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 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!




The Homesteader's Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook


Book Description

TheHomesteader’s Natural Chicken Keeping Handbook is the modern homesteader’s guide to raising, feeding, breeding, selling, and enjoying the noblest animal on the farm—the chicken. From the rooster’s crow in the morning, to the warm egg in the nesting box, chickens are the gateway livestock for almost every homesteader and backyard farm enthusiast. In this book, you’ll learn everything you need to know about raising chickens naturally. Fewell guides you in: understanding why chickens do what they do creating your very own poultry or egg business preventing and treating ailments with herbal remedies setting up your property, coop, and brooder hatching chicks purchasing chickens properly cooking delicious recipes with your farm fresh eggs and poultry. This is heritage chicken keeping skills 101, with a modern twist. Not only will you gain knowledge about naturally keeping chickens through every stage of their lives, but you’ll fully embrace the joy and ease of raising all-natural chickens on your homestead.




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.




Alaska Homesteader's Handbook


Book Description

The Alaska Homesteader’s Handbook is a remarkable compilation of practical information for living in one of the most impractical and inhostpitable landscapes in the United States. More than forty pioneer types ranging from their mid-nineties to mid-twenties describe their reasons for choosing to live their lives on Alaska and offer useful instructions and advice that made that life more livable. Whether it’s how to live among bears, build an outhouse, cross a river, or make birch syrup, each story gives readers a window to a life most will never know but many still dream about. Dozens of photographs and more than 100 line drawings illustrate the real-life experiences of Alaska settlers such as 1930s New Deal colonists, demobilized military who stayed after World War II, dream seekers from the ’60s and ’70s, and myriad others who staked their claim in Alaska.




The Prairie Homestead Cookbook


Book Description

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.




The Homesteader's Herbal Companion


Book Description

The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion is a beautiful guide for the modern day homesteader. From learning how to incorporate herbs and essential oils around your home, to learning how to enhance your family’s health and well-being, this book is the go-to resource for those wishing to live a more natural homesteading lifestyle. This book takes readers through the basics of herbalism, including the different types of herbs and their uses. It also breaks down how herbs are used in tinctures, salves, essential oils, and infused oils. You’ll learn how to efficiently incorporate herbs into your lifestyle, creating your own herbal remedy cabinet for yourself and for your livestock as well. And through encouragement and evidence-based information, you’ll be confident using herbs, cooking with herbs, and sharing your herbal products with your friends and family. With an array of beautiful photos and easy to read terminology, just about any homesteader, new or seasoned, can learn from The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion, and finally feel comfortable incorporating the many wonderful qualities of herbs around their homes and homesteads.




The Doable Off-Grid Homestead


Book Description

Start Your Own Off-Grid Homestead the Simple, Budget-Friendly Way If you’ve ever thought about creating your own family homestead but weren’t sure how to get started or if it were even possible, Stewart and Shannon Stonger have been there and can help guide your way. They left their home in the city and moved to an empty plot of land with hopes of building a more sustainable way of life. Their years of research, limited budget, creativity and pursuit of their dream produced effective solutions that have taken them step by step to an independent, debt-free and off-grid homestead. In this book, they share how they did it to help others take the first steps in achieving their simple life dreams. You’ll learn how to build inexpensive infrastructure, harness energy from the sun, manage an off-grid home, grow vegetables in tough conditions, preserve the harvest, build an earthbag root cellar, raise beginner’s livestock and so much more. These attainable, game-changing tips and projects have allowed Stewart and Shannon to live a simpler, more rewarding life with their children. If they can do it, so can you!




The Living Soil Handbook


Book Description

Principles and farm-tested practices for no-till market gardening--for healthier, more productive soil! From the host of the popular The No-Till Market Garden Podcast—heard around the world with nearly one million downloads! Discovering how to meet the soil’s needs is the key task for every market gardener. In this comprehensive guide, Farmer Jesse Frost shares all he has learned through experience and experimentation with no-till practices on his home farm in Kentucky and from interviews and visits with highly successful market gardeners in his role as host of The No-Till Market Garden Podcast. The Living Soil Handbook is centered around the three basic principles of no-till market gardening: Disturb the soil as little as possible Keep it covered as much as possible Keep it planted as much as possible. Farmer Jesse then guides readers in applying those principles to their own garden environment, with their own materials, to meet their own goals. Beginning with an exploration of the importance of photosynthesis to living soil, Jesse provides in-depth information on: Turning over beds Using compost and mulch Path management Incorporating biology, maintaining fertility Cover cropping Diversifying plantings through intercropping Production methods for seven major crops Throughout, the book emphasizes practical information on all the best tools and practices for growers who want to build their livelihood around maximizing the health of their soil. Farmer Jesse reminds growers that “as possible” is the mantra for protecting the living soil: disturb the soil as little as you possibly can in your context. He does not believe that growers should anguish over what does and does not qualify as “no-till.” If you are using a tool to promote soil life and biology, that’s the goal. Jesse’s goal with The Living Soil Handbook is to provide a comprehensive set of options, materials, and field-tested practices to inspire growers to design a soil-nurturing no-till system in their unique garden or farm ecosystem. "[A] practical, informative debut. . . .Gardeners interested in sustainable agriculture will find this a great place to start."—Publishers Weekly "Frost offers a comprehensive, science-based, sympathetic, wholly practical guide to soil building, that most critical factor in vegetable gardening for market growers and home gardeners alike. A gift to any vegetable plot that will keep on giving."—Booklist (starred review)




The Homeowner's Energy Handbook


Book Description

Discusses renewable energy resources and provides instructions for creating energy-saving and energy-producing equipment.