Chelsea Green Publishing

Foraging Ideas. Cultivating Change.

Spring/Summer  2018
Listening to a Resilient Landscape
A
fter a long winter in Vermont, the
promise of new growth that the subse-
quent months will bring is a powerfully
hopeful thing. Life emerges from under the snow,
touching the senses with forgotten colors and
smells, bringing new energy. After being bundled
and cooped up for months, there is an impulse
after the thaw to get out in the world, embrace it,
and make it our own.
At Chelsea Green Publishing we are constantly
reminded, through the content of our authors, that
in these transitional moments we also need to take
a breath, pause, and listen to the world around us—
making sure we are responding to the landscape’s
needs, not just our own.
“We can’t impose our will on a system,” Donella
Meadows writes in her classic bestseller Thinking
in Systems. “We can listen to what the system tells
us, and discover how its properties and our values
can work together to bring forth something much
better than could ever be produced by our will
alone.”
With those words in mind and in the pages
that follow, we celebrate the art and bounty of a
new spring with the understanding that we live
within—and are dependent on—a complex, natural
system; and that a regenerative, resilient landscape
must build on what has come before.
This is clearly on display in the opening essay
by Ben Goldfarb, adapted from his eye-opening
new book Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers
and Why They Matter. In it Goldfarb reports that
“beavers, the animal that doubles as an ecosystem,
are ecological and hydrological Swiss Army knives,”
and explores how the oft-misunderstood rodent
can single-handedly work with waterways to reverse
any landscape-scale problem we might confront (or,
more likely, create).
Similarly, in our feature Q&A, Mike Madison
(author of Fruitful Labor) reflects on his thirty years
of farming. He started on land that was “badly
abused” by chemical inputs, but was able to restore
healthy soil in just a few years. His conclusion?
“Nature is extraordinarily resilient. All that is re-
quired to restore our arable lands is for us to cease
from doing the harmful things that we do.”
In line with an understanding of that resilience,
we next provide a quick overview of the practice of
silvopasture—the method of combining forestry
and grazing to create healthy soil and healthy ani-
mals—with author and farmer Steve Gabriel.
Pascal Baudar—forager, naturalist, and author
of The Wildcrafting Brewer—has seen his forest land-
scape north of Los Angeles transformed by fires and
mudslides in the last several months. In his powerful
photo essay, he chronicles his journey back into the
woods, finding beauty, sustenance, and even new
flavors in destruction.
Thinking of newfound flavors, next you’ll find
a “life-changing” recipe from Sara Bir’s The Fruit
Forager’s Companion.
Finally, and continuing Chelsea Green’s editori-
al exploration into naturopathic, integrative health,
we include two pieces that look at the landscape of
our bodies. Dr. Lee Know delves into cutting-edge
mitochondrial research, and Dr. Sarah Myhill advo-
cates for the age-old (but often overlooked) practice
of empowering patients to take responsibility for
their own health.
And a quick note on a few ways Chelsea Green
is evolving in 2018: In March we were very pleased
to announce the opening of a London, UK office.
We have also launched an in-house audiobook pro-
gram (see page 23), a new website, and have moved
our warehouse operation—all within the last twelve
months. Far from hibernating last winter, we have
further embraced the words from Thinking in Systems:
Let’s face it, the universe is messy. It is non-
linear, turbulent, and dynamic. . . . It self-or-
ganizes and evolves. It creates diversity and
uniformity. That’s what makes the world in-
teresting, that’s what makes it beautiful, and
that’s what makes it work.
 CHELSEA
GREEN PUBLISHING
the politics and practice of sustainable living CONTENTS
Since 1984, Chelsea Green has been the leading publish- Seriously Important
er of books about organic farming, gardening, home- Critters4
steading, integrative health, sustainable living,
socially responsible business, and more. Don’t Wear a Straw Hat
Now employee-owned.
When You’re Burning Off
SPRING/SUMMER 2018, ISSUE 3
a Brush Pile 6
Silvopasture8
Copyright © 2018 by Chelsea Green Publishing

Front cover photograph by Barbara Damrosch. @Pascalbaudar10

Photographs on page 2 from Sean Maher.
Photograph on page 3 from iStockphoto. No Forbidden Fruit 12
Illustration on page 5 by Sarah Gilman.
Photograph on page 8 by Steve Gabriel.
Photographs on pages 10 and 11 by Pascal Baudar. Setting the Mitochondrial
Back cover illustration from iStockphoto. Thermostat14

Our Commitment to Green Publishing

Power to the Patients 16
Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and
ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufac- Essentials18
turing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the
impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print Coming Soon 22
our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using
vegetable-based inks whenever possible. Our books may cost Audio Essentials 23
slightly more because they are printed on paper that contains
recycled fiber, and we hope you’ll agree that they’re worth it.
Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative (www
.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers,
manufacturers, and authors working to protect the world’s
endangered forests and conserve natural resources. This cata-
log was printed on paper supplied by R. C. Brayshaw that con-
tains 100% postconsumer recycled fiber.

