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Self sufficiency book recommendations


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With all the talk going on, I thought I would make a list of the books that we have found useful.

 

Please post what you have found useful. If you want to include websites, I think that would be fine.

 

 

Gardening:

http://www.amazon.com/Terrific-Garden-Tonics-Do-Yourself/dp/0922433569

 

http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/1591862027

 

(Don't have this one, but it is on my wish list b/c of high recommendations)

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Ways-Gardening-Dick-Raymond/dp/0882663194

 

Preserving:

http://www.amazon.com/Seed-Growing-Techniques-Vegetable-Gardeners/dp/1882424581

 

http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Food-Fifth-Ruth-Hertzberg/dp/0452296226

 

http://www.amazon.com/Root-Cellaring-Natural-Vegetables-ebook/dp/B001UE8J08

 

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Canning-Freezing-Curing-Smoking/dp/1580174574/ref=pd_sim_b_40

 

 

Self-Reliance:

http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Basic-Country-Skills-Self-Reliance/dp/1580172024/ref=pd_sim_b_7

 

http://www.amazon.com/Humanure-Handbook-Guide-Composting-Manure/dp/0964425831/ref=pd_sim_b_62

 

Animal Farming:

http://www.amazon.com/Barnyard-Your-Backyard-Beginners-Chickens/dp/1580174566/ref=pd_sim_b_16

 

These people cover a lot of information and I love their little booklets that give concise info.:

http://www.storey.com/category_listing.php?cat=Country

 

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as what is available out there, but we have found these to be good.

There is a lot to learn, but if we start out with what we can and keep adding a little here and there, I think we will be surprised by how far we have come in a short amount of time.

 

We are still looking for a good book on rain/water harvesting (rain barrels, cisterns etc.) Any suggestions?

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The humanure concept kinda freaks me out. I wouldn't buy a book on making rainbarrels. There are plenty of free tutorials out there.

 

My favs are:

Seed to Seed (on saving open-pollinated seeds & keeping seeds pure)

The Backyard Homestead (a good primer)

All New Square Foot Gardening

Ball's Blue Book (on canning and dehydrating)

The Encyclopedia of Country Life by Emery

Root Cellaring (bubel)

Four Season Harvest

What's Wrong with my plant and how do I fix it

Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for vibrant health

I can't believe it's food storage (Godfrey)--good recipes on using powdered milk, eggs, beans, rice, wheat, etc.

Make a Mix--recipes on cooking with basic ingredients

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The humanure concept kinda freaks me out.

 

Yeah, me too. I listed it because it was good info if you must have it. As far as I am concerned, my septic tank works just fine and will keep doing a great job as long as I have some water from rain barrels to dump in there.

 

On the other hand, I guess if things were really bad and I needed some fertilizer for the garden, I just might do it. "Necessity the mother of invention." ;)

 

Forgot to mention another book on Gardening:

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Primer-Second-Barbara-Damrosch/dp/0761122753

This book looks like it is sprouting paper, because of all the markers we have in it.

 

Okay, have to mention this one too.

http://www.amazon.com/Solar-Gardening-Vegetables-Year-Round-Independent/dp/0930031695

Edited by lmkzbcb
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The humanure concept kinda freaks me out. I wouldn't buy a book on making rainbarrels. There are plenty of free tutorials out there.

 

My favs are:

Seed to Seed (on saving open-pollinated seeds & keeping seeds pure)

The Backyard Homestead (a good primer)

All New Square Foot Gardening

Ball's Blue Book (on canning and dehydrating)

The Encyclopedia of Country Life by Emery

Root Cellaring (bubel)

Four Season Harvest

What's Wrong with my plant and how do I fix it

Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for vibrant health

I can't believe it's food storage (Godfrey)--good recipes on using powdered milk, eggs, beans, rice, wheat, etc.

Make a Mix--recipes on cooking with basic ingredients

 

 

 

Really? S#*t is s#*t. I see no difference in using cow, pig or chicken s#*t on my gardens and fields than using human s#*t. Properly composted, it's all nitrogen, phosphorous and other goodies that plants love. If that makes you squicky, then I won't even tell anyone here what farmers do with lagooned or pitted pig and chicken s#*t. They'd never eat again.

 

I'll agree with about not buying every book under the sun, though. You can find plans and instructions for almost anything online these days. I have very few books of the "pioneer" type on my shelves. Carla Emery's Country Enclopedia is one that gets the most use. I also use the library heavily. I would recommend to anyone to quit blowing money at Amazon and check it out at the library FIRST.

Edited by Audrey
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Here is one I love for frugal cooking. (One might wonder how that helps with self sufficiency. More $ saved, more $ for necessities, getting out of debt, etc.)

I love Clara's kitchen

She's free on youtube. :D

 

How about resources for clothing? Any suggestions?

 

I guess I should have posted a disclaimer that my links were not endorsements to purchase from Amazon. They were simply to help identify the correct books I like. Get them wherever and however you like. :D

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Right before the *Y2K* ;) we bought a wacky, homespun curriculum called Prepare and Pray. It does feature a family-centered approach to learning about self sufficiency. You might also consider The Robinson Curriculum to have tons of literature in one convenient place.

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Right before the *Y2K* ;) we bought a wacky, homespun curriculum called Prepare and Pray. It does feature a family-centered approach to learning about self sufficiency. You might also consider The Robinson Curriculum to have tons of literature in one convenient place.

 

And a Nuclear Survival Guide! :D

 

(I actually have RC and like it...)

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Someone posted this in another thread, and I asked them to repost it here.

I dont think they saw my request, so I am posting it here. Wish I could remember who it was.

 

Livestock Books

Keeping a Family Cow

Treating Dairy Cows Naturally

Small Scale Pig Raising

Home Butchering and Meat Preservation

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens

The Chicken Health Handbook

 

Gardening Books

Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for the Vegetable Garden

The Vegetable Gardeners Bible

The Complete Book of Herbs

The Organic Gardeners Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control

Companion Planting for Successful Gardening ***

Botanica's Organic Gardening

How to Make a Forest Garden

The Grape Grower

From Vines to Wines

I also have some region specifics books

 

Preservation Books

The Ball Book

Preserving Summer's Bounty

Root Cellaring

Home Cheese Making ***

I have a book on dehydrating food, but I can't find it!

 

Other Books

Basic Country Skills

The Crisis Preparedness Handbook

The Foxfire Book

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