can you get the same info just by googling and reading?

I went to SPINfarming.com and looked around. I am unclear whatÂs up with the "SPIN" part. I cannot see how urban market gardening is different from any other type of market gardening, except you have smaller plots in scattered locations. I was an urban farmer for years, now I am in the country, but may retire back to urban farming. For years, I have based everything on John JeavonÂs "How to Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible". You buy it once, it tells you everything you need to know and you can get it at Barnes and Nobles for $19.95 or here: http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=BEA%2D0300. It is based on raised beds and as far as I can see SPIN is the same thing, however, someone decided to package it up with a new face and make $$$$ convincing others they need follow a "system". Jeavons also complied the book "The Backyard Homestead" back in 1983 which is what SPIN is trying to duplicate.

loodan has got it about right, I agree. nice idea but soil is so important i hate the thought of improving soil and not having it the next year possibly.

in th enext year or two i am going to find some land closer in for my market farm, i am running out of space and need a new plan any how

I had a fairly quick and superficial look - to me it is repackaging John Jeavons, with a some of the Square Foot ideas and some biointensive ideas thrown in, along with a BIG dose of clever marketing. And a market source to sell things to that is nearby. I can't see that it is more than a new version of a bunch of old ideas - which is not to say that it might not be easier to use, coming in one dose, all at once, rather than from reading through several souce books, etc. The other advantage is that it seems as though they do give you a "blueprint" to follow, so you know from the beginning what you need to do next, etc. I think for any experienced gardener, it's not worth it, but for someone starting out from scratch, it MIGHT be helpful....

I got 3 of the spin farming brochures. I grew up on farm, but never gardened and thought that to get back in to farming it sounded like it would be a pretty neat way to have things all set out and structured for you, kind of like a no brainer for someone starting out. I figured that 45$ worth of material would be a heck of a good start, and would save me a lot of time and research. I must say although I think the idea is great, the amount of information given was how much I got out of the small farm magazine article. I don't feel like I'm any farther ahead, even though there is a lot of good information, I will not spend the hundreds of dollars to discover the whole system! The pamphlets should cost no more than 5$ not 15$! I will howver be spending 19.95 at Barnes and Nobles... thanks for the lead.