Sign up for our enewsletter:

chelseagreen.com/newsletter
facebook.com/chelseagreenpub
@chelseagreen
@chelseagreenbooks

Chelsea Green Publishing

White River Junction, Vermont
London, UK
TO ORDER:
Call ( 800) 639-4099 or
visit chelseagreen.com
Nature & Environment

Seriously Important Critters

In Eager environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb reveals that
our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and
how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that
once trapped out millions of beavers from North America’s
lakes and rivers.

Hardcover | 304 pages | $24.95

Close your eyes. Picture, if you will, a healthy stream. What comes to ground, recharging aquifers for use by
mind? Perhaps you’ve conjured a crystalline, fast-moving creek bound- downstream farms and ranches. Sed-
iment and pollutants filter out in the
ing merrily over rocks, its course narrow and shallow enough that you
slackwaters, cleansing flows. Floods
could leap or wade across the channel. If, like me, you are a fly fisher- dissipate in the ponds; wildfires hiss
man, you might add a cheerful, knee-deep angler casting for trout in a out in wet meadows. Wetlands capture
limpid riffle. and store spring rain and snowmelt,
It’s a lovely picture, fit for an Orvis cata- musty stink of decomposition wafts releasing water in delayed pulses that
log. It’s also wrong. into your nostrils. If there’s a fisherman sustain crops through the dry summer.
Let’s try again. This time I want here, he’s thrashing angrily in the wil- A report released by a consulting firm
you to perform a more difficult imag- lows, his fly caught in a tree. in 2011 estimated that restoring beavers
inative feat. Instead of envisioning Although this beavery tableau isn’t to a single river basin, Utah’s Escalante,
a present-day stream, I want you to going to appear in any Field & Stream would provide tens of millions of dol-
reach into the past—before the moun- spreads, it’s in many cases a more his- lars in benefits each year. Although you
tain men, before the Pilgrims, before torically accurate picture—and, in cru- can argue with the wisdom of slapping
Hudson and Champlain and the other cial ways, a much healthier one. In the a dollar value on nature, there’s no
horsemen of the furpocalypse, all the denying that these are some seriously
intermountain West, wetlands, though
way back to the 1500s. I want you to important critters.
they make up just 2 percent of total
imagine the streams that existed before Beavers—the animal that doubles
land area, support 80 percent of bio-
global capitalism purged a continent of diversity; you may not hear the tinkle as an ecosystem, are ecological and
its dam-building, waterstoring, wet- of running water in our swamp, but hydrological Swiss Army knives, capable,
land-creating engineers. I want you to listen closely for the songs of warblers in the right circumstances, of tackling
imagine a landscape with its full com- and flycatchers perched in creekside just about any landscape-scale problem
plement of beavers. willows. Wood frogs croak along the you might confront. Trying to mitigate
What do you see this time? No lon- pond’s marshy aprons; otters chase floods or improve water quality? There’s
ger is our stream a pellucid, narrow, trout through the submerged branches a beaver for that. Hoping to capture
racing trickle. Instead, it’s a sluggish, of downed trees, a forest inverted. The more water for agriculture in the face
murky swamp, backed up several acres deep water and the close vegetation of climate change? Add a beaver. Con-
by a messy concatenation of woody cerned about sedimentation, salmon
make the fishing tough, sure, but abun-
dams. Gnawed stumps ring the marsh runs, wildfire? Take two families of bea-
dant trout shelter in the meandering
like punji sticks; dead and dying trees vers and check back in a year.
side channels and cold depths.
stand aslant in the chest-deep pond. And it’s not just fishermen and
When you step into the water, you feel wildlife who benefit. The weight of
not rocks underfoot but sludge. The the pond presses water deep into the Adapted from Eager by Ben Goldfarb.

4 • Chelsea Green Publishing

Beaver ponds, wetlands, and meadows are refuges not only for the rodents themselves, but for a menagerie of
other plants and animals, including moose, otters, trumpeter swans, coho salmon, and, in North Carolina,
the endangered Saint Francis’ satyr butterfly. Illustration by Sarah Gilman.

Beaver Fun Facts

Beaver fur is so thick that a stamp-
sized patch of skin is carpeted
with 125,000 individual hairs—
more than the average human has
on their entire head!
A beaver tail is lined with a web
of blood vessels, called a rete
mirabile, that exchange heat and
regulate body temperature.
Trying to tell a male beaver from
a female? Good luck. Almost
unique among mammals, beavers
hide their genitalia within modi-
fied cloacas—fleshy vents that do
triple duty in the departments of
urine disposal, scent secretion,
and reproduction.
Remarkably, beavers are capable
of fighting both floods and
droughts. By slowing down
stream flows, forcing water
onto floodplains, and soaking it
into the ground, beaver dams
and ponds can reduce both the
volume and speed of water,
protecting downstream farms
and towns.
When Europeans arrived in North
America, as many as 400 million
beavers swam the continent’s
rivers and ponds; by 1900, fur
trapping had reduced the conti-
nent’s population to just 100,000.
Beavers secrete castoreum, a musky
oil the rodents spray to delineate
their territories. Castoreum con-
tains salicylic acid, which beavers
derive from willow—and which is
the active ingredient in aspirin.
By creating ponds, wetlands, and
damp meadows, beavers create
habitat for countless other
species, from river otters to
silver-haired bats.

