix E: Amendment Mineral Analysis 185
Appendix F: Refractive Index Brix Scale 190

Glossary 193
Bibliography 195
Index 197