Books

I wanted to make some recommendations on books for the incipient modern homesteader. Rosie and I have learned a lot from our books, and a lot more from the hands on we were inspired to do from our books.

Anything by John Seymour, the man was a visionary. He wrote quite a few books on how to be self-sufficient on a small plot of land, in many cases a small urban back yard. He takes a no nonsense approach to the modern homestead, there is very little philosophy in his books but a damn lot of good advice and guidelines for any one who desires to be more than a "consumer" of our world. I can not recommend his books enough. No really, stop what you are doing right now and go get one of his books.

Farm City by Novella Carpenter. A young woman who decides to start a farm in downtown Oakland. Not a lot of advice for a homesteader but more along the lines of a kindred spirit who goes threw nearly the same experiences Rosie and I have in many ways. If you want to see what is possible in a small space this is a fun read.

The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan. She concentrates on doing more with less, if you have a yard you can have a small farm. For our readers in town and city this is a great book, she can suggest how to get more from a small raised bed garden or a window box.

Storey's Guide to Raising "fill in the blank". I can only half recommend this series. While there is some very good information about building feeders, noting illness, treating mild sickness, picking breeds, and feeding much of the books spend a lot of time on the idea of "profit" and how to make more money off your livestock. While there is nothing wrong with this idea, Rosie and I are not trying to make money on our animals, we are trying to raise them for our own use. So the information is good but the aim is off in our opinion.

I am sure there are more good books out there, but these are the ones I have been reaching for on a almost daily basis. Good luck, good travels and don't let the pigs bite you.