chelseagreen.com • 5
Farm & Garden
Don’t Wear a Straw Hat
When You’re Burning Off
a Brush Pile
Mike Madison, author of Fruitful Labor, reflects on
over three decades of organic farming, talks about
what it means to be sustainable, and offers advice
and optimism for young farmers.
Q: After over three decades of or-
ganic farming, what inspired you
to put your experience to prose in
Fruitful Labor?
A: You think that your ideas are sound
until you try to write them
down; then you discover that
your thoughts are plagued
with contradictions and disconti-
nuities. So writing out an account of
my farm was an exercise in clari-
fying my ideas. There were some
surprises. For example, my
management of energy turned
out to be not nearly as good as I
thought it was.
Q: You express adherence to ‘Deep
Ecology.’ What is that about?
A: My formal education was as a natural-
ist in the tropics, which fueled my innate
interest in all sorts of organisms. When I
took up farming, I understood that I was
joining a community of plants, animals,
and microbes, and I wanted to farm in a
way that was beneficial for all of us. So I
make decisions that favor farm ecology
over farm economics, which garners me
sideways looks from my neighbors, who
suspect me of being slow-witted.
Q: Your final chapter concerns ‘sus-
tainability,’ which has become a
6 • Chelsea Green Publishing
popular and ambiguous buzzword
in the contemporary world. To you,
what does it mean to be truly sus-
tainable?
A: How you judge sustainability de-
pends very much on the bound-
ary conditions:
geographic area,
time frame, and
what factors you
choose to include.
Looking at a rather
narrow interpreta-
tion—crop ecology on
my farm on a scale of
decades—the practice is
eminently sustainable. But
on a larger scale of space and
time, it is clear that my farm is
embedded in an unsustainable culture
on a beleaguered planet. This could be
taken as a call to action. To live virtu-
ously on your own few acres is insuf-
ficient. You must also try to persuade
other farmers to attempt a more be-
nign way of farming.
Q: What are the cumulative results
on your farm after three decades of
organic farming?
A: I started out on land that had been
badly abused; for decades the previous
owner had sprayed pesticides and in-
Paperback | 176 pages | $18.00
jected anhydrous ammonia fertilizer,
leaving a soil that was essentially dead.
And yet, within just a few years of more
favorable practices, the vitality of the
soil has been restored to where it is
permeated with active fungal myceli-
um and lively communities of inverte-
brates. What had once been a monocul-
ture now has several hundred species
of plants and a diverse fauna. Nature
is extraordinarily resilient; all that is
required to restore our arable lands is
for us to cease from doing the harmful
things that we do.
Q: How do you see the future of
small-scale family farmers, given
the corporatization of agriculture
throughout the world?
A: There is a resurgence of interest in
small-scale farming, and I am impressed
by the intelligence and idealism of the
young farmers. Many of
them will suc-
ceed, despite
daunting ob-
stacles. Fed-
eral policy
since WWII
has favored
cheap food/
cheap ener-
gy, and this
plays out as an array of subsidies—some
obvious, many hidden—for industri-
al agriculture. A higher price for fossil
fuels, whether by policy or by market
forces, would be advantageous for ar-
tisanal-scale farms, which typically are
much more energy efficient than indus-
trial farms. We can see this in Europe;
where energy is expensive, small-scale
farms do well.
Q: What advice would you
give to a young farmer inter-
ested in working at an artisanal
scale?
A: Two pieces of advice have struck me
as valid. The first is from Peter Hender-
son, author of the best-selling book of
1876, Gardening for Profit. Henderson
advises that every mile that you are
closer to your market is a tangible ad-
vantage. The second is from my father,
who said, “You’re better off with five
acres of excellent soil than 200 acres of
poor soil.”
Farmland is expensive. In my area,
unimproved farmland is priced at
$30,000 per acre and up. What a start-
ing farmer can likely afford is poor soil
in a remote location, which is contrary
to both of those bits of good advice. If
you’re 100 miles from your market, you
become a half-time farmer, half-time
truck driver. I advise the young farmers
to seek a long-term lease (10-20 years)
on excellent soil close to their market,
and forget about trying to buy a farm.
In the long run, who is the owner of
record is less important than who has
the use of the land. If you’re doubtful,
read Thomas Jefferson, who farmed on
leased land, and who wrote wisely on
the subject of usufruct.
Oh, and one other bit of advice—
something that I learned in the course
Building
of a dramatic personal experience: the Bookshelf
when you’re burning off a brush pile,
don’t wear a straw hat. for the
Next Generation
We are very excited to announce our
NEW FARMER LIBRARY series. In it
we will be collecting innovative ideas,
hard-earned wisdom, and practical
advice from pioneers of the ecologi-
cal farming movement—for the next
generation.
The series will include proven
techniques and philosophies from ex-
perienced voices committed to deep
organic, small-scale, regenerative
farming. Each book in the series of-
fers the new farmer essential tips, in-
spiration, and first-hand knowledge
of what it takes to grow food close to
the land.
Up next in the series is Letter
to a Young Farmer, in which veteran
farmer and author Gene Logsdon ad-
dresses the next generation of young
people seeking a better way of life
through small-scale agriculture. With
his trademark wit and irreverent hu-
mor, Logsdon reminds us that a farm-
er’s success isn’t defined by accumu-
lating wealth but by recognizing the
innate beauty of rural traditions, the
land, and all creatures that inhabit it.
Dianne Madison
Mike Madison’s connection to the land can be
traced back to his father, who was a flower farmer,
and later, a professor of horticulture at UC Davis.
Mike began his own foray into agriculture as a
manager for a citrus farm and botanical garden
in Florida. Eventually Mike and his wife Dianne
decided to move back to the west coast and
begin farming on their own terms. Today, the
couple lives in Winters, California, where they
operate a diverse organic farm, growing olives,
apricots, citrus, melons, and a variety of cut
flowers. Mike has previously authored Blithe
Tomato and Walking the Flatlands. Paperback | 232 pages | $18.00
chelseagreen.com • 7
Farm & Garden

