The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! Paperback – February 11, 2009

I live in cornfield county. Everybody around here is either a farmer or grew up working on a farm. This stuff is in our DNA; our parents and grandparents grew and canned or butchered just about everything they ate, many of us still do. So, I can tell you from years of experience that as an aid to inexperienced or new urban farmers, this book is worth its weight in gold. It does not take you by the hand and give you step by step instructions; instead, it helps to open your eyes to all of the possibilities for food production that many simply haven't thought about. It gives a general overview of what you can do on limited land and what the minimum space requirements are for each endeavor. Can you raise chickens just by reading the chapter on chickens? No; ditto for cows, goats, pigs and other edible critters. But it will give you a good starting point and keep you from making "rookie" mistakes.Think of this book as an "idea" book. Identify what looks good to you and then use other resources to increase your knowledge of those subjects (the book does have a section of additional resources at the back). I grew up working on farms and still grow and preserve much of my own vegetables and fruit; still I found myself surprised at some of the things I read in this book that I simply hadn't thought much about, like dandelion coffee or flower fritters. I also got ideas on new things to grow.For those of you who have not gardened much, you'll never go back to store bought spaghetti sauce or salsa once you make your own. And even your ugliest green bell pepper will taste so much better than that big sterile waxy green one in the store. Growing your own food and living at least partially off the land is a legacy that should be passed down to every generation, just in case. The Backyard Homestead can be an indispensable aid to helping you become at least partially self sufficient.2023 update: I only garden about 75 sq. feet now (two 8'x4' beds and one 10sq ft grape arbor.) I typically yield about 20 lbs. grapes, 18 qts raspberries 400-600 Roma hybrid tomatoes and 60+ peppers . Pics show produce from various harvests over the years.

I read this book on my kindle, but I will be getting this in print as soon as possible! Maps, diagrams, charts, recipes, and more. This book has so much helpful info. Plant types, when to plant, how to use... I want to grow more of our food and this book is a perfect resource to help with that!

Absolutely amazing! It has everything you need to know. There is so much information and simple, straightforward instructions on how to do it all!

As someone who wishes to be as self reliant as possible but who also has a full time job, I found this to be a great book. The book covers most everything one needs to know about small scale gardening and raising of certain livestock. It is well illustrated (not vague photos like some but rather well drawn pictures) and is written for the layman. Even if you are an experienced gardener you will likely find some good tips in this book.It is not an "encyclopedia" type book where you can look up anything you wish and find specific instructions or advice. Instead it is an excellent overview that gives you the basics (and some advanced) information you need to start gardening and/or raising livestock on a small scale from scratch. The author was obviously careful not to overwhelm the reader with information that can make the basics hard to pick out. There is enough information to start successfully and of course once you know what you are starting with, you can do further research for very specific questions. One of the most useful pieces of information is the sections on how to properly rotate plantings for maximum growth which was very specific and makes planning a LOT easier. There is also a great chapter on propagating your own seeds which is a huge boon to those into long term self sufficiency.I was also impressed at how the author recognized that one probably can't or won't want to do everything mentioned in the book. She offers logical advice on how to prioritize and plan for what you need, can realistically use and can realistically handle. If you are interested in starting gardening or need advice on how to plan a garden, orchard or small scale livestock setup for your family, then I would highly recommend this book.

Saw this at a Cracker Barrel in Tallahassee Florida and talked myself into buying a copy in 2011. Read it from cover to cover in less than a week. A year later, my daughter dropped it in the tub full of bath water (silly me for laying it next to the tub!) and I bought another copy on Amazon. This book has been a life changer. Things I didn’t know I could do on my own like growing a garden and other projects I’ve now tried and succeeded at in the last 13 years-I’ve had chickens, made many batches of wine, had a small garden, propagated grapevines, and just fell in love with country living in general.I’m now using it to plan our next adventure, we purchased a 20acre parcel to turn into a farm with a large garden. I’m not saying the book made me do it, but it definitely gave me the knowledge and confidence to get a good start on the basics and where to go for more help. ❤️ 5 stars, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!