The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming
Condition: New
Buy Now, Pay Later
As low as
$3
/ mo
Learn more
- – 4-month term
- – No impact on credit to apply
- – Instant approval decision
- – Secure and straightforward checkout
Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.
Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayTomorrow. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Selected Option
Free shipping on this product
30-day returns
Learn more
FREE 30-day refund/replacement
To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
Availability:
In Stock.
Arrives
Saturday, Jul 18
Recently Viewed
Format: Paperback
Description
Transform 1.5 acres into a 6 figure annual income through proven small-scale organic farming methods. Jean-Martin Fortier demonstrates how he and his wife built a thriving market garden operation feeding 200+ families while maintaining work-life balance using low-tech, high-yield techniques that work in any climate.Why This System Works Where Others Fail:Unlike industrial farming that requires massive acreage and equipment, this micro-farming approach maximizes profits per square foot through intensive, sustainable methods. Based on 10+ years of real-world success, these techniques have been replicated by thousands of growers worldwide.What You'll Master:Profitable crop selection - which vegetables generate $15-20 per square foot annually Efficient farm layout - design systems that minimize work while maximizing yieldsTool and equipment choices - cost-effective alternatives to expensive machinery Four-season production - extend harvests for year-round income streams Direct marketing strategies - command premium prices through CSA and farmers markets Financial planning templates - track profits, plan cash flow, and scale systematicallyProven Results from Real Farmers: Over 200,000 copies sold worldwide have helped farmers like you transition from hobby gardening to profitable small-scale agriculture. Jean-Martin's students report achieving financial independence on 2-5 acres using these exact methods.Start building your profitable market garden operation today. This isn't theory - it's a complete playbook from someone who's actually making a living from small-scale farming. Read more
Publisher : New Society Publishers
Publication date : March 1, 2014
Language : English
Print length : 224 pages
ISBN-10 : 0865717656
ISBN-13 : 57
Item Weight : 1.12 pounds
Dimensions : 8.5 x 0.43 x 8.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #22,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3 in Agriculture Industry (Books) #8 in Restaurant & Food Industry (Books) #9 in Sustainable Agriculture (Books)
#3 in Agriculture Industry (Books):
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Saturday, Jul 18
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
- Klarna Financing
- Affirm Pay in 4
- Affirm Financing
- Afterpay Financing
- PayTomorrow Financing
- Financing through Apple Pay
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Similar Products
Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
A lot of people that don't read this book are quick to say things like, "yeah, you say he makes 6 figures, but he's in a city and supplies restaurants", and that his method wont work in other locations. First off, yes, he does make 6 figures, but he lives in the country (60 min or so from the city), and while he does supply restaurants, he mostly supplies families and sells at farmers markets. Him and his wife also work about 40 hrs a week and he hires one or two people seasonally and shuts down for about 3 months in the winter. His book shows in excellent detail how he has achieved his success over time (not overnight), and the steps are very practical for other locations. OF COURSE there will be things you need to adjust if you apply this method in other areas (and any potential farmer should know that), but the information is extremely practical and relevant no matter where you are. If you want to do micro-intensive farming, this is a wonderful resource and shows you the things you need to do and start thinking about. I am currently looking for land where I will start my own micro-farm operation, and while I will not use this book exclusively (every farm is different), it's going to be a major reference. Of note, Jean Martin has recently started to integrate permaculture into his operation, and that information is not contained in this reference since he's just started in that endeavor. It is still an excellent reference for the aspiring organic grower. Personally, I very-much appreciate his common-sense approach on standardized beds and hand tools that are designed for those beds. His practices will not only give me fantastic food, but will also help me to become more physically fit through efficient manual labor, which as someone who works behind a desk, I am craving. He also shows how he looks at his crop value, crop rotation, how he works his greenhouse, transplants, and many examples of his spreadsheets that keep his business running a profit; the list goes on and on... I can't recommend this book enough.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2016 by T.J.
Format: Paperback
I purchased this book many many years ago and still refer to it from time to time. It contains timeless information about starting a market garden and running a thriving small-scale farm. It gave us the push we needed to start the business we had been dreaming of.