Silvo • pasture
noun : the practice of combining forestry
and grazing of domesticated animals in
a mutually beneficial way

8 • Chelsea Green Publishing

Publishing
 Why Silvopasture?
“What excites me about silvopasture is that it offers an ecosystems
approach to farming, where many goals can be achieved side-by-
side, in scenarios that are win-win-win for each of the compo-
nents. We can raise animals in an environment that encourages
them to explore for their food and live a life that is in line with
their evolution. We can reforest the land and increase diverse
habitats for wildlife. We can build soil health and see the benefits
of manure on the landscape. We can increase the quantity and
quality of foods on the land for our animals, which results in lower
costs and inputs from outside systems. And, with good planning,
we can see profit from the farm.”
—Steve Gabriel

Key Silvopasture Points

1. Start integrating silvopasture with the most marginal parts of the land.
2. Work with what you’ve got; invest in improvements later.
3. Start small and build slowly. Don’t have too much diversity.
4. Take a lot of time selecting the animal and breed, and know
you might need to train them.
5. Start with animals well under the stocking rate.
6. Honor the animals’ body wisdom.
7. Ruminants are most silvopasture-ready.
8. Poultry are low-risk and low-impact.
9. Exercise extreme caution with pigs.
10. Accept and plan for tree mortality.
11. Value the shade, shelter, and
fodder functions of trees.
12. Keep some pasture as pasture,
some woods as woods.
13. Plan on mowing, pruning, cutting, and
more for several years.
Paperback | 320 pages | $39.95
14. Remember that what we know is less than
what we don’t.
chelseagreen.com • 9
Food & Cooking

@Pascalbaudar
Pascal Baudar—author of The Wildcrafting Brewer,
traditional food preservationist, culinary alchemist,
forager, and naturalist—has seen his landscape north of
Los Angeles transform through fires and mudslides in the
last several months. This photo essay—adapted from his
popular instagram feed—chronicles his journey back as
he finds beauty and sustenance in destruction.
Paperback | 304 pages | $29.95

­  –  
nrise
r e s t, su to fall
nt fo rops is
t h e bur st raind . . There y
M in e f ir w . e a u t Foraging various
5A or th o sho e is b ashes
a it ing f nths of n and ther . . . . . . The forest
may be
W o n ds
8m uctio rwar burned but it ca
after in destr irth afte n still
ty b offer gifts . . .
beau e re-
in th

students
A gift from one of my
birch sap.
today— one gallon of
?
What do I have in mind
A WILD BEER!
10 • Chelsea Green Publishing
 the
, despite scape Re-birth after
rain land . the fires . . . T
e r the es, the ing back plant that show
ed
he first
days
af t
orni
ir m
a f wly co Grass,
! one­ – Wild Tarra up was a naturalized
o   gon. It's actually
Nine rn Calif life is sl today­ – ch more to Mexico and po na
th e nd h es m u ssibly naturalized tive
Sou nging, a the as and so early humans intr from
a oduction.
is ch ing fromugwort,
Ris eed, m
w
chick

