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Homesteading Books

Now that we're more or less homesteading (in some sort of wacky combination of high-tech and back-to-the-land) we find ourselves accumulating books on livestock and fencing and such. Here's what's made it on to our shelf of essentials and not-so-essentials. Books on this page are rated in terms of utility, not on whether they're great literature.

Note: links on this page take you off this site.

• General Books
  • The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery. If we were going to keep just one of these books, this would undoubtedly be it. Carla has lived the small farm life for years and has apparently tried everything. We turn to this book for starting information whether we want to make soap, raise chickens, or cook fresh spinach. If you want a book to breed dreams from, this is the one to get.
  • Back to Basics, by the editors of Reader's Digest. A lovely book with about two pages each on quilting, chickens, weaving, wood stoves, building dams, choosing land and hundreds of other subjects. Lots of pictures. This book won't teach you enough to do anything in particular, but it's loaded with inspiration for things to get involved with.
  • The Contrary Farmer, by Gene Logsdon. Logsdon is a contemporary writer who's keeping a small farmstead going in an ecologically and financially sound manner. He writes well, has plenty of good advice, and will inspire you to do your own farming.
  • Fifty Acres and a Poodle, by Jeanne Marie Laskas It won't teach you anything about farming, but reading Jeanne Marie's experiences as a displaced city person in the country might tell you whether you would find the experience maddening or uplifting. Plus it's just good fun.
  • Five Acres and Independence, by M.G. Kains. First published in 1940, but still in print thanks to Dover. This is a classic in the field of small farm manuals, and it has an awful lot of good advice for any city transplant trying to master the world of agriculture. Definitely worth reading.
  • Flight From the City, by Ralph Borsodi. An early (1947) entry in the "back to the land" market. Borsodi combines practical advice with a radical (for its time) economic theory to encourage people to get out of the cities and go back to simpler living. This book has had a lasting influence, even on some who don't recognize it as one of their intellectual roots.
  • Handy Farm Devices and How to Make Them, by Rolfe Cobleigh A fun book, though a bit outdated (first published in 1909). Think of it as Yankee ingenuity between covers. Cobleigh discusses everything from the proper method of building an icehouse to how to build a barrel carrier to converting an old lawnmower into a useful implement for cutting straw. Some of these projects still have application on the modern farm, but the real thing to learn here is the thought process of making do and making life easier. (Thanks to Eric from Kestrel's Nest for pointing me at this one).
  • How to Make it on the Land, by Ray Cohan. A 1972 rendition of the "Back to the Land" theme, with fish smoking, wild mushrooms, cattle raising and woodlots, to name a few topics.
  • Making the Best of Basics, by John Talmage Stevens. This one is out of the Y2K crop of preparedness books. Lots on food storage, some simple recipes, and words of advice on disaster preparedness. Useful if you haven't read anything else in the field.
  • The Open Door to Independence, by Thomas E. Hill. Published in 1915, this is another of our used-book finds, headed "Back to the Land" on the flyleaf. It takes a state-by-state approach of talking about which areas and crops are best for the new rural denizen. Very dated, but very interesting.
  • The Rural Efficiency Guide. This is a series of books published by the R.C. Barnum Company of Cleveland in the 1920s. It's apparently intended to teach farmers the latest agricultural and related sciences. We own Volume 2 ("The Engineering Book", Volume 3 ("Agriculture Book") and Volume 4 ("The Stock Book" and "Poultry Raising"). We also own an all-in-one binding that includes Volume 1 ("The Health Book"), which pretty well settles that this is the whole series. A fascinating look at farms past, and still a good place to turn for a first look at a subject. By the way, for out of print books try BiblioFind -- they have plenty of copies of this one, for example.
  • We Took to the Woods, by Louise Dickinson Rich First published in 1942, this is still a fun read today. You won't learn a whole lot of practical "how to" stuff here, but Rich's tales of her life in a remote part in Maine capture perfectly the best parts of making do, raising kids, living more simply and generally enjoying life. Full of good answers to stupid questions like "Don't You Ever Get Bored?"
• Bees
  • Beekeeping: A Practical Guide, by Richard E. Bonney An introduction to the business or hobby of keeping bees. This one is written for beginners and tries to stick to best practices, introducing concepts slowly and not hinting at the debates. A good starter book.
  • A Book of Bees, by Sue Hubbell A good reference book and just plain good writing. Hubbell talks about what's worked for her, based on actually watching her bees and seeing what they react to. It follows her hives from fall through the next summer harvest, and both teaches how to raise bees and entertains at the same time.