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2026 by Danielle Patterson
Format: Paperback
This book, "The Market Gardener," feels like you're conversing with a fellow traveler on this journey of nurturing the land. As someone who’s been digging in the soil for many years and even taught my children the value of agriculture and farming, I appreciate the practical wisdom shared within these pages. This isn't just theory; it's real, hands-on advice from someone who’s clearly made it work. I like the focus on small-scale organic farming. It is a focused, intentional approach that yields rich results. The chapters are laid out clearly, much like a good lesson plan. You can tell the author has a deep respect for the land and a desire to share his knowledge. It’s inspiring to see how one can create a thriving market garden using organic methods. This book reinforces my belief that we can be good stewards of the earth while also providing for ourselves and our communities. It’s a valuable resource for anyone looking to cultivate not just vegetables, but also a more sustainable way of life. I'll be recommending this to my gardening friends and even my grandchildren who are starting to explore their own green thumbs.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2025 by Education Matters
Format: Paperback
Pros: Great information. Well written. Has already been extremely helpful as I start planning a small market garden. Nicely organized and plenty detailed with topics covered. Great information for the financial side of starting a market farm. Very, very helpful charts throughout including crop rotation, record keeping examples, and (my favorite) their sales by crop (with info on % of space used, price, profitability, and more!) Fun and helpful illustrations. Plenty if information on soil building and organic management of pests and fertilizing. Cons: Very light on business management of a small farm, which I don't need and can be found in other books. And very light on crop specific information. Very little more than what I had already found online. Some of the information is not relevant to my garden as I don't have seed starting room, cold storage room, nursery, or greenhouse/hoophouse. Overall: Love this resource! It has been so helpful with my planning, especially since they have a similar growing season (about 120 days). As I'm figuring out what to grow to maximize profitability in my garden I have referred to this book (especially sales chart on page 14) a lot. I purchased Sustainable Market Farming by Pam Dawling (review on that coming soon) along with this book and use that for crop specific management (I love and recommended it!!!). This book is primarily about producing a very profitable yield on small space without massive debt or damaging the local ecosystem. If I am able to expand from my backyard garden to a larger operation I will be digging into different areas of this book more and more.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2014 by Shantelle Dein
Format: Paperback
After reading this book, I was excited about the possibilities of intensive, market gardening. Fortier teaches you how to garden for maximum profit on small parcels of land. First, this book was revolutionary for me because he combines aspects of the mechanized, large scale farm with the intensive small scale organic farm via specialty hand-held and walk-behind tools, which he details in this book. These tools (many of them newly designed innovations I'd never heard of) are much more nimble and require less investment than a large tractor designed for large fields. Second, Fortier details his crop rotation and garden bed layout plan, which will save you hours and/or years of racking your brain to try to figure out the best system. Finally, he details the economic return for each different vegetable on his farm, which is very helpful since the goal of market gardening is to earn money. This book can jump start you into beginning a small scale farm. The chapters are laid out well and it reads naturally (especially considering the book was translated from French). In fact, I had trouble putting it down! I gave it four stars because Fortier seems to hold some secrets and techniques back. For example, he doesn't provide enough information on growing and grafting tomatoes—one of the most lucrative crops. It's also written for people who live in a Northern climate, so those who live in a Southern climate will need to do some research to figure out their own unique growing calendar and use of greenhouses. Overall, it is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in gardening for profit.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2016 by Amazon Customer
Format: Paperback
I learned about the author and this book via cozy circle of internet focused marketers seemingly trading off each other's internet brand for commercial gain. What could possibly go wrong with this purchase? Nothing does, the author hits it out of the park and my cynicism skulks back to its dank lair. If you are a market gardener unhappy with how things are going or considering being a market gardener read this book. It is partly story of authors successful market farm and and humble beginnings but is mostly about intensive market garden techniques, practices, underlying principles author adapted or developed over 10+ years of focus, diligent planning, intelligence, practical sense and clarity on what is important in life to the author. This guy makes a lot of sense. Many charts, planning tools, crop rotations soil, pest, cropping, harvest techniques and insight to marketing approach(es) throughout the book as they apply to author's situation. Series of 20 minute recordings on Youtube that roughly follows the book without the book's detail. Is not intended to be a market gardening recipe book but I believe that with a decent work ethic, clear understanding of yourself and life goals plus judicious application or adaptation to local conditions solely of author's techniques and practices as described in the book an inexperienced market gardener with limited capital could easily become sufficiently successful in 2 growing seasons regardless of location.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2019 by DAC
Format: Kindle
Every topic has generations of development. It starts out with the pioneers and concepts then as people start practicing it starts to develop into personal art. Where Elliot Coleman started, and did a great job of launching thousands of small farms that are well enough organized that a couple of acres can give a family and some employees a good income and fill in the gaps left in our industrialized food system, this book brings down to earth in the most succinct way possible every part of operating a market garden. Fortier is the next generation, one of the acolytes that took his master's work and greatly expanded on it. I have a library of such books but none of them are as readable or as information rich in a short chapter as Fortier's book. While most of these books sit in my library as reference material I actually could not put this book down because from cover to cover material was covered in as few words as possible while giving a rich detailed cover of topic after topic, walking you through the entire operation and then following with very good resources on where to find the materials used and mentioned in the book. It might be possible to improve on this book but it is hard to imagine how. It would be nice to see this book folded into a larger picture as part of a larger permaculture site that includes perennial fruits and herbs but I find no fault with the author for sticking to his topic and area of expertise. No matter what your accomplishments in the area of vegetable or market gardening, this book can give you some ideas for how to do some things better. If you have a permaculture site but want to grow your own food, this is probably the only book you will ever need on how to make growing vegetables a viable operation with the least amount of work and investment.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2014 by tmgibs
Format: Paperback
What an amazing book! I follow The Market Gardener, and his book is so practical and helpful! I have marked it up with highlighting and comments to remind me of important gardening details. J. M. Fortier is an excellent teacher and model!
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2025 by Roberta Hill