Synopses & Reviews
This is the book for anyone who wants to become more self-reliant, from suburbanites with 1/4 of an acre to country homesteaders with several. The information is easily understood and readily applicable.
More than 150 of Storey's expert authors in gardening, building, animal raising, and homesteading share their specialized knowledge and experience in this ultimate guide to living a more independent, satisfying life.
Readers will find step-by-step, illustrated instructions for every aspect of country living including:
- Finding country land
- Buying, building, and renovating a home
- Developing water sources and systems
- Understanding wiring, plumbing, and heating
- Using alternative heating and energy sources
- Vegetable, flower, and herb gardening
- Traditional cooking skills such as baking bread and making maple syrup
- Preparing and preserving meat, fruits, and vegetables
- Building and maintaining barns, sheds, and outbuildings
- Caring for common farm and ranch animals, and pets
Review
"This big, comprehensive book that covers everything from land to animals; from vegetables to country cooking. The book encompasses more than 40 years of writing and includes the expertise of many experienced authors. It's like having a whole community of seasoned gardeners, farmers and homesetaders living next door to you." - Star Beacon
Synopsis
Whether you live on a small suburban lot or have a many acres in the country, this inspiring collection will empower you to increase your self-sufficiently and embrace a more independent lifestyle. A variety of authors share their specialized knowledge and provide practical instructions for basic country skills like preserving vegetables, developing water systems, keeping farm animals, and renovating barns. From sharpening an axe to baking your own bread, you'll be amazed at the many ways learning traditional skills can enrich your life.
Synopsis
REDISCOVER THE BASIC SKILLS OF COUNTRY LIFE!
Whether it's making ice cream or sharpening an ax, cleaning a chimney or growing raspberries, you'll learn how to do it in this treasury of time-honored country wisdom. Illustrated step-by-step instructions will show you how to milk a cow, tap a maple tree, clean a fish, lead a horse, and build the best chicken coop. You'll find out how to heat your house with wood or by the sun and how to de-skunk a country dog. You'll learn the proper way to put in a water system, rewire an old house, stack a cord of wood, and grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Yearning for a more self-reliant life? You'll find the answers in Storey's Basic Country Skills.
About the Author
John Storey founded Storey Communications, Inc. with his wife Martha in 1983. He has three children and eight grandchildren. He lives in western Massachusetts and farm in Westport, New York.Martha Storey lent her party-planning advice to Keeping Entertaining Simple. She has mastered the art of relaxed hostessing, whether giving small dinner parties for close friends or large corporate picnics, and she shares her secrets and inspiring ideas with readers. Country-living publisher for more than 17 years, Martha also draws on her country roots to bring you the time-honored classics of the American country kitchen in her book, Treasured Country Recipes from Martha Storey and Friends. Martha founded Storey Communications, Inc. with her husband John in 1983. She has three children and eight grandchildren. She lives in western Massachusetts and farm in Westport, New York.
Table of Contents
YOUR PLACE IN THE COUNTRY
Your Country Home
Outdoor Spaces
The Water Supply
Plumbing
Heating Your Home
Electricity
Basic Home Improvements
The Home Interior
YOUR GARDEN, YARD and ORCHARD
The Vegetable Garden
The Herb Garden
The Flower Garden
Water and Rock Gardens
Improving Your Soil
Garden Pests and Diseases
Birds and Butterflies
Lawn Care
Berries and Fruits
Arbors and Trellises
Greenhouses
Sheds and More
COUNTRY COOKING and STOCKING UP
Classic Country Recipes
Fresh From the Dairy
Meat, Fish and Game
Preserving the Harvest
The Country Pantry
YOUR BARN, STABLE and FIELDS
Farm and Ranch Animals
Barns and Fences
Country Pets
Small-Scale Farming
Tools and Techniques
ILLUSTRATION CREDITS
BOOKS
RESOURCES
INDEX
HARDINESS ZONE MAP