Small-Scale Homesteading: A Sustainable Guide to Gardening, Keeping Chickens, Maple Sugaring, Preserving the Harvest, and More

Description

A gathering of information and source of inspiration for homesteaders everywhere. With over thirty-five years of combined experience, homesteaders Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn have taught thousands of people across the globe how to garden, preserve food, tend backyard chickens, cook from scratch, and care for their families with natural homemade alternatives. Now, their homesteading knowledge and instruction can be found in one place with Small-Scale Homesteading. In this sustainable guide, learn how to grow your own food, tap maple trees to make gallons of homemade syrup, successfully raise a small flock of laying hens, and more. Other topics include: The benefits of small-scale homesteading and its local impacts Soil health and composting Keeping chickens Planning a vegetable garden using annuals and perennials DIY recipes and projects for the home and garden Seed saving and planting tips Handmade candles, soaps, lotions, and cleaning solutions Companion and succession planting How to extend your growing season Explanation of approved food preservation methods and supplied needed Maple sugaring And so much more! Merging insight from two homesteaders proves to be twice the fun and reminds us that working together is always better.

Stephanie Thurow is a Certified Master Food Preserver and Master Gardener Volunteer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a homesteader, author of bestselling cookbooks Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving, and WECK Home Preserving and creator of the Minnesota from Scratch blog. Stephanie hopes her experience with homesteading will help others reach more of their goals. When she isn't in the kitchen preserving, she can be found in the garden with her hens, teaching food preservation classes, or at the lake with her family and friends. Michelle Bruhn homesteads in suburban Minnesota. She's a local food advocate, Master Gardener Volunteer, writer, garden educator, and farmers' market manager. As the founder of ForksInTheDirt.com, an information hub for garden and farm-to-table living, her passion is helping folks "dig" their food. When not in the garden, Michelle enjoys spending time with her backyard flock, family, and friends while immersing herself in nature (usually with a foraging basket in tow).

"From integrated pest management and companion planting, to setting up a chicken coop that will keep a flock safe and happy, to homemade natural lotions and salves, Small-Scale Homesteading provides anyone eager to be a bit more self-sufficient and take control of what's going into (and onto!) their bodies a road map for success. Broken down into easily digestible sections conveyed in a friendly, conversational manner, this book is a must for aspiring homesteaders." -Lisa Steele, author of Fresh Eggs Daily and 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks "Cultivating a relationship with your food is more important than ever, and doing so in a small space or urban setting never felt so approachable!" -Crystal Schmidt, creator of Whole-Fed Homestead and author of Freeze Fresh "This knowledgeable guide is chock-full of practical advice for homesteaders, small farmers, or anyone interested in doing more for themselves." Rodney Wilson, senior editor at Hobby Farms "This book is the inspiration you need for embracing the homestead lifestyle without acreage. The authors' love of gardening shines through as they share techniques for making the most of limited space, proving that small-scale food production is possible, even when you have space restraints. They also delve into other methods of finding good quality, locally grown food, helping you bring your meals closer to home. Chapters on tapping for maple syrup, keeping chickens, and food preservation round out the book, highlighting many facets of homesteading that can be tackled no matter where you live." Kris Bordessa, author of Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living "Experienced homesteaders Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn have created a guide packed with authoritative advice and practical projects that anyone can tackle at home, whether their property is rural or urban." -Rebecca Martin, technical editor at Mother Earth News "Small-Scale Homesteading is an absolutely indispensable guide for anyone wanting to maximize their success in the garden and beyond. In a clear, concise style, it offers comprehensive solutions, smart strategies, beautiful photos, and the warm voices of the authors sharing their ambitious homesteading adventures in compact urban settings. Sustainable home growing has never been explained better." -Cynthya Porter, editor at Northern Gardener magazine "Small-Scale Homesteading is a must for noncommerical growers, from urbanites to hobby farmers. Be it planting, composting, or permaculture, this beautiful book provides much needed advice and solutions for getting the most out of flower, herb, and vegetable gardens." -Roger Sipe, group editor at Hobby Farms "If you are thinking of growing your homesteading skills, you could not find more encouraging guides than Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn. In Small Scale Homesteading, they offer a smorgasbord of ideas, how-tos, and inspiration for creating a more sustainable and fruitful home, no matter the size of your yard. A great guide and a wonderful gift for budding homesteaders." -Mary Lahr Schier, author of The Northern Gardener