The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!

“Bottom line is, although you’re not ready for complete self-sufficiency, in today’s economic climate, it just makes sense to take a look at to produce some of your own food. And this book is an effective way to get your feet wet.”

“The tone is sweet and accessible, and the well-organized chapters cover all of the bases…” ― July 2009

“This book delivers what it aims to sell. Its 368 pages of information on creating a successful, self sufficient, backyard homestead that will keep you and your family busy and eating all year long. 4.5 out of five stars, this is the book homestead enthusiasts have been on the lookout for. Go buy this book!”

“The Backyard Homestead is a comprehensive and accessible guide to starting a vegetable garden, raising chickens and cows, canning food, making cheese, and a whole lot more.  Editor Carleen Madigan…a homesteader in her own right, draws on the dozens of books about country living that Storey has published since its founding in 1983.”

“Because you wish to have to brace yourself for what’s on the horizon:  The Backyard Homestead.  This fascinating, friendly book is brimming with ideas, illustrations, and enthusiasm.  The garden plans are solid, the advice crisp; the diagrams, as on pruning and double digging, are models of decorum.  Halfway through, she puts the pedal to the metal, and whoosh!  At warp speed, we’re growing our own hops and making our own beer, planting our own wheat fields, keeping chickens (ho hum), ducks, geese, and turkeys (now we’re talking) and milking goats, butchering lamb, raising rabbits, and grinding sausage.  Oh, and tapping our maple trees, churning butter, and making our own cheese and yogurt.  Peacocks, anyone?  Need I say more?  Well, yes.  Stock up on some knitting books because next winter, you’ll need to grow your own sweaters, too.”

Homegrown Goodness for Table, Freezer, and Pantry

Your backyard homestead is a success! The fruit and veggies are abundant and the fresh eggs are delicious, but they’re more than your family can eat. Your pig is fattening up quickly; will you know how to fill out the cut sheet when it is time to call the butcher? A backyard bounty can be overwhelming.

Andrea Chesman’s indispensable guide to gathering, processing, preserving, and eating the fruits of your backyard homestead ensures that nothing goes to waste. Her experience and clear instructions equip you with the skills to profit from everything you harvest!