The Backyard Homestead

I live in cornfield county. Everybody around here is either a farmer or grew up working on a farm. This stuff is in our DNA; our parents and grandparents grew and canned or butchered just about everything they ate, many of us still do. So, I can tell you from years of experience that as an aid to inexperienced or new urban farmers, this book is worth its weight in gold. It does not take you by the hand and give you step by step instructions; instead, it helps to open your eyes to all of the possibilities for food production that many simply haven't thought about. It gives a general overview of what you can do on limited land and what the minimum space requirements are for each endeavor. Can you raise chickens just by reading the chapter on chickens? No; ditto for cows, goats, pigs and other edible critters. But it will give you a good starting point and keep you from making "rookie" mistakes. Think of this book as an "idea" book. Identify what looks good to you and then use other resources to increase your knowledge of those subjects (the book does have a section of additional resources at the back). I grew up working on farms and still grow and preserve much of my own vegetables and fruit; still I found myself surprised at some of the things I read in this book that I simply hadn't thought much about, like dandelion coffee or flower fritters. I also got ideas on new things to grow. For those of you who have not gardened much, you'll never go back to store bought spaghetti sauce or salsa once you make your own. And even your ugliest green bell pepper will taste so much better than that big sterile waxy green one in the store. Growing your own food and living at least partially off the land is a legacy that should be passed down to every generation, just in case. The Backyard Homestead can be an indispensable aid to helping you become at least partially self sufficient. 2023 update: I only garden about 75 sq. feet now (two 8'x4' beds and one 10sq ft grape arbor.) I typically yield about 20 lbs. grapes, 18 qts raspberries 400-600 Roma hybrid tomatoes and 60+ peppers . Pics show produce from various harvests over the years.

Was just what I was looking for.

I've always lived in contact with farming and agriculture. And ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to plant and harvest my own veggies, and raise my own chickens. Now that I'm married, I wanted to have a greater involvement with that lifestyle I dreamed of as a kid. Enter The Backyard Homestead (or as my hubbie calls it, THE BOOK). I now have a clear and precise image of the house I want to build (we are saving now) and how I want to distribute my "crops" and animals! even now, living in a VERY small house without any sort of soil to plant in, we have our small crops going on and even a handful of hens and roosters! The book is divided very nicely, and it takes you step by step, starting with the easiest part (growing your own vegetables) all the way up to caring for your livestock! you can take baby steps or jump right in, The Book will be there providing answers, and since it is not an Encyclopedia but a single volume, in some instances it will direct you to another source where you can explore in depth in any given subject you are interested. I really want to try my hand at making wine and beer from local produce (since I have yet to have my dream home), and I find the advice regarding fruits and veggies quite helpful! right now my plants are just potted, and I still have a wide array of veggies and herbs (and a small guava-strawberry tree already being subjected to the treatments explained in The Book!) Whether you have half an acre, a tenth of an acre or just a balcony, you will find plenty of valuable information. you can make your own mozzarella from fresh milk even if you don't have a cow, or learn how to can your veggies even if they are store bought at the peak of the season and not grown in your home. I would give it ten stars!

As someone who wishes to be as self reliant as possible but who also has a full time job, I found this to be a great book. The book covers most everything one needs to know about small scale gardening and raising of certain livestock. It is well illustrated (not vague photos like some but rather well drawn pictures) and is written for the layman. Even if you are an experienced gardener you will likely find some good tips in this book. It is not an "encyclopedia" type book where you can look up anything you wish and find specific instructions or advice. Instead it is an excellent overview that gives you the basics (and some advanced) information you need to start gardening and/or raising livestock on a small scale from scratch. The author was obviously careful not to overwhelm the reader with information that can make the basics hard to pick out. There is enough information to start successfully and of course once you know what you are starting with, you can do further research for very specific questions. One of the most useful pieces of information is the sections on how to properly rotate plantings for maximum growth which was very specific and makes planning a LOT easier. There is also a great chapter on propagating your own seeds which is a huge boon to those into long term self sufficiency. I was also impressed at how the author recognized that one probably can't or won't want to do everything mentioned in the book. She offers logical advice on how to prioritize and plan for what you need, can realistically use and can realistically handle. If you are interested in starting gardening or need advice on how to plan a garden, orchard or small scale livestock setup for your family, then I would highly recommend this book.

Fantastic book with lots of information on creating a renewable food system at home.

I know it’s really easy to watch videos and look things up about homesteading on the internet but this book covers a lot and it’s great to have on hand. Really pleased with the amount of info in this book.

Very informative. Covers a lot of topics!

I assume that the chick I gifted the book to, surely loved it, because she is one of those vegan european hipsters. So, thanks a lot! I am great at giving gifts.

Whilst the target audience for this book are those living in the Norther Hemisphere, I still gained valuable insights into what you are able to produce on a small parcel of land. I had originally purchased this book years ago, however lost my first copy, and reading the second copy I purchased, am still happy with the content. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to explore self sufficiency further

Muito informativo, com sugestões e dicas preciosas. Apesar de ser escrito para pessoas de outro hemisfério, o que compreensivelmente precisa de ajustes (em relação a plantio, colheita, clima, etc) para quem nao mora lá, é fácil de adequar. Achei util demais.

I use this book as a frequent reference for new home projects, and loved it so much I gave a copy to my sister as a gift as well!