I can be
coup patient
. I'll
aging in le of years . wait for ano
a toast . . Mou ther
2014 e nt
­ – nice d oak barrel ain mead
ac s
pinyon cents of jun ince January
beer? . . . pine, an iper be
Is it a wine, a mead, a d whit rries,
t fr om last summer e fir.
Using the harves
verage that is
to make an alcoholic be
al terroir . . .
a reflection of my loc

chelseagreen.com • 11
Food & Cooking

No Forbidden Fruit
In her new book The Fruit Forager’s Companion, author
Sara Bir encourages readers to embrace the magic of hunting
for foraged fruit—delivering a how-to guide devoted to the
secret, sweet bounty just outside our front doors. Bir, a sea-
soned chef, gardener, and forager, primes readers on foraging
basics, demonstrates gathering and preservation techniques,
and shares nearly 100 recipes—including an applesauce with
a big promise (opposite). Paperback | 400 pages | $29.95

“Foraging restores the balance a bit. Even if it’s

just a handful of blackberries or a few fallen
apples from a neighborhood tree—these things
still count. The magic of foraging is ultimately
about the quality of time you spend interacting
with the world around you, not the quantity of
edibles you haul home.”
—Sara Bir

Continue the Hunt

Hardcover | 432 pages | $40.00 Paperback | 320 pages | $19.95 Paperback | 384 pages | $29.95
Life-Changing Applesauce
Makes about 2 quarts (1.9 L)

Homemade applesauce has a velvety texture and complex flavor that blows the
store-bought stuff out of the water. It’s the perfect destination for gleaned ap-
ples, because blemishes don’t matter. Better yet, if you have a food mill, there’s
no need to peel anything. Cooking red apples with their peels on adds a rosy
hue.
I’ve had great success using the mottled Golden Delicious apples from the
tree in my friend’s backyard—that sauce has an incredible body, and it’s just
sweet enough that I barely have to add sugar. Make a huge batch of applesauce
and can or freeze it, but that might not be necessary with a smaller batch; you’ll
be surprised how quickly this gets gobbled up.

5 pounds (2.25 kg) apples, rinsed
and quartered (peel and core
the apples if you won’t be using
a food mill)
Up to ½ cup granulated sugar or
honey, optional
Freshly squeezed lemon juice,
optional
Toss the apples into a large, nonreactive pot (such
as stainless steel or enameled cast iron) with at
least a 5-quart (5 L) capacity. Add enough water
to come up the sides of the pot by ½ inch (1.3 cm).
Cover and set over medium heat. Once you hear
the water boiling, uncover the pot and stir every few
minutes, adding a little more water if the apples start
to stick to the bottom. Lower the heat, a bit at a time, to maintain a
simmer. As the apples cook down, you’ll need to stir more often. Some
apples will release more liquid than others, so both the cooking time
and the amount of water you’ll need to add will vary.
Once the apples have totally collapsed (anywhere from 30 minutes
to over an hour), pass them in batches though a food mill set over a
large bowl (alternatively, push the apples through a colander with a
large wooden spoon). Taste the applesauce; if it’s too tart, add some
sugar or honey in small increments. You may not need any at all. If the
sauce tastes flat, add a little lemon juice.
Let the sauce cool before refrigerating or freezing. The applesauce
will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for about a week. To can the ap-
plesauce, pack the hot sauce into sterilized canning jars, leaving ½ inch
(1.3 cm) headspace. Seal and process in a water bath canner for 15 min-
utes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.
Note: I always make applesauce in a pressure cooker. The end re-
sult will be the same, but a few of the steps are different. Put the apples
and 1 cup water in the cooker. Lock on the lid, bring to high pressure,
and reduce the heat to maintain pressure. Cook for 6 minutes, letting
the pressure come down naturally. Carefully remove the lid; the apples
should be quite soft, but if they’re not, cook at high pressure in 2-min-
ute increments until they are.
Spoon off and reserve the excess cooking liquid, if there is any.
Mash with a potato masher or puree or do whatever you like to do to
make your apples into applesauce, adding some of the reserved cook-
ing liquid if you need to make it saucier. Taste and adjust the flavor by
adding sugar and/or lemon juice.
Also Try With: You can also get all mixy-matchy and throw in
some pears, Asian pears, crab apples, or quince along with the apples.
Adapted from The Fruit Forager's Companion by Sara Bir.

chelseagreen.com • 13
Health & Wellness

Setting the
Mitochondrial Thermostat
In his new book, naturopathic doctor Lee Know takes
a deep dive into how our mitochondria work and
the implications this system has on a number of
age-related conditions including heart disease,
diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Paperback | 272 pages | $24.95

