Ann Larkin Hansen – författare

Providing expert tips on tending the land, caring for animals, and necessary equipment, Ann Larkin Hansen also covers the intricate process of acquiring organic certification and other business considerations important to a profitable operation. Discover the rewarding satisfaction of running a successful and sustainable organic farm.

Buying farmland is a major investment, so be sure you make an informed choice. This practical guide covers every factor you should consider before making a purchase, including government regulations, residential concerns from the surrounding area, soil conditions, and savvy financing. Whether you intend to grow abundant crops or graze a robust herd of livestock, Finding Good Farmland provides a roadmap to the land that’s right for you.

Protect your livestock and gardens with electric fencing. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Ann Larkin Hansen describes the pros and cons of different varieties of electric fencing so that you can choose the fence that best suits your property and needs. You’ll also learn how electric fencing works and how to put it together yourself. Whether you’re looking for a standard design to reign in your flock or a portable version for rotational grazing, this accessible volume will help you find an efficient, cost-effective solution.

This Storey BASICS® title offers exactly what you need to know to keep your small farm’s equipment in good working order. Long-time farmers Steve and Ann Larkin Hansen cover everything from tractors and mowers to trimmers, tillers, ATVs, plows, discs, drills, planters, cultivators, mechanical rakes, and balers, showing you how to care for your equipment to prevent problems and how to diagnose and fix the things that do go wrong.

This hardworking addition to the best-selling Backyard Homestead series offers expert advice on what tasks to do around your farm and when to do them — no matter where on the planet you call home. Author Ann Larkin Hansen sets the priorities for each area of the farm, including the barn, garden, orchard, field, pasture, and woodlot. For every critical turn of the year (12 in all), Hansen provides an at-a-glance to-do list along with tips and a more in-depth discussion of key topics for the season. Easy-reference charts, checklists, and record-keeping sections help you keep track of it all. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead, The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, and The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How.

Use electric fencing to protect your livestock, poultry, beehives, and garden. Portable electric fencing is key to successful rotational grazing, while permanent electric fencing effectively protects gardens and orchards and secures large pastures. Through clear instructions accessible to everyone, you’ll learn when to use these methods or a combination of the two, plus how to plan for, build, and maintain your electric fencing. This crucial tool is cost effective and versatile, but veteran farmer and author Ann Larkin Hansen also explains what not to do with an electric fence.

Eggs, meat, milk, wool, fur, feathers, and some priceless bucolic bliss. No hobby farm is complete without critters...possibly a small herd peppering the field or a microflock flapping around the hen house or pond. A single information-packed volume with everything a hobby farmer needs to know about farm animals, this new comprehensive manual to selecting, caring for, and breeding livestock brings forth the expertise of six hobby farmers, each of whom has real-life on-the-farm experience with the animals she discusses. Whether you're contemplating adding a small herd of sheep or goats to your existing hobby farm or you've always wondered about the benefits of raising angora rabbits or Muscovy ducks, Livestock for Your Hobby Farm provides the kind of guidance you need to begin a herd or flock and expand your pens and fencing. With exhaustive detail, the authors offer complete coverage of chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, and rabbits, including the housing, health-care, special needs, advantages and challenges of each.-Extensive sections devoted to the seven major farm animals, including profiles of the most popular breeds and varieties -Detailed how-to chapters on the care, handling, feeding, health, and safety of each animal -Special chapters devoted to the breeding and raising of young animals -Recommendations for ways of capitalizing on your livestock's output, from selling eggs, milk, fiber, and so forth -Tips for troubleshooting potential problems and warding off diseases, parasites, and predators