The Ground Rules: A Manual to Reconnect Soil and Soul is a newly published manual on community composting. Based on the pioneering work of Nance (pronounced Nancy) Klehm and many others, the 72-page magazine-style manual is:
-- ecologically produced (newsprint)
-- well-organized
-- filled with the information that any neighborhood or community can follow to soil- and community-building success
-- visually attractive, well-designed with many photographs and line-drawings of plants, inspiring and practical language.
There are 4 case studies from 4 Chicago neighborhoods.
The manual would have benefited from one final proofreading, but that will not distract most users.
Because public policy on community composting varies so much across the country, the authors wisely did not try to include comprehensive information on local policy. There is a useful chapter on working with the EPA from a community perspective.
The Ground Rules: A Manual to Reconnect Soil and Soul
By: Nance Klehm with Jacob Blecher, Brett Bloom, Martin Brown, Evon Izquierdo, Erik Newman, and Victoria Thurmond.
Purchase at:
$13.68 for 1-4 copies
Less for bulk orders.
See attached descriptions for more information.
I believe there will be a release party in April (in Chicago), details to be announced. As the subtitle suggests, food for the soil and for the soul. A real collaborative effort.
-- Debbie
Debbie Hillman
Evanston, Illinois
FOOD, FARMS & DEMOCRACY
Getting specific about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
D. HILLMAN STRATEGIES: Food Policy for Voters
A super information-packed resource for anyone interested in
"uncovering and articulating the environmental history of any urban
place," with a particular emphasis on Chicago case studies and a ton of
information on composting and urban community gardens. The beautiful
botanical drawings by Evon Izquierdo that appear through the publication
are particularly noteworthy. Brett Bloom of Temporary Services and Half
Letter Press contributes as well.
Social Ecologies
Written for any urban grower or inhabitant, The Ground Rules: A Manual to Connect Soil and Soul
is both a document of The Ground Rules process and a guide to community
composting and DIY soil remediation. As a practical guide the manual is
full of detailed information on how to research a garden site, how to
test your soil for toxins, and how to heal the soil through phyto- and
mycoremediation. But it reaches beyond the how-to’s as well, to talk
about the whys, with essays on restorative justice and deep mapping, and
histories of the Chicago neighborhoods in which we work. Encouraging
learning through observation, the manual asks at every juncture, “How is
your body connected to that which is underneath your feet and
supporting every step?"