  • Hive Management: A Seasonal Guide for Beekeepers, by Richard E. Bonney Much of this is a rehash of Bonney's other book. Extended sections on diseases and other worries such as swarming, and more on maintaining a well-established hive, but there's plenty of overlap with the Practical Guide.
  • The Beekeeper's Handbook, by Diana Sammataro & Alphonse Avitabile An excellent reference book for the apiarist. Many clear pictures, lots of explanations of different ways to do things, and an extensive bibliography. This one probably belongs on the shelf of everyone working with bees.
• Chickens
  • A Guide to Raising Chickens, by Gail Damerow. A solid textbook of poultry, full of useful information, and well-organized. We could have stopped with one chicken book if this was the first one we'd bought.
  • The Backyard Poultry Book, by Andrew Singer. A slim book on raising chickens and other poultry, aimed at the beginner in the suburbs. Some of the advice seems colored by the author's living in England or his own peculiarities. A backup book.
  • Backyard Poultry Raising, by John F. Adams. This one is very folksy and clearly based on long experience. Not especially organized, but full of hints and tips on everything from the personality of ducklings to nurturing foundling wild birds. This is the only chicken book you might read just for fun.
  • Small-Scale Poultry Keeping, by Ray Feltwell. Another British book on keeping poultry for fun and profit. Subtitled "A Guide to Free-Range Poultry Production," though it's not really any more concentrated on free range than any other chicken book we have. This one is mainly concentrated on chickens, but Feltwell also discusses ducks, geese, turkeys, and guineas. Notable for the advice on mixing your own feed rather than relying on expensive premixed ration, and for a chapter on show birds.
  • A Guide to Better Hatching, by Janet Stromberg. This one came for free with our incubator and that's about what it's worth. Self-published in 1975 and apparently not updated since; many of her references are from the 30's and 40's. There's some good basic info (keep eggs at 45-55 before putting them in the incubator, follow the instructions that come with it), and a lot of warnings about things that will reduce fertility in your flock.
• Construction
  • Building a Multi-Use Barn, by John D. Wagner. Even if you don't want to follow his barn plans exactly, this is a good introduction to wood-framed construction for the farm. A frequent reference here.
  • Catfish Ponds & Lily Pads, by Louise Riotte Basic information about ponds, but mostly along the lines of what you can grow in them. I was looking for a good book on pond and dam construction, and I'm still looking. OK if you're more interested in a folksy read than in actually building a pond.
  • How to Build Small Barns and Outbuildings, by Monte Burch. A big book of construction for the farm. Takes the tack that you probably don't know anything but that you can learn to build anything from an outhouse to a barn. Also includes plans for some sample buildings.
  • The Woman's Fix-It Book, by Karen Dale Dustman. A very basic book of home repairs and projects, suitable for someone of either sex with no experience at all.
  • Wiring Simplified, by H.P. Richter and W.C. Schwan. Based on the National Electrical Code, this is the classic for people who want to know what's safe without trying to wade through the code. Includes a whole chapter on farm wiring, which is handy for us.
• Country Life
  • A Country Year: Living the Questions, by Sue Hubbell. A book of essays about life and creatures in the Ozarks, from a woman who found herself single and running a bee farm. Hubbell has a gift of observation, and I really enjoyed reading her tales of birds and bees and Ozarkers and farm upkeep. If these essays bore you, you're not cut out for the country life.
• Cows
  • The Family Cow, by Dirk van Loon. This is about the only book out there on keeping a single cow at your farm to provide milk and milk products for your family. Published in 1976, so the economics are a bit suspect, but it's still a good reference.
• Crafts
  • Candle Creations, by Simon Lycett. A book about making candles, and about making pretty arrangements from candles you've made. Another craft we want to try when we get time.
  • The Complete Soapmaker, by Norma Coney. Everything about making soap, with dozens of recipes. We haven't done this yet, but we will.
• Ducks
  • Raising the Home Duck Flock, by Dave Holderread. We don't have our ducks yet, but we will. This is a good guide for the new flock owner, with information designed to help you get 'em from the egg to the table, as well as arguments that they're the best kind of poultry to raise on a small scale.
• Gardening
  • The Book of Container Gardening, by Malcolm Hillier. Everything you ever wanted to know, and then some, about window boxes, hanging plants, and similar decor.
  • Cold-Climate Gardening, by Lewis Hill. Even though this is directed at the Northeast and Great Plains, I ended up making notes about lots of little things I want to try with our gardens. Clearly a book written from wide experience, and a fun one to read as well.
