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Put your backyard to work! Enjoy fresher, organic, better-tasting food all the time. The solution is as close as your own backyard. Grow the vegetables and fruits your family loves; keep bees; raise chickens, goats, or even a cow. The Backyard Homestead shows you how it's done. And when the harvest is in, you'll learn how to cook, preserve, cure, brew, or pickle the fruits of your labor.
From a quarter of an acre, you can harvest 1,400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of fruit, 2,000 pounds of vegetables, 280 pounds of pork, 75 pounds of nuts.
“The Backyard Homestead is a comprehensive and accessible guide to starting a vegetable garden, raising chickens and cows, canning food, making cheese, and a whole lot more. Editor Carleen Madigan…a homesteader in her own right, draws on the dozens of books about country living that Storey has published since its founding in 1983.”
“Because you need to brace yourself for what’s on the horizon: The Backyard Homestead. This fascinating, friendly book is brimming with ideas, illustrations, and enthusiasm. The garden plans are solid, the advice crisp; the diagrams, as on pruning and double digging, are models of decorum. Halfway through, she puts the pedal to the metal, and whoosh! At warp speed, we’re growing our own hops and making our own beer, planting our own wheat fields, keeping chickens (ho hum), ducks, geese, and turkeys (now we’re talking) and milking goats, butchering lamb, raising rabbits, and grinding sausage. Oh, and tapping our maple trees, churning butter, and making our own cheese and yogurt. Peacocks, anyone? Need I say more? Well, yes. Stock up on some knitting books because next winter, you’ll want to grow your own sweaters, too."
neaznaturals
Posted April 17, 2010
This book has tons of information on almost every subject you can think of for living off your land. This book is useful no matter how much land you have - from a city lot to acres and acres. There's more information in this book than in any other homesteading book I've read so far. I don't know that I really even need to read another book on homesteading. This is the reference book I'll turn to again and again as I build my backyard homestead!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lisajane
Posted August 4, 2009
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I recieved this book for a birthday present and was very delighted! The book covers everything from animals to trees to plants. I am interested in having a small farm someday and I think that there is enough information in Backyard Homestead to get me started and not intimidate me.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I found this book to be a very helpful guide to gardening, preserving, and cooking! The book is well organized, and also is convenient in size: it is more "midsized" rather than being large like many gardening books. It can be conveniently brought on trips, read in bed, etc. The pages, print, and pictures are also laid out for easy reading.
Finally, the best test of a good book: my friends always "borrow" this book from me!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 15, 2012
I have a little over 2 acres. This book has helped me plan for my homestead. Our goal is to be as self sufficent as possible. This book is a great starting place. I have started my small flock of chickens and currently waiting for my small fruit orchard to be delivered. Goats are on our list next.
This book is perfect for giving a quick understanding of gardening, raising animals, making cheese and yogurt. Also preserving, making sausage, and management of your space are a few items touched on in this book. It will help you decide what you want to do and how to get started. Then you may want to get books that go in depth on the subjects you choose.
It is perfect for large and small land owners, even renters and those in apartments can use some of these ideas to become more self sufficent and save a little money.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.WyoPookie
Posted May 1, 2010
I have bought a few books on making the most of your space. I like this book because of the personal touches and the level of detail (enough to get you started, but you may still need to look else where for more in-depth info on raising cows...).
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.JGrab
Posted March 15, 2010
I love this book! It is great for a 1st time gardner like me! I have no clue where or how to start, and this book helped me get on the right track!
I have used it to help create an over view and work around what I currently have and what I want to so. It could use some more details with specific plants, but as an over all guide I found it very useful!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 22, 2012
This is a GREAT book for the newbie, the wealth of info. out there can be overwhelming (I know!) this broke it all down simply for me. Go to your local Ag Co Op and they can help you with soil tests and what grows best in your climate. Have fun, it is exciting to get on the road to self sufficiency!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 4, 2012
Very informative and helpful. Recommend.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 10, 2012
Fun read with great ideas!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.sillydaffodilly
Posted August 10, 2010
I Also Recommend:
It could be a little more in depth, but otherwise, it's amazing! A must-buy for all farmer-wannabes.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I found this book to be quite well written and very engaging. If your goal is to be as self-sustaining as possible or, at the very least, take full advantage of that backyard vege plot, I recommend adding this book to your reading list. The organizational suggestions are especially useful if you're simply not sure where to start.
Best of luck! Everyone can save money if you know how to do it efficiently.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 30, 2011
Great book, it gave me all the insight i needed and possibilities for more. Loved!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LizzyVA
Posted April 23, 2013
I bought several other books on preserving, gardening, raising chickens, etc. and this one is by far the best one. It is very broad in that it covers everything, yet specific enough to be highly useful. The layout and print is easy to navigate and read. I would say this is an essential book for people looking to become more self-reliant and healthy in their approach to food and nutrition.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 22, 2013
I didnt even know they had vans with hard floors lol!.....well.....lm leaving nook.....God gave me a slap in the face and l know Hes done blessing my nook ministry.....l love you and will miss you so much!! I will pray for you and if ur ever in houston look up "east river baptist church" and please come meet me so we can be irl besties!! *hugs* bye...l'll see you in glory land :) †
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 25, 2013
Aww Beth i will miss you like crazy!! I will definetly try to find you if i'm in Houston. God bless you and thanks for everything you did. I love you! *hugs back* bye bestie! :(: †††
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 3, 2011
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Overview
Put your backyard to work! Enjoy fresher, organic, better-tasting food all the time. The solution is as close as your own backyard. Grow the vegetables and fruits your family loves; keep bees; raise chickens, goats, or even a cow. The Backyard Homestead shows you how it's done. And when the harvest is in, you'll learn how to cook, preserve, cure, brew, or pickle the fruits of your labor.
From a quarter of an acre, you can harvest 1,400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of ...