Suggested reading material

[rd200]

I want to go to the library soon and wanted to compile a list of books i want to get. I am looking for anything having to do with living SS, composting, gardening, homesteading, cooking, or anything else that you have read lately that was really good. Thanks, Rach

ETA: Or anything having to do with a homestead cow, pig or anything related to heritage cows, etc. ( I want to get some when we move)

 

[THEFAN]

5 Acres and Independence by Dover
Homesteading by Logsdon
Square Food Gardening
let it Rot!! Campbell
Step by Step to Organic Vegetable Growing by McKay



Here is some.. Sorry I can't list all my books. It would take a few days. Have over 300 in just self-sufficient. Lot of ideas in each.

 

[moolie]

There's a great thread here , and here's my updated list from this thread:

A few books that have been super helpful in our family's journey toward more sustainable living have been:

Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century by British father and son duo Dick and James Strawbridge

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It which is a compilation of several books by the late John Seymour (also from the UK)

Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills which is a new printing of a 1970s Reader's Digest book (I have the old yellow cover version)

Any one of the books I've linked to above are a GREAT starting point, then you can move on to specific topics that you need more info on:

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving or the Canadian version: Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today

Putting Food By by Ruth Hertzberg

Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation (excellent resource)

Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike & Nancy Bubel (excellent resource)

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners by Suzette Ashworth (excellent resource)

For gardening and food preservation information, google your local state university extension department and you can usually download tons of great info sheets of various topics and individual veg crops. Some that I've found very helpful include: Utah State and Oregon State. Locally I rely on a provincial publication called Alberta Yards & Gardens as well as gardening books by the late garden nursery owner and former Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Hole. "Sunset" and "Ortho" books on gardening are also great, often available from used book shops.

All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholemew (borrow from the library or buy this one used, it's full of good info but he gets a little tiresome)

http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/ is great for lots of free info on Square Foot gardening, and she offers "e-books" that you can print and put into a binder--I actually bought these last year when they were bundled together for something like $14 and the Planting by Colour title is very useful. It takes you through the gardening season week by week from starting seeds to harvest for your growing zone. The Gardening for Beginners title is great if you have never gardened before and want to start up quickly.

Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening or and old copy of Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening by Louise Riotte (two of my fave garden books of all time!)

Organic Kitchen Garden by Julie Roberts (a lovely read about an old Victorian country house garden brought back to life with a combo of traditional and modern methods--beautiful photographs if you are into eye candy, and good gardening resource)

Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs: A Bountiful, Healthful Garden for Lean Times by Jim Wilson (formerly of PBS series The Victory Garden) (an excellent resource full of solid vegetable gardening information with pages on individual veggies, herbs, and bush/tree fruits--super for beginners and experienced gardeners alike)

Gardening with Heirloom Seeds: Tried-and-True Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables for a New Generation by Lynn Coulter (lots of info)

Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding! by Patricia Lanza (I don't own this but have borrowed it from the library a few times)

Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Elliot Coleman and Barb Damrosch (I don't own this but have borrowed it from the library a few times)

Just in Case: How to be Self-Sufficient when the Unexpected Happens by Kathy Harrison (I don't have this one, but have borrowed it often from the library and am on the lookout for a copy for myself--excellent resource that helped us organize our emergency preparation)

When there is no Doctor (free pdf file, super resource)

 

[Marianne]

Holy cow!! Moolie, there's a lot of info there, thanks for posting!

 

[Leta]

Not exactly a how-to sort of book, though it is nonfiction. "The Dirty Life" by Kristen Kimball. Kinda a dumb name, so I resisted initially, but it's a beautiful book. It's the story of her marriage, what drove her husband to become a farmer, and how she got involved in that lifestyle through him. DH and I read it aloud to one another, and he said he wanted to reread it every year of his life.