  • The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener, by Karan Davis Cutler. Sponsored by Burpee (the seed people), this is the first one I reach for when I want to look up something about a food crop. Very nice book with advice on choosing varieties, growing, and harvesting all your favorites in a well-organized setting.
  • Gardening: A Complete Guide to Garden Making, by Montague Free. This is the 1947 revised edition that we found in a used bookshop. Written by someone from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, this one is aimed at professional gardeners. Lots of fun projects to contemplate, from rose gardens to rock gardens and a wealth of (sometimes-outdated) information.
  • Growing Great Garlic, by Ron L. Engeland. A bit padded (did you really want the history of garlic?) but plenty of advice for lovers of the pungent bulb who want to grow their own. We'll be trying this year.
  • The Mushroom Growing and Cooking Book, by Alexandra Dickerman. There's a lot more cooking than growing here. We may try to grow mushrooms some time, but I think we'll be hunting another reference work first.
  • My Weeds, by Sara B. Stein A book of essays about gardening, weeding, and living with the natural world. You won't really learn practical gardening skills here, but you will come away with a new appreciation of nature and Stein's eye for describing it.
  • The New American Garden Book, by Dorothy Sara. Our copy of this 1954 work came off the used-book shelf somewhere. It's an encyclopedic reference, and through some of the advice is a tad dated, there's still plenty of useful stuff here.
  • The New Seed-Starters Handbook, by Nancy Bubel. Everything you need to know about starting plants from seed. Contains lots of general advice and a raft of species-specific notes.
  • Seed Sowing and Saving, by Carole B. Turner. Step-by-step instructions to help you keep seeds from the vegetables and flowers you grow. This can save you a tad of money and more importantly help you make better veggies in the future or conserve heirloom varieties.
  • Seed to Seed, by Suzanne Ashworth. Another excellent reference on saving your own seeds from year to year. Once, all farms were run this way.
  • The Woodlot Management Handbook, by Stewart Hilts & Peter Mitchell. A reference work to help you have a sustainable population of trees. Unfortunately we have darned few trees on this place, but perhaps in a few decades...
  • Your Backyard Herb Garden, by Miranda Smith. Colorful reference work with one page per herb. Basic knowledge, but a good place to look things up in a hurry.
• Goats
  • Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way, by Jerry Belanger. A thorough introduction to milk goats, which we're pretty sure are in our future somewhere. All we need to do is figure out how to confine the darned things!
• Guinea Fowl
  • Gardening with Guineas, by Jeannette S. Ferguson. The only reference I've been able to find specifically on guinea fowl. It's a slim book. Useful for setting up a schedule for raising guineas from eggs and taming them to be outside weed-eaters. Most of this you could get from a general poultry book, though there are some guinea-specific tidbits.
• Horses
  • The Affordable Horse, by Sharon B. Smith. Tips and ideas for people trying to own a horse on a budget. We didn't actually follow much of this advice, but it's good for alternatives.
  • A-Z of Horse Diseases & Health Problems, by Tim Hawcroft. A quick reference to things that can go wrong with horses. Good to have around for the peace of mind.
  • The Complete Horse Care Manual, by Colin Vogel. This is the horse book we turn to first, since it's written for the rank beginner and has lots of pictures. Covers all the basics.
  • Horse Owner's Veterinary Handbook, by James M. Giffin MD and Tom Gore DVM. A reference for the concerned horse owner who wants to know when to call the vet. Very thorough.
  • Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage, by Cherry Hill.  An excellent book on finding your farm and making sure the facilities are right for keeping one or several horses. There's a ton of experience here for the new horse owner to benefit from.
  • Riding Simplified, by Margaret Cabell Self. A primer on English riding, published in 1948. We wouldn't own it, but how can you turn down a 50-cent book sale book?
• Livestock & Game
  • Backyard Livestock, by Steven Thomas and George P. Looby, DVM. A revised and expanded version of a book from the seventies, when "back to the land" was as much political as practical. Thomas is a small farmer who gives advice on poultry, rabbits, sheep, goats, pigs, veal and beef cattle, as well as on raising feed crops. Looby has revised the whole thing in the light of more recent experience. The guides to daily routines and estimates of time spent per animal are especially useful. A good first book, though you'll want more detailed references on anything you actually tackle.
  • Backyard Meat Production, by Anita Evangelista. Advice from beginners on raising rabbits, chickens, goats and more, from someone who has done it all. Does a good job of telling you how to do it on a shoestring budget.
  • Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game, by John J. Mettler, Jr. Step by step instructions, with lots of pictures, telling you what to do with those meat animals now that you've raised them.
  • The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable, by Juliette de Bairacli Levy I'd love to have an herbal that suggests when it's appropriate to use a natural treatment. This isn't it. Rather, this is a jumbled collection of recipes without justification except for the authors own peculiar notions (she doesn't believe in germs and thinks purging and fasting are near cure-alls, for example) that lead to suggestions such as purgatives for parvo. Also has a substantial chunk of ranting against vets, medicine, and modern farms. Save your money.
  • Deerskins into Buckskins, by Matt Richards. A book of tanning with natural materials. If we do bag a deer this season, this one will come off the shelf for sure.
  • Keeping Livestock Healthy, by N. Bruce Haynes, DVM Basic veterinary handbook for the livestock owner who wants to know when to call the vet and what to do until she gets there. Covers horses, cows, goats, sheep, and pigs.
• Llamas
  • Caring for Llamas and Alpacas: A Health and Management Guide, by Clare Hoffman DVM and Ingrid Asmus. Spiral bound, put together by folks from the Rocky Mountain Llama and Alpaca Association. All the essentials of first aid and routine care for your llama. Written simply enough for anyone to understand, but with enough technical information to help a vet who's not sure about these critters. Must-have.
  • Llamas are the Ultimate, by Doyle Markham. A good reference on basic training and care, though mostly oriented towards the commercial packer or individual hunter who uses a llama as a pack animal.
• Mules & Donkeys
  • The Definitive Donkey, by Betsy and Paul Hutchins. "A Textbook on the Modern Ass" from the founders of the American Donkey & Mule Society. Everything you could ever want to know about the history, health, care and training of donkeys of all sizes from miniature to mammoth. Makes me want to rush out and buy a few.
  • The Mule, by Harvey Riley. This is a reprint edition of an 1867 work by the guy who ran the Government Corral for the Union army during the civil war. Some useful information on training and using mules, and a lot of strong opinions. Mostly of historical interest.
  • The Mule Companion, by Cynthia Attar. A first book for prospective mule owners that concentrates on answering the important questions, starting with, "Do I really want one of those critters?"
  • The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, by Dr. Elisabeth D. Svendson . A fat compendium of donkey medical, legal, social and natural lore from the Donkey Sanctuary, an English outfit that rescues ill-treated donkeys. Lots of good veterinary info here, as well as sections on breeding, training, and more.
  • Training Mules and Donkeys, by Meredith Hodges. Everyone says this is the definitive work on the subject. I guess when we get our mule we'll find out for sure. It certainly reads well.
• Peacocks & Pheasants 
  • Fancy Pheasants, Jungle Fowl and Peafowl for Beginners, by Charles H. Trevisick. Published decades ago in England, I only located a copy via Bibliofind. It wasn't really worth the effort in any case. Nice colour plates, but the raising advice amounts pretty much to "treat them like any other poultry."
  • A Guide to Pheasants & Waterfowl, by Danny Brown. This is a lovely book with dozens of color photographs, aimed at the serious aviculturist who wants to keep pheasants or waterfowl (including peacocks, guineas, and jungle fowl). It's also Australian, so many of the species covered aren't generally available in the USA, and one has to do a certain amount of translation of products and measurements. Only worth it if you're seriously interested in exotic birds.
• Rabbits
  • The New Rabbit Handbook, by Matthew M. Vriends. This one is mostly devoted to pet rabbits, but it has plenty of pictures, a good run down on breeds, and some information on raising for meat.
  • Raising Rabbits the Modern Way, by Bob Bennett. Everything you need to know about bringing up rabbits on the farm. We intend to try this when we get time to build some rabbit cages.
• Sheep
  • Raising Sheep the Modern Way, by Paula Simmons. An excellent introduction to sheep and how to keep them. In fact, all of Storey Press's books in this "Modern Way" series are worth reading.
• Turkeys
  • How to Raise Turkeys Successfully, Also Guineas, Peafowl and Pheasants, by Harry E. Lamon and the National Poultry Institute, Inc. Found this one used; it's a guide to basic turkey culture in the form of a correspondence course that must be decades old. As far as I can tell the NPI doesn't exist any more. Anyhow, this one has information on housing and feeds and spotting diseases, but of course it's hard to tell how out of date it might be.
  • Raising Your Own Turkeys, by Leonard S. Mercia A mighty slim primer on turkey culture, not up to Storey Books' usual high standards. There is some good information here on turkey diseases and on turkey slaughter, but most of what's here is just general poultry information. 

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