The intent of this page is not to promote anyone's books but rather to enlighten you as to some of the good books available today related to Self-Sufficiency and Homesteading. This covers a wide variety of topics. Listed here are references that will get you started.
Magazines
|
Magazine |
Description |
|
Countryside & Small Stock Journal
|
This
is by far one of the best magazine today for homesteaders. The articles
contained within are written by homesteaders, about homesteaders and
for homesteaders.
Subscriptions
are $18.00 / year. (Bi-Monthly) http://www.countrysidemag.com |
|
Back Home Magazine
|
This
is what Mother Earth News used to be! An excellent guide to sustainable
living. Each issue is filled with practical experience on country
living.
Subscriptions
are $19.00 / year. (Bi-Monthly) http://www.ioa.com/home/backhome |
|
Home
Power Magazine |
For
those of you considering RE (Renewable Energy) this magazine is a
must! Every issue is filled with practical experience on using solar,
wind and hydro power.
Subscriptions
are $22.50 / year. (Bi-Monthly) http://www.homepower.com |
Books
|
Title |
Author(s) |
Description |
Laundry...The Way Granny Did It: An Emergency Preparedness Handbook  |
Kylie Jordan | Most of the basic things that we do today are automated, including our wash. Here's the "dirt" on how to do wash the old fashioned way. If you live off the grid or just want to know how to do laundry without electricity, this book comes clean on how to do it. |
|
The
Good Life |
Helen and Scott Nearing | Helen
and Scott Nearing abandoned the city in 1932 for a rural life based
on self-reliance, good health and a minimum of cash. Their natural
way of living has been a great source of inspiration for me.
Although times have changed, this book is still very relevant to those striving for self-sufficiency. |
|
The
Home Water Supply |
Stu Campbell | Water
is an extremely valuable resource. Most people today depend on outside
resources for their water needs. This book gives details on how to
find, filter, store and conserve water. |
|
Back
to Basics |
Reader's Digest | Reader's
Digest Back to Basics gives you the details of the "how-to-do's" of the lost skills of early America. From baking bread to building
a house, you'll find this book a very useful resource. |
|
Basic
Country Skills |
Storey Books | More
than 500 fact-filled pages cover thousands of the arts, crafts, and
skills of country life. This encyclopedic book will make you feel
like you have a master mechanic at your elbow, or an expert gardener
looking over the fence.
Armed with this hardworking book you will be able to create it, fix it, improve it, do it. |
|
Root
Cellaring |
Mike and Nancy Bubel | Root
cellaring is a simple, energy-saving way to keep food fresh all year.
This book explains building and using different types of root cellars
and which vegetables and fruits store best. Root cellaring is a natural,
non-consumptive way in which to store your self-sufficient vegetables.
|
|
The
Encyclopedia of Country Living |
Carla Emery | Carla's
book on Country Living is full of ideas and how-to's related to living
a self-sufficient lifestyle. |
|
Four-Season
Harvest |
Eliot Coleman | Your
food supply is critical to self-sufficiency. Eliot's book explains
in detail how you can expand your growing season to maximize food
production. |
|
Tom Brown's Guide to Edible and Medicinal Plants
|
Tom Brown | Lots
of good information on using common plants for survival and medicinal
purposes. |
|
Successful Small-Scale Farming
|
Karl Schwenke | An
organic approach to small-scale farming. A very good resource for
essential farmstead skills. |
|
Your
Money or Your Life |
Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin | Joe
and Vicki gave up their successful and stressful careers in order
to live more deliberately and meaningfully. Another great book that
puts life and money in perspective. |
|
How
to Find Your Ideal Country Home |
Gene GeRue | If
you're planning to move to the country, this is a great resource of
information, state-by-state. Before you buy, you have to read this
book. It has tons of information regarding what to do and what not
to do when considering living in the country. I believe the book is
in its second edition. |
|
Five
Acres and Independence |
M.G. Kains | Originally
written in 1940, this book has a lot of practical information for
small-scale farming. It's amazing what you can do with 5 acres! |
|
Voluntary
Simplicity |
Duane Elgin | I
read this book anytime I have an urge to buy something frivolous!
This is a fantastic book that puts life in perspective as it relates
to materialistic values.
Voluntary Simplicity is not a book about living in poverty; it is a book about living with balance. It illuminates the pattern of changes that an increasing number of Americans are making in their everyday lives. |
| Skip
Thomsen Cat Freshwater |
A very good book that stresses the realities of homesteading. A must book for those who "look before they leap". There's also a lot of good practical information about various aspects of homesteading. One chapter focusses on the details of installing backup electrical generators and how to invest wisely in them. To learn more about the book: |
|
|
At
Nature's Pace |
Gene Logsdon | Gene
Logsdon's essays on the decline of rural society and the need for
agricultural reform have made him one of our most important critics
of large-scale farming. He explains the economic and biological crises
that threaten farmers, their land, and the urban communities that
depend on them. |
