The Scything Handbook: Learn How to Cut Grass, Mow Meadows and Harvest Grain with a Scythe

The Zen approach to mowing lawns, whacking weeds, and harvesting crops Practical how-to advice that can make your homestead hum with the music of self-reliance more efficiently and eclectically than you ever imagined. JOEL SALATIN, Polyface Farm DREADING the weekly lawn mow? Need to whack the weeds in your orchard? Cringing at the drudgery and incessant blare of the mower? Imagine instead long sweeps of an elegant scythe cutting your grass and pesky weeds in blissful, meditative silence. That is the power of the "scythe revolution" sweeping North America. Written by a master of the scythe, professionally trained in Austria, and drawing deeply on research into original German texts, The Scything Handbook brings centuries-old scything techniques into the 21st century. Detailed illustrations cover scythe assembly, perfecting the stroke, blade selection, honing, peening, and aftercare, as well as background on how scythes are forged. Also covered are the basics of making hay and mulch by hand, and how to grow and harvest gains at the home and homestead scale for self-sufficiency. Scything promotes health, flexibility, mind-body connection, and a meditative contemplation of the natural world while producing beautiful lawns and luscious mulch for the modern gardener and homesteader. This is truly an heirloom tool to master. Join the scythe revolution! Part Zen and the Art of Mowing and part owner's manual... The Scything Handbook deserves a place of high prominence on every homesteader's and sustainable farmer's bookshelf. HANK WILL (Oscar H. Will III), Editorial Director, Ogden Publications and Editor in Chief, Mother Earth News IAN MILLER learned the scythe during a two-year stint on a biodynamic farm in Austria where he also delved into historic scything texts in German. He has a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on Agroecology from UC Santa Cruz and is developing a 20-acre scythe-based homestead near Decorah, Iowa for growing his own grain and haying by hand.