The Self-Fed Farm and Garden: A Return to the Roots of the Organic Method
By Eliot Coleman
Chelsea Green Publishing, 2025
Followers of Eliot Coleman’s farming and gardening work over the decades, as well as those interested in learning more about soil health and fertility, will enjoy this newest book from this well-known and longtime Maine farmer and gardener. “The Self-Fed Farm and Garden,” as the title implies, details the systems used at Coleman’s Four Season Farm in coastal Maine to limit outside inputs. He focuses on what can be grown on the land itself to support soil health and the crop production. It’s a quick read that might inspire you as you prepare for the growing season ahead.
Coleman begins the book by sharing some of his own influences on the topic of soil health, specifically around the concept of a self-fed farm and garden over the years, as well as the importance of soil health in organic growing at all scales. He notes (alongside a lovely photograph of his farm), “organic farming showcases the inherent generosity of the earth.” As part of this overview, he writes about the importance of green manures (plants grown for the purpose of tilling in to feed the soil, rather than as a crop for harvest) as the key part of this self-fed farm and garden approach.
In later chapters, Coleman provides a deeper dive about the specifics of his own farm. He reviews the various green manures used at Four Season Farm and explains the reasoning behind each choice. He gives an overview of the systems utilized, such as the timing of planting, rotation cycles, irrigation and tilling systems, harvesting logistics, and more. I think many growers will appreciate the specifics provided in those chapters, as well a later chapter on how, in his retirement from full-time farming, Coleman uses the practices developed on the farm in his home garden to utilize green manures and limit inputs. There are appendixes with further details that will also be of interest, and photographs throughout the book might lead you to try some of these techniques in your own growing adventures.
– Anna Libby
This review was originally published in the spring 2026 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.