Quiet Life Homestead

Challenge Day 3 Homesteading books - I know, but worth reading (I hope!)

I decided that I too would share some of my favorite homesteading books.  The Encyclopedia of Country Living (by Carla Emery) and Storey's Basic Country Skills (by John and Martha Storey) are both good all-around knowledge books. 

The Modern Homestead Manual (by Skip Thomsen and Cat Freshwater) takes you through the nitty-gritty part of looking for your home, saving money, making the changes you need...basically preparation.  By the end it does get more into things like alternative power & water systems. 

The last two books on the list I don't actually own, I checked them out from the library but do plan to buy them as soon as I am able.  The first, The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live it (by John Seymour), is like the above #1&2 books, but what I like so much about this book is he has layout ideas for a one-acre farm and five-acre farm.  It's neat because it kinda lets you know what's possible. 

The Country Life (by Paul Heiney) has layouts for 100ft farm, half-acre farm, three-acre farm, and eight-acre farm!  Like I said, I love how these layouts give me ideas on what can be supported on what sized land.  Also this book has another really neat function, they list 7 different types of animals, their advantages, disadvantages, special needs, labor required, special skills required, diseases they are vulnerable to, and possibilities of making money from them.  It is to help you decide what animals you might like to raise.  Then, lets say you decide to have pigs (my personal favorite), they have broken them down into 5 different breeds and listed things like characteristics, management, meat, health and diseases and skills required for each.  They've done that for geese, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows.  I could go on and on.  Obviously, this is my favorite book.  Check 'em out and enjoy!

thanks

{ 08:59, Friday, January 19, 2007 } { Posted by quiverfullacres }

I found your list! Thanks....