A modern version of the Mitochondrial Theory of Aging was initially put adigm under which that industry oper-
forth by Anthony Linnane, an Australian professor and scientist, back in ates is likely one of its many problems.
the late 1980s. The theory has gone through some further modifications Drugs are almost exclusively used after
a disease has manifested its physical
since then, but its main point remains that mitochondria are the body’s
symptoms; they are rarely, if ever, used
main source of free radicals that are linked to aging. to prevent diseases in the first place. If
Free radicals don’t damage the cell as develops—where cells all produce a it’s true that the quality of our mito-
much as we think. We produce a num- drastically differing amount of energy, chondria is the single most important
ber of antioxidant enzymes that mop depending upon their degree of mito- factor in aging and degenerative diseases
them up, and if a cell does get damaged, chondrial damage. In a healthy tod- —and if we can’t turn back the clock on
there are repair mechanisms constantly dler, we do not see this mosaic because our mitochondria—prevention should
at work. But the free radicals linked to energy production is high in nearly start in childhood.
aging do specifically damage the mito- all cells. However a noticeable mosaic Even the dietary supplements in-
chondria, and especially their vulnera- effect develops after about age forty. dustry is on the wrong path with all its
ble DNA, which doesn’t have the repair Linnane’s theory holds that this marketing of antioxidants. The anti-
mechanisms the rest of the cell has. mutation-driven bioenergetic decline oxidant craze promotes these supple-
When the damage accumulates faster is a major factor in the degenerative ments as the cure for most ailments, and
than a mitochondrion can repair itself, diseases and general frailty of old age. although it seems to be losing some
it becomes dysfunctional—the first step Recent research from numerous disci- steam, “antioxidant” is still a buzzword
in aging. In essence, this theory says the plines has converged on the mitochon- thrown around excessively to hopeful
mitochondria are the “biological clock.” dria as the center of cellular aging, giving consumers. Also, as mentioned earlier,
As the mitochondria start to weaken more weight to the theory, and enhanc- while antioxidants do have some ben-
and eventually die, the functioning and ing it. If the Mitochondrial Theory of efits in certain diseases according to
viability of the cell as a whole declines. Aging is correct, the foundation of cellu- some studies, other studies have found
As cells lose their ability to produce lar vitality lies in the mitochondria. that large amounts can potentially do
energy, they commit apoptosis—that is, some harm. Just because they’re market-
they die—which then compromises the Moving Forward ed as natural and healthy, doesn’t mean
functioning and viability of the tissue The pharmaceutical industry spends it’s good for you to use them indiscrim-
or organ. many billions of dollars annually for inately or in excessive amounts. If you
As random mutations in mitochon- research, but nothing more than symp- mess with the mitochondrial thermo-
dria accumulate, a bioenergetic mosaic tom management comes of it. The par- stat, the cell can’t calibrate its response

14 • Chelsea Green Publishing

to stress appropriately. In the long run
this can’t be good, and it undermines
nature’s protective processes. This mito-
chondrial thermostat also explains that
while antioxidants might extend life in a
sick population (relative to people with
the same condition who are not receiv-
ing antioxidants), they fail to extend the
maximum life-span potential of a spe-
cies. Antioxidants are likely beneficial
to extracellular components, at mem-
brane surfaces, and maybe even in the
cytoplasm of our cells, but it is highly
unlikely they will be able to quench the
free radicals leaking into the mitochon-
drial matrix.
Yet all the expanding knowledge
about mitochondria gives us new hope
and insight for treating illnesses. If all
the genetic and environmental factors
that lead to age-related degenerative
diseases converge at the mitochondria,
we just need to focus on one organelle.
While newer research is revealing the
intricate interaction between mitochon-
dria and other organelles, such as peroxi-
somes and endoplasmic reticulum, we
seem to be one big step closer to target-
ing the underlying mechanism behind
many diseases, and even death itself.
Adapted from Mitochondria and the Future
of Medicine by Lee Know, ND.
Lee Know, ND, is a licensed naturopathic doctor
based in Toronto, and known by his peers to be
a strategic and forward-thinking entrepreneur
and researcher. He has held positions as medical
advisor, scientific evaluator, and director of
research and development for major organiza-
tions. He currently serves as a consultant to the
natural-health-products and dietary-supplements
industries, and serves on the editorial advisory
board for Canada’s most-read natural
health magazine.
A Healing, Warm Tonic
Drawing on her decades of clinical experience and her extensive research,
Dr. Jill Stansbury offers an unparalleled range of herbal formulas in Herb-
al Formularies for Health Professionals. This comprehensive, five-volume
set includes her own formulas, formulas from herbal folklore, and formu-
las from Traditional Chinese Medicine. For each formula she offers a brief
explanation of how the selected herbs address the
specific condition, and sidebars and user-friendly
lists help readers quickly choose which herbs are
best for specific presentations. The goal in offering
such extensive and thorough listings of possible
herbal therapies is to demonstrate and model how
to craft herbal formulas that are precise for the
patient, not for the diagnosis.
“It is more important to
know what kind of person
has a disease than to know
what kind of disease a
person has.”
—Hippocrates
Recipe: Fire Cider
Vinegars macerated with hot spicy herbs are sometimes referred to as fire
cider due to the hot fiery flavor and the apple cider vinegar base. Fire ciders
may include ginger, horseradish, turmeric, garlic, onions, and hot peppers
macerated in apple cider or other quality vinegar. This formula combines
fire cider with the digestive bitter Artemisia and a small amount of sweeten-
er such as honey. Use as an aperitif before meals.
½ cup (120 ml) cold water or
hot herbal tea
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
(or herbal vinegar made with
cayenne or a bitter herb)
Maple syrup or honey, to taste
20 drops Artemisia tincture
Dash fresh ground black pepper
(optional)
This beverage can be prepared in
water or tea as desired. Add the
vinegar, maple syrup, and
Artemisia to the chosen liquid
and stir well. Add pepper if it
can be tolerated. Sip over a
span of 10 to 15 minutes
prior to all meals. Hardcover | 352 pages | $59.95
chelseagreen.com • 15
Health & Wellness

