Commercial strawberry fields carry a dark secret. In spite of their bright and deliciously healthy appearance, commercial strawberries carry the highest pesticide levels of any fruit. Through plasticulture and heavy use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides, growers turn out a product that can hardly be called nutritious.

On the other hand, homesteaders and small-scale growers who choose natural growing methods often experience failure. Strawberries are often a short-term success for the backyard grower, yielding a small crop the first year or two before succumbing to weed pressure, improper maintenance techniques, or other factors.

Yet, strawberries offer one of the simplest, most beloved, and most complete sources of nutrition that can be grown in a small area and in many climates. They have one of the highest market values, and--with the right knowledge--can be propagated almost indefinitely with little cost to the grower. From an initial investment of fifty plants, our farm has perpetually maintained a large and productive strawberry patch for almost ten years. Strawberries have kept my family amply supplied with nutritious fruit, as well as yielded yearly cash return from plant and fruit sales. I have done all of this without any chemicals, fungicides, or artificial fertilizers. I have not invested in hoop houses, greenhouses, hydroponic systems, or even a formal irrigation system. Most of the work has been manageable for one person, while raising a family, running other businesses, and maintaining a large garden besides. Strawberries have proven to be a consistent source of side cash for our farm and the easiest crop to market. When it comes to strawberries, customers just can’t get enough, and I believe it is an excellent investment crop for the market gardener or small farmer.

This book is the result of many years' research and experimentation with strawberry plants. Sometimes it helps to get an early start. My gardening story began at age 13 when I took over from my grandfather the job of growing the family produce. Over the years I have developed some unique and functional techniques for growing, marketing, and propagating strawberries. There are many ways to grow strawberries. This book seeks to offer an approach that is

• all-natural

• low-cost

• self-sustaining

Whether you are looking for a fun backyard hustle, or you just want to feed your family a more healthy diet, this book is your place to start! The goal of this book is to save you the time and years it took me to wade through and try out all the advice there is out there on strawberry growing, and give you a no-nonsense, workable, and sustainable method to grow a lot of strawberries.