Introducing Agriphemera

Dateline: 20 February 2015

Screen shot of my new Agriphemera web site

I have coined a new word, developed a new web site, and started a new online business. The word is Agriphemera. The web site is named Agriphemera. And I will be selling inexpensive agriphemera pdf downloads.

Agriphemera is agricultural ephemera. I explain it more At This Link

The First Agriphemera download I'm offering is a copy of the 1898 Planet Jr. Tool Catalog. The number of people in the world who would be interested in having a copy of the 1898 Planet Jr. Tool catalog is, admittedly, pretty small, but that's agriphemera for you. Copies of the catalog sell on Ebay for quite a lot of money. I bought my copy several years ago for less than they are now selling for.

It is my intention to add a new Agriphemera download to the web site in a couple of weeks, and then add one approximately every week for the rest of this year. 2015 will be a time of testing. I'll evaluate the viability of the concept at the end of the year and decide to continue, or not.

The Agriphemera I sell will cover a wide range of agrarian and homesteading subjects. The downloads will offer historical perspective and/or how-to information about traditional skills associated with the rural home economy. 

For example, the next Agriphemera download will explain exactly how to stick a turkey through the mouth to sever the neck artery and then where to stick the brain to loosen the bird's muscles and feathers. Killing turkeys in this manner is almost a lost art. I'm excited to know this information and to give it a try next time I raise some turkeys. Beyond that, the download will explain how turkeys were prepared for market in 1932. That information does not apply to today, but the historical perspective is downright interesting.

One neat feature of Agriphemera is that all new pdf downloads will sell for only $1.00 for the first four days. So if you have an interest in learning from my Agriphemera downloads, I recommend that you sign up for the e-mail option at the web site. You will get an e-mail notice whenever a new Agriphemera download is introduced.

The Agriphemera web site is actually a Blogger.com site. So, those of you who have a blog of your own, would like to help me spread the word about Agriphemera, can easily add the site to your blog's sidebar. And I thank you for that! 

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Some of you may recall that I Blogged About Selling PDF Downloads in March of 2014. I explained that I was using E-junkie to handle the download transactions, and that I was using Blueleaf Scanning to create the pdf files. The old Planet Jr. catalog was something of a test for the Blueleaf Scanning company. I wondered how well they would do with a fragile old book. It turns out they did a nice job. It came out clear and the pdf file is actually easier to read because it is bigger than the relatively small catalog. 

So Agriphemera is an idea that has evolved as I've learned more about all of this. My E-junkie store, with all my pdf downloads (not just agriphemera) is At This Link.













12 comments:

David The Good said...

Very interesting idea. I hope it takes off.

I just added it to my links list at FSG.

In related news... check out my new booklet:

http://www.amazon.com/Create-Your-Florida-Food-Forest-ebook/dp/B00TQWRRKO

I figured it was about time to get some of my regional food forest knowledge put in a book.

chipmunk said...

Pretty neat stuff. I'm looking forward to the fruit butters and mushroom pdfs.

Herrick Kimball said...

David,

Thanks very much for that. I assume your new e-book is comparable to your "Survival Gardening Secrets" audiobook, which my wife and I listened to a week ago when we drove to Erie, PA.

It was my second time listening to it and her first. At one point she remarked, "He did a really good job with this."

Then, after your discussion of practical garden tools, I was very surprised when my wife said, "I think I could use a machete."

I never thought of my wife as a machete wielder. And I never seriously considered getting a machete, but I have all the other tools on your list..... and my wife is convinced that she could put one to good use.

I think it would make a very fine Mother's Day gift.

Herrick Kimball said...

chipmunk,
Good to know. Both of those are good bulletins. Stay tuned.

Frank and Fern said...

We have added Agriphemera to our blogroll, Herrick. Good luck with a new business venture.

Fern

Unknown said...

Excellent and so needed. Thank you, Mr. Kimball.
Will be picking them up as you post them.
Respectfully,
Pam Baker

David The Good said...

The new booklet is a crash course in food forest design in a sub-tropical region. I should also create an audiobook version of it, come to think of it. It contains species lists, info on adding wildlife, ways to propagate and grow a food forest quickly, plus some other good bits and pieces. It's not a huge book but I think it's worth its low price.

Your wife totally needs a machete. Get her a Martindale if you can. Those have better craftsmanship than any others. Made in England.

Glad she enjoyed my previous book. I liked putting it together and getting to use my radio voice and original music.

Herrick Kimball said...

Frank & Fern—
Thanks very much!

Pam—
That's encouraging. Thank you also.

David—
Hmmm. My wife didn't mention WHY she thinks she needs a machete. I should probably ask before I get her one.

Elizabeth L. Johnson said...

Mr. Kimball, Thanks so much for all you do that you gladly pass on to others. I'm sure it takes so much effort, but I know the Lord helps you! Keep it up, and I enjoy your blogs so much. Can't wait to get your books. God Bless from northern California on top of our mountain in Redding!

Herrick Kimball said...

Hello Elizabeth—

Thank you for the nice comment.

And I appreciate your comments at Part 4 of "Reestablishing The Family Economy."

Anonymous said...

Have you considered copyright on these documents you intend to scan and sell? Presumably they are old enough to be in the public domain, but I would want to be 100% certain of that before moving forward and I'd hate to see you either get in trouble or put a lot of effort into something you have to shut down because of lawyers.

Herrick Kimball said...

Thanks for the concern. I may be wrong, but my understanding is that any documents published by the US government are not copyrighted and anyone is free to reproduce them. This would include the old farmer's bulletins.

I'm pretty sure that the same holds true for extension bulletins printed by state agencies, like the various extension services. There is no copyright notice on the booklets.

The old Planet Jr. Catalog is old enough not to be copyright protected. And it was never copyrighted that I can see. And the company is out of business.

I'm cognizant of copyright law (though not an expert) and don't want to do anything improper. If it turns out that I do make a mistake somewhere along the way, I'll fix it.

That said, I really want to pdf an article that was in the summer 1976 issue of Farmstead magazine. I haven't been able to locate the author of the article and don't know anything about the now-defunct publication. What to do?

The article is about tripodding hay. It's an excellent article, written by someone who really knew what he was doing. I may produce a pdf of it and offer it for free, just to get the information out there.