Homesteading


Book Description

For readers who want to shrink their carbon footprint, save money, and eat homegrown food whenever possible, this large, fully-illustrated guide--and companion to the bestseller "Back to Basics"--provides the basics of living a good, clean life.




The Resilient Farm and Homestead


Book Description

The Resilient Farm and Homestead is a manual for developing durable, beautiful, and highly functional human habitat systems fit to handle an age of rapid transition. Ben Falk is a land designer and site developer whose permaculture-research farm has drawn national attention. The site is a terraced paradise on a hillside in Vermont that would otherwise be overlooked by conventional farmers as unworthy farmland. Falk's wide array of fruit trees, rice paddies (relatively unheard of in the Northeast), ducks, nuts, and earth-inspired buildings is a hopeful image for the future of regenerative agriculture and modern homesteading. The book covers nearly every strategy Falk and his team have been testing at the Whole Systems Research Farm over the past decade, as well as experiments from other sites Falk has designed through his off-farm consulting business. The book includes detailed information on earthworks; gravity-fed water systems; species composition; the site-design process; site management; fuelwood hedge production and processing; human health and nutrient-dense production strategies; rapid topsoil formation and remineralization; agroforestry/silvopasture/grazing; ecosystem services, especially regarding flood mitigation; fertility management; human labor and social-systems aspects; tools/equipment/appropriate technology; and much more, complete with gorgeous photography and detailed design drawings. The Resilient Farm and Homestead is more than just a book of tricks and techniques for regenerative site development, but offers actual working results in living within complex farm-ecosystems based on research from the "great thinkers" in permaculture, and presents a viable home-scale model for an intentional food-producing ecosystem in cold climates, and beyond. Inspiring to would-be homesteaders everywhere, but especially for those who find themselves with "unlikely" farming land, Falk is an inspiration in what can be done by imitating natural systems, and making the most of what we have by re-imagining what's possible. A gorgeous case study for the homestead of the future.




The Homesteading Encyclopedia


Book Description

Discover how to start your homesteading journey the right away... and avoid making expensive beginner's mistakes. Are you thinking about moving to a country homestead, but have no idea how to start planning? Do you want to raise your level of self-sufficiency, but live in a small city apartment and don't know how to do it? Just imagine what it would be like if you didn't have to rely on municipal power or water grids (or pay those expensive bills every month). Not to mention the joy and health benefits of growing your own organic food, instead of being forced to buy supermarket food infused with dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Does this sound like a lot of work? You're right. It is. Planning your homestead journey can take weeks, or even months if you're a complete beginner. You would have to read numerous books, research the farthest corners of the Internet, and spend thousands of dollars on consultations. And even after all that planning, there are no guarantees that you wouldn't miss something crucial... something that would make a huge dent in your budget and make you regret starting this blasted thing in the first place. That's how it goes for most first-time homesteaders -- they make mistakes, lose money, learn from the experience, and spend more money to make it right. If you don't want to be one of them, you've come to the right place. You don't have to plan everything yourself. Actually, you don't have to plan anything yourself. We've done it for you. In The Homesteading Encyclopedia, you will discover: A diverse range of different ways to live your homesteading dream, even if you can't afford moving to the country The best US states to live in when homesteading or going off-the-grid A complete guide to utility options for homesteaders, including renewable energy and water sources Exactly how you can avoid making expensive beginner's mistakes when planning your homesteading paradise Different ways to become completely food independent -- even if you don't own a lot of garden space How to deal with medical emergencies when you live in an isolated area Types of homestead properties (and how to choose the right one for yourself) How to become a homesteader on a small budget And much more. No matter your motivation, financial situation, or living arrangements, homesteading is a great option for anyone who wants to gain any level of independence -- whether that's a small taste or complete control of your lifestyle. Even if you live in a city apartment, this book will spark your imagination, and show you how to make the most of what you have to become thoroughly self-sufficient. If you want to discover how to plan your homestead flawlessly, this book is a must-have!




