The Weekend Homesteader is organized by month—so whether it’s January or June you’ll find exciting, short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without getting overwhelmed. If you need to fit homesteading into a few hours each weekend and would like to have fun while doing it, these projects will be right up your alley, whether you live on a forty-acre farm, a postage-stamp lawn in suburbia, or a high rise.You'll learn about backyar...

Twelve months to self-sufficiency!This fully updated second edition of the popular Weekend Homesteader series includes exciting, short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without getting overwhelmed. If you need to fit homesteading into a few hours each weekend and would like to have fun while doing it, these projects will be right up your alley, whether you live on a forty-acre farm, a postage-stamp lawn in suburbia, or a...

Grow twice the fruits and vegetables in half the space on the farm, in the backyard, or in your window!Have you noticed the extraordinary flavors and yields emanating from even a small garden when the soil is just right? If you’ve ever been envious of your neighbor’s dirt or just curious about homesteading, then The Ultimate Guide to Soil is perfect for you.The book begins with a personality test for your soil, then uses that information to plan a ...

"This is a love story in three parts about how I ended up with much more than I bargained for, and grew beyond the person I thought I'd be."Anna Hess spent her early childhood chasing ornery cows back into the barn, eating all of her family's strawberries before they got ripe so she didn't have to share them, and climbing sap-riddled pine trees. The reality of farm life seemed to be summed up in one word --- bliss. So when her back-to-the-lander parents threw in th...

Get ready for your new flock in thirty minutes or less!This short, sweet, and self-sufficient guide shows beginners how to keep chickens as part of a rural or urban homestead. Learn everything you need to know to get started on your poultry adventure, with quick answers to frequently asked questions like:What kind of chickens should I get?Which color eggs are best?How many chickens should I get?Should I add a rooster to my flock?...

Feed your garden and your garden will feed you.This final installment in The Ultimate Guide to Soil series walks new and advanced gardeners through using dozens of amendments for fertilizing, mulching, and conditioning the organic garden. Hess starts with traditional materials like compost and cover crops, branches out into permaculture goodies such as biochar and hugelkultur, and comes full-circle with both urban and rural waste products including cardboa...

Grow twice the fruits and vegetables in half the space on the farm, in the backyard, or even in your window!Have you noticed the extraordinary flavors and yields emanating from even a small garden when the soil is just right? If you’ve ever been envious of your neighbor’s dirt or just curious about homesteading, then The Ultimate Guide to Soil is the perfect fit for you.This first volume in the series walks new and experienced gardeners through fun...

Grow twice the fruits and vegetables in half the space on the farm, in the backyard, or even in your window!Have you noticed the extraordinary flavors and yields emanating from even a small garden when the soil is just right? If you've ever been envious of your neighbor's dirt or just curious about homesteading, then The Ultimate Guide to Soil is the perfect fit for you.This second volume in the series walks new and experienced gardeners through tu...

Homegrown humus is easy with cover crops!Cover crops are a simple, cheap way to boost your soil's organic matter, to fight weeds, to prevent erosion, to attract pollinators, and to keep the ecosystem in balance. Unfortunately, most information on growing cover crops is written for people who plow their soil every year and are willing to spray herbicides. You can get all of the same benefits in a no-till garden, though, if you're clever.Homegrown Humus

Grow twice the fruits and vegetables in half the space on the farm, in the backyard, or even in your window!Have you noticed the extraordinary flavors and yields emanating from even a small garden when the soil is just right? If you've ever been envious of your neighbor's dirt or just curious about homesteading, then The Ultimate Guide to Soil is the perfect fit for you.This third volume in the series walks new and experienced gardeners through bri...

Do you want your chicken habit to pay for itself?Many backyard chicken keepers are surprised to learn that they spend more on store-bought feed than they would have paid for eggs and meat at the grocery store. If you're on a budget and want your foray into poultry to save money, not lose money, your first step should be to select thrifty chicken breeds.The best breed for the cost-conscious homesteader will be a dual-purpose chicken that forages well, doesn'...

Twelve months to self-sufficiency!This fully updated second edition of the popular Weekend Homesteader series includes exciting, short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without getting overwhelmed. If you need to fit homesteading into a few hours each weekend and would like to have fun while doing it, these projects will be right up your alley, whether you live on a forty-acre farm, a postage-stamp lawn in suburbia, or a high rise.