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Four books for the homesteader

These books are perfect for every homesteader. The very first “house warming gift” we got was a book. Although I was hoping for a goat or a zebu, the book proved equally as useful.

four books on the homestead

Four books every homesteader should have and read.

There are so many books to read, right?! Not to mention all the online content to help you out on the homestead. I believe it’s important to have a small collection of books that become your “go-to” reads!

The Encyclopedia of Country Living

Complete with 11 chapters and 922 pages, this book had EVERYTHING I needed to know in it as a homesteader. Some of my favorite sections were Ch. 4 Garden Vegetables, Ch. 7 Food Preservation, and Ch. 9 Poultry.  

These chapters in specific taught me that:

  1. There are more vegetables than I’ll ever know about.
  2. Botulism is REAL.
  3. I might never decide on my favorite breed of chicken because there are just. so. many.

This book is great if you’re a new-to-it-all homesteader because it is TRULY an encyclopedia of never-ending knowledge. There are recipes, resources, and some of my best ideas have sprouted from this book. It is my # 1 pick and I am honestly not being paid to say that.    

Mini Farming – Self Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre

This book is my most recent birthday present and a great one for any homesteader. My mother-in-law (remember that angel who showed me all those Facebook groups (read about it HERE) sent this book to me along with Maximizing Your Mini Farm: Self Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre.  So far, for me, this book as proven to be gold if not just because of the entirety of it then simply due to the “Compost” Chapter 5 section. I have struggled with composting for so long! I could never get it to heat up and do what it needed to do. Problems no more thanks to Brett L. Markham. Equipped with 21 Chapters, 209 pages, beautiful (helpful) pictures, and even a notes section this book will get you into your giddy up and go mentality in no time!

The Rabbit Raising Problem Solver

When we first started raising meat rabbits it was just not my idea at all. My husband had done some reading and came to the conclusion that they are a popular choice among us mini-farming homesteaders. He was right and the rabbits eventually became mine and all mine.

I didn’t want rabbits because I grew up with them as pets as a young girl. There was no way in homestead hell that I was raising these cute, furry bunnies for my dinner table. Well, at the risk of sounding like a psychopath, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

I do get a tad bit attached to them but, at the end of the day, I know we’re homesteading in order to become self-sufficient and know where our food is coming from.

It’s the circle of life and, after all, I am blossoming into a pretty good new-to-it-all homesteader all thanks to these great books. So armed with 9 chapters and 299 pages, you’ll be hopping right down the road to rabbitry.

The Fruit Gardener’s Bible

I’m the most oblivious when it comes to fruit so this book is pure gold for a homesteader like me. Oddly enough, I didn’t love fruit growing up. My favorites were apples, bananas, and grapes and two of those three things aren’t often seen growing here in Zone 9. My husband, on the other hand, LOVES berries.

If he could live off of berries, popcorn, and bacon or steak he probably would. So when we moved in, after we had our mini heart-attacks and thoughts of deep despair and “Oh, we really messed up this time”s, we got to work. Luckily, we already had 3 well-established muscadine vines, 3 mulberry trees, 1 key lime tree, 1 Meyers lemon tree, 2 loquat trees, 1 peach tree, and 1 pear tree.

We decided to

books for the homesteader

 and continued to plant!

Now, in addition to all of the above, we have 8 blueberry bushes, 1 orange tree, 1 pomegranate tree, and a 2nd peach tree! The Fruit Gardener’s Bible has guided us through all of the prunings and even the resurrection of a few of the trees (they were not well cared for previously). Next up? Blackberries and strawberries!   I hope your composting stays hot and your botany stays not. Happy Homesteading, Y’all!

four books for beginning homesteaders

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