Backyard Homesteading


Book Description

A simple guide to growing fruits, vegetables, nuts & berries, raising chickens, goats, & bees, and making beer, wine, & cider from your backyard. If you want to take control of the food you eat and the products you use, Backyard Homesteading will help you learn how to do it—even if you live in an urban or suburban house on a typical-size lot. Inside, you’ll discover how to turn a yard into a productive and wholesome “homestead” that allows you to grow your own fruits and vegetables and raise farm animals, including chickens and goats. You’ll also find the laws and regulations of raising livestock in populated areas, as well as ways to use and preserve the bounty your land produces. GETTING STARTED Benefits of pure food Family recreation Local regulations Potential yields and savings RAISING VEGETABLES AND HERBS Garden planning/layout Structures/irrigation Vegetable profiles Planting techniques Composting/healthy soil Seasonal gardening GROWING FRUITS, BERRIES, AND NUTS Planting fruit trees and bushes Fruit profiles Organic pest control Grafting and pruning Harvesting methods RAISING CHICKENS The joy of chickens Collecting eggs Care and feeding tips Other small animals RAISING GOATS Benefits of goat milk Structures/fencing Care and feeding tips Other large animals BEEKEEPING Benefits of beekeeping Care and harvesting Building hives Collecting honey HARVEST HOME Canning/drying/freezing Making beer, wine, cider Making jerky, sausage Making jams, jellies Pickling/salting/smoking Building root cellars




The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects


Book Description

Gardeners, small farmers, and outdoor living enthusiasts will love this compilation of 76 rustic DIY projects. From plant supports and clotheslines to a chicken coop, a greenhouse, and a root cellar with storage bins, most of the projects are suitable for complete novices, and all use just basic tools and easy-to-find materials. You’ll find techniques to build whatever your outdoor world is missing, with additional tips to live sustainably, happily, and independently. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead, The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals, and The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How.




Rural Renaissance


Book Description

In the ’60s it was called the "back to the land" movement, and in Helen and Scott Nearings’ day, it was "living the good life." Whatever the term, North Americans have always yearned for a simpler way. But how do you accomplish that today? Blending inspiration with practical how-to’s, Rural Renaissance captures the American dream of country living for contemporary times. Journey with the authors and experience their lessons, laughter and love for the land as they trade the urban concrete maze for a five-acre organic farm and bed and breakfast in southwestern Wisconsin. Rural living today is a lot more than farming. It’s about a creative, nature-based and more self-sufficient lifestyle that combines a love of squash, solar energy, skinny-dipping and serendipity . . . The many topics explored in Rural Renaissance include: "right livelihood" and the good life organic gardening and permaculture renewable energy and energy conservation wholesome organic food, safe water and a natural home simplicity, frugality and freedom green design and recycled materials community, friends and raising a family independence and interdependence wildlife conservation and land stewardship. An authentic tale of a couple whose pioneering spirit and connection to the land reaches out to both the local and global community to make their dream come true, Rural Renaissance will appeal to a wide range of Cultural Creatives, free agents, conservation entrepreneurs and both arm-chair and real-life homesteaders regardless of where they live. Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko are innkeepers, organic growers, copartners in a marketing consulting company, and have previously published books. John is also a photographer. Former advertising agency fast-trackers, they are nationally recognized for their contemporary approach to homesteading, conservation and more sustainable living. They share their farm with their son, two llamas, and a flock of free-range chickens. Rural Renaissance also offers a foreword by Bill McKibben.




The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How


Book Description

Growing vegetables and raising livestock is only the beginning of a successful homestead — that fresh food goes to waste unless you can properly prepare, cook, and preserve it. Andrea Chesman shows you how to bridge the gap between field and table, covering everything from curing meats and making sausage to canning fruits and vegetables, milling flour, working with sourdough, baking no-knead breads, making braises and stews that can be adapted to different cuts of meat, rendering lard and tallow, pickling, making butter and cheese, making yogurt, blanching vegetables for the freezer, making jams and jellies, drying produce, and much more. You’ll learn all the techniques you need to get the most from homegrown foods, along with dozens of simple and delicious recipes, most of which can be adapted to use whatever you have available. Also available in this series: The Backyard Homestead, The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects, The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, and The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals.




Homestead


Book Description

Examines the business, labor, and human history of Homestead, Pennsylvania, the heart of the American steel industry.




The Homesteader's Handbook


Book Description




Homestead Survival


Book Description

A practical guide to self-sufficient and sustainable living from the star of Homestead Rescue. Do you wish for a more resilient, sustainable, and empowered way of providing for your family in uncertain times? Are you worried about unreliable power grids, uncertain water supplies, or overly complex food chains? Veteran homesteader and star of Discovery's Homestead Rescue Marty Raney shares a big-picture vision of how ordinary families can become radically resilient homesteaders: powering, feeding, and caring for themselves through their own efforts, and on their own land. This book will guide you to: • buy land with the natural resources to build and feed a homestead • go off grid with your own power and water systems • design a greenhouse that will keep growing even when it’s snowing • confidently defend your home against all threats—grizzlies, forest fires, flash floods, and financial challenges Resources are only going to get more scarce. Raney will teach you to find food where others see dirt, and to build a home where others see empty land. He will inspire you to forge your own homestead dream and strengthen your family for all challenges to come.