The Lean Farm: How to Minimize Waste, Increase Efficiency, and Maximize Value and Profits with Less Work
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.73 (582 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B01417TL8Y |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 332 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-02-28 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
While the intended audience for this book is small-scale farmers who are part of the growing local food movement, Hartman’s prescriptions for high-value, low-cost production apply to farms and businesses of almost any size or scale that hope to harness the power of lean in their production processes.. In many cases, though, the same sound business practices apply whether you are producing cars or carrots. Using examples from his own family’s one-acre community-supported farm in Indiana, Hartman clearly instructs other small farmers in how to incorporate lean practices in each step of their production chain, from starting a farm and harvesting crops to training employees and selling goods. By explaining the lean system for identifying and eliminating waste and introducing efficiency in every aspect of the farm operation, The Lean Farm makes the case that small-scale farming can be an attractive career option for young people who are interested in growing food for their community. A practical, systems-based approach for a more sustainable farming operationTo many people today, using the words “factory&rdquo
Their food is sold locally to restaurants and cafeterias, at a farmers market, and through a community-supported-agriculture (CSA) program. Ben Hartman grew up on a corn and soybean farm in Indiana and graduated college with degrees in English and philosophy. Ben and his wife, Rachel Hershberger, own and operate Clay Bottom Farm in Gosh
Farmers, buy the bookread itapply it! Lean Thinker I was fortunate enough to receive this book a few days ago as a Christmas gift. I read it cover to cover and really enjoyed it! I appreciated many aspects of the book: the clear writing style, the clean lines of thought, the unique application of lean concepts, the colorful photos, and the intriguing references to other seminal lean books. Since lean is very contextual when it comes to implementation, I was delighted to find much detail on precisely how lean was applied at Clay Bottom Farm. . Helpful for farmers and other small businesses! M. Lind As a small organic vegetable farmer I have always found the task of efficiently organizing the business operations of the farm somewhat confounding. Many times I have been frustrated with working long hours into the evening, an employee who did not finish a task the way I asked, or growing a beautiful crop that no one wants to buy. The Lean Farm concisely introduces farmers to a valuable tool for streamlining farming operations and focusing your business on producing what is valuable to your. "A guide to establishing a high quality, highly efficient small farm operation." according to Adam J. McKee. Many would be farmers start off with more of a philosophy than a business plan. Very few folks have the resources to operate a farm full time without the farm turning a profit. If you aren't careful, a small operation will work you to death. This excellent little book takes a total quality approach to farming while minimizing wasted resources; the most important savings (as far as I am concerned) is labor. If your operation is working you from daylight to dark and you are making less than mi
Booklist-"The concept of ‘lean' manufacturing originally began during the 1980s in Japanese auto factories, such as those owned by Toyota, and it embraces a work ethic of eliminating as much waste as possible to give consumers the best value for their purchase. The Lean Farm is one of the most original and innovative books on food and farming to come out in the last decade.”--Steve Hallett, Professor of Horticulture, Purdue University, and author of Life without Oil and The Efficiency Trap. As I read this fantastic book, my mind literally skipped from procedure to place on our farm with new ideas on how to create efficiencies. Ben Hartman and his wife Rachel disprove this ‘conventional wisdom’ every day by managing a thriving farm business, not on a thousand acres, but on just one. Although Hartman&