Power to the Patients

In her book Sustainable Medicine, Dr. Sarah Myhill aims to
empower people to heal themselves by addressing the
underlying causes of their illness. She presents a logical
progression from identifying symptoms, to understanding
the underlying mechanisms, to relevant interventions
and tests and tools to tackle the root causes.

Paperback | 272 pages | $19.95

I worked for twenty years within the Welsh National Health Service regular basis. This is now mainly in the
(NHS) in general practice and increasingly found myself restricted by form of a comprehensive letter to the
what I was and was not allowed to do. Having spent six months as an GP based on the information in a med-
associate specialist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital working with pa- ical questionnaire and results of medical
tests. Most of my patients are chronic fa-
tients with chronic fatigue syndrome, I found these restrictions to be so
tigue syndrome sufferers, and for them,
great that I was simply unable to practice there. the Mitochondrial function profile,
All that I was allowed to do for patients conventional training at the Middlesex which I discuss in my book Diagnosis and
was that which is “evidence based,” and Hospital in London to something very Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
that evidence base certainly does not different. Now, I focus on looking for and Myalgic Encephalitis, is the best start-
include one’s own years of experience. the causes of problems with respect to ing point when it comes to identifying
Doctors should be patients’ advo- diet, micronutrient status, allergies, and underlying abnormalities and devising a
cates, fighting as hard as they possibly lifestyle changes. This approach is highly patient-specific treatment plan.
can for what they believe is the best successful at tackling the majority of The majority of GPs that I come in
treatment for each patient. Instead, medical problems. contact with are receptive to my ideas
many doctors have become what I call I started applying these techniques and suggestions, and support their pa-
“defenders of the faith.” The problem during the 1980s in a village outside of tient in the difficult lifestyle changes I
is that the “faith” is laid down by Big Nottingham, where I was working in a am often asking them to make. Some are
Pharma, who manipulate drug trials in mining community. Within a few years, not. The two things I dislike most about
order to achieve favorable outcomes I had interest from friends and relations the medical profession are the power to
(and incomes!). As a result, medicine of my NHS patients, and as a result, a access diagnostic tests and the power to
today no longer follows a logical and small private practice evolved. A move to prescribe. Patients who end up with the
independent science base. The current mid-Wales scuppered all this, and I spent wrong practice are often completely dis-
system of post-graduate medical educa- a further ten years in general practice, empowered through the process of diag-
tion is akin to mothers learning about working in a rural farming communi- nosis and prescription.
nutrition from advertisements posted ty. The same evolution occurred several I do believe, however, that pa-
by the food industry. years later, though, and friends and rel- tients increasingly understand that they
I believe modern Western Medi- atives of my NHS patients again wished must take responsibility for their own
cine has lost touch with patients. What to consult. After ten years, I had so much health—they know they may not get
patients actually want is an answer to private work that I was able to give up their heart surgery if they keep smoking,
the question of why they have developed all my NHS work. I am now in the posi- and they may not get their hip surgery
their particular problem, followed by tion where my workload only allows me if they are overweight. I am greatly in
which factors need to change to allow to offer full new patient appointments favor of people taking responsibility for
improvement. In my effort to answer where there is a referral from NHS GP’s their own health. There is no doubt that
these questions, my practice of medicine or consultants. However, I still can­—and those who are prepared to make lifestyle
has evolved from what I learned through do—give advice to tens of sufferers on a changes with respect to work, sleep,
16 • Chelsea Green Publishing
 More Books to Help Heal Yourself

Paperback | 432 pages | $24.95

exercise, and diet, and those who avoid Paperback | 320 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 352 pages | $29.95
toxic stresses such as excessive alcohol,
smoking, and junk food, can not only feel
health improvements immediately, but
protect themselves from the ravages of
chronic disease and degeneration. Mak-
ing these changes is extremely difficult,
but there is an excellent scientific basis
for doing so, which provides motivation
and determination to continue.

This profile was adapted from the ‘About Me’

section of Dr. Sarah Myhill’s website, www
.drmyhill.co.uk.

