The Ground Rules: A Manual to Reconnect Soil and Soul
By: Nance Klehm with Jacob Blecher, Brett Bloom, Martin Brown, Evon Izquierdo, and Victoria Thurmond.
Chicago, IL: Social Ecologies
Pages: 72
Dimensions: 9 1/2 in x 11 1/4 in
Cover: soft cover
Binding: staple bound
Process: web offset
Color: full color cover, color and black & white throughout
Edition Size: 750
ISBN:None
A super information-packed resource for anyone interested in "uncovering and articulating the environmental history of any urban place," with a particular emphasis on Chicago case studies and a ton of information on composting and urban community gardens. The beautiful botanical drawings by Evon Izquierdo that appear through the publication are particularly noteworthy. Brett Bloom of Temporary Services and Half Letter Press contributes as well.
From Nance Klehm:
Written for any urban grower or inhabitant, The Ground Rules: A Manual to Connect Soil and Soul is both a document of The Ground Rules process and a guide to community composting and DIY soil remediation. As a practical guide the manual is full of detailed information on how to research a garden site, how to test your soil for toxins, and how to heal the soil through phyto- and mycoremediation. But it reaches beyond the how-to’s as well, to talk about the whys, with essays on restorative justice and deep mapping, and histories of the Chicago neighborhoods in which we work. Encouraging learning through observation, the manual asks at every juncture, “How is your body connected to that which is underneath your feet and supporting every step?"