Book Publishing Company (BPC) is a community-owned press dedicated to publishing books that promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. We’re part of The Farm, an intentional community located in Summertown, Tennessee, and have been in business since 1974. Early publications represented The Farm’s core beliefs and culture. Spiritual Midwifery (1975) by Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives was instrumental in spearheading the natural birth movement in the United States. The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook (1978) by Louise Hagler was the first completely vegan cookbook ever published in the U.S.. During the company’s first decade, our releases consisted of additional vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, such as Tofu Cookery and Tempeh Cookery, along with books on Stephen Gaskin’s teachings, natural birth control, and the dangers of nuclear energy. We also published the blockbuster hit The Big Dummy’s Guide to CB Radio by Albert Houston

In 1983 Bob and Cynthia Holzapfel took over the management of the company. Plant-based recipe books continued to be one of BPC’s principal genres, including Jo Stepaniak’s The Uncheese Cookbook (1994), which broke ground by providing some of the first vegan alternatives to dairy products. Dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina coauthored the go-to book on plant-based nutrition, Becoming Vegan in 1995, which has now evolved into two volumes: Becoming Vegan Express Edition and Becoming Vegan Comprehensive Edition. When the raw-food movement blossomed, BPC combined forces with sprouting pioneer Steve Meyerowitz to distribute Sproutman Publications titles.

Our Healthy Living imprint promotes titles on alternative health care and natural wellness solutions. The acquisition of a division of Canada’s Alive Publications Group transitioned into Books Alive, which offers a diverse collection of health titles by authors from both the United States and Canada. BPC partnered with Norwalk Press in 2008 and Ehret Literature Publications in 2011 to keep the works of legacy authors Norman Walker and Arnold Ehret in print. Basic Call to Consciousness (1980) was our first project with Native authors. Our association with Adolf Hungry Wolf and Good Medicine Books in the late 80s led to the formation of our Native Voices imprint. In 2023 we acquired Cherokee Publications and are happy to continue to offer these valuable classics to readers. 7th Generation was created to respond to the needs of school districts with a prominent Native population. The PathFinders collection of hi-lo novels for struggling readers and the Native Trailblazer series of themed biographies of accomplished Native Americans have filled important niches.

GroundSwell Books imprint is dedicated to titles that engage and inspire readers to create a healthy, sustainable planet for future generations. Topics range from water conservation and gardening to off-grid living. We are proud to offer a number of books by environmental warrior and conservationist, Captain Paul Watson Planet in Crisis is a series that features an urgent environmental crisis, solution-based information, and a call to action. Planetary Solutions, for kids aged 9-12, inspires young people to understand, challenge, and solve the environmental problems that put the Earth at risk.