Paperback | 464 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 400 pages | $29.95

Sarah Myhill was born in Hertfordshire, England,

to a family of doctors, including her grandfather,
grandmother, father, and brother. She graduated
from London’s Middlesex Hospital Medical School
in 1981 with honors, and has been working contin-
uously in the National Health Service and private
practice ever since. Myhill’s approach centers on
finding the root causes of disease and empowering
patients, rather than using prescription drugs to
cover up symptoms. This technique has attracted
numerous investigations, every single one of which
has since been dropped, and she has cultivated a
large and loyal base of patients, whose lives her Paperback | 560 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 272 pages | $24.95
work has vastly improved.

chelseagreen.com • 17
Farming, Homesteading & Gardening Essentials

Paperback | 256 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 272 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 384 pages | $39.95

Paperback | 328 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 400 pages | $39.95 Paperback | 264 pages | $29.95

Hardcover | 256 pages | $40.00 Paperback | 432 pages | $39.95 Paperback | 208 pages | $29.95

18 • Chelsea Green Publishing

 Food & Drink Essentials

Hardcover | 528 pages | $39.95 Paperback | 320 pages | $29.95 Hardcover | 384 pages | $25.00

Paperback | 320 pages | $34.95 Hardcover | 464 pages | $35.00 Paperback | 208 pages | $14.95

Paperback | 240 pages | $24.95 Hardcover | 352 pages | $44.95 Paperback | 288 pages | $19.95

chelseagreen.com • 19
Health & Wellness Essentials

Hardcover | 288 pages | $24.95 Hardcover | 408 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 304 pages | $24.95

Paperback | 392 pages | $29.95 Paperback | 240 pages | $27.99 Hardcover | 176 pages | $24.95

Paperback | 208 pages | $19.95 Paperback | 224 pages | $19.95 Paperback | 240 pages | $24.95

20 • Chelsea Green Publishing

 Economics, Politics & Ecology Essentials

Paperback | 320 pages | $18.00 Paperback | 288 pages | $17.95 Paperback | 304 pages | $20.00

Paperback | 224 pages | $18.00 Paperback | 240 pages | $19.95 Paperback | 192 pages | $15.00

Paperback | 224 pages | $17.95 Paperback | 256 pages | $20.00 Paperback | 368 pages | $25.00

chelseagreen.com • 21
 Coming Soon

Call of the Reed Warbler

Regenerative Agriculture for a Restored Earth
Charles Massy

“Part lyrical nature writing, part storytelling, part solid

scientific evidence, part scholarly research, part memoir,
the book is an elegant manifesto, an urgent call to stop
trashing the Earth and start healing it.”
—The Guardian
Theo Schoo

Paperback | 576 pages | $29.95

The New Organic Grower

A Master's Manual of Tools and Techniques for
the Home and Market Gardener, 30th Anniversary Edition
Eliot Coleman
“There is hardly a more well-known or well-respected name among
organic farmers than Eliot Coleman. His 1989 book, The New Or-
ganic Grower, gave an entire generation of beginning sustainable
Barbara Damrosch

farmers the tools and methods to make an honest living in agri-

culture where few resources existed before.”
—Civil Eats
Paperback | 400 pages | $29.95

The Community Food Forest Handbook

How to Plan, Organize, and Nurture Edible Gathering Places
Catherine Bukowski and John Munsell

Authors Catherine Bukowski and John Munsell dive into

the civic aspects of community food forests, drawing
on observations, group meetings, and interviews at over
twenty projects across the country and their own
experience creating and managing a food forest.

Paperback | 288 pages | $24.95

22 • Chelsea Green Publishing


Listening Length: 13 hours and
42 minutes
Listening Length: 6 hours and
18 minutes
Listening Length: 8 hours and
20 minutes
Listening Length: 10 hours and
49 minutes
Audio Essentials
Introducing
Chelsea Green
Publishing UK
We are pleased to
announce that 2018
sees the opening of
a Chelsea Green
Listening Length: 8 hours and London office!
32 minutes With this
expansion, we are
looking to grow
and develop our
relationships with
authors and readers
in the UK—bringing
new voices to the
conversation about
Listening Length: 9 hours and
sustainability.
2 minutes
Look for more
information at
chelseagreen.com/UK
Stay connected with
our authors, learn about
Listening Length: 10 hours and
57 minutes
new releases, and
get special discounts!
Sign up for our
newsletter at
ChelseaGreen.com
/newsletter-signup
Other ways to connect:
facebook.com/chelseagreenpub
@chelseagreen
Listening Length: 4 hours and @chelseagreenbooks
42 minutes
chelseagreen.com • 23
 “There are no gurus in this game—no repositories of
the ‘correct way’—only fellow searchers.
All the information for further improvement is
out there waiting for us to discover it.”
—Eliot Coleman, The New Organic Grower

CHELSEA
GREEN PUBLISHING POSTAGE REQUIRED
Visit chelseagreen.com
Call ( 800) 639-4099

the politics and practice of sustainable living

85 North Main Street
Suite 120
White River Junction, VT 05001

Sign up for our enewsletter:

chelseagreen.com/newsletter
facebook.com/chelseagreenpub
@chelseagreen
@chelseagreenbooks