A simple guide to growing fruits, vegetables, nuts & berries, raising chickens, goats, & bees, and making beer, wine, & cider from your backyard.
If you want to take control of the food you eat and the products you use, Backyard Homesteading will help you learn how to do it—even if you live in an urban or suburban house on a typical-size lot.
Inside, you'll discover how to turn a yard into a productive and wholesome "homestead" that allows you to grow your own fruits and vegetables and raise farm animals, including chickens and goats. You'll also find the laws and regulations of raising livestock in populated areas, as well as ways to use and preserve the bounty your land produces.
GETTING STARTED
- Benefits of pure food
- Family recreation
- Local regulations
- Potential yields and savings
RAISING VEGETABLES AND HERBS
- Garden planning/layout
- Structures/irrigation
- Vegetable profiles
- Planting techniques
- Composting/healthy soil
- Seasonal gardening
GROWING FRUITS, BERRIES, AND NUTS
- Planting fruit trees and bushes
- Fruit profiles
- Organic pest control
- Grafting and pruning
- Harvesting methods
RAISING CHICKENS
- The joy of chickens
- Collecting eggs
- Care and feeding tips
- Other small animals
RAISING GOATS
- Benefits of goat milk
- Structures/fencing
- Care and feeding tips
- Other large animals
BEEKEEPING
- Benefits of beekeeping
- Care and harvesting
- Building hives
- Collecting honey
HARVEST HOME
- Canning/drying/freezing
- Making beer, wine, cider
- Making jerky, sausage
- Making jams, jellies
- Pickling/salting/smoking
- Building root cellars
Industry Reviews
" from the legal aspects of local regulations, raising chickens, goats, bees, and more, David Toht presents an excellent introductory reference on how to create one's own steady source of fresh food." James A. Cox Midwest Book Review December 2011
