Best book/books for being self-sufficient in a small space?

mbcagle · #1 04/07/11, 04:46 AM

I was looking for a good book to help me maximize our acre. What book would you recommend ....

Thanks!:banana02:

**Shrek** · #2 04/07/11, 05:34 AM

If you can find a copy of The Guide to Self Sufficiency by John Seymour published in the 1970s, the section on the one acre farm offers a plan but if you follow it you can forget any leisure space.

I used it and Squarefoot gardening to initially develop a personalized one and a half acre plan maintained by three when we were agriculturally maximizing our acreage so that we could ag max and have leisure space on the place at the same time because the 5 acre farm plan was too big and the one acre plan was too small for the two acres here and we wanted some front and back yard space for barbecuing and our swimming pool.

Combining concepts from the guide to self sufficiency and Squarefoot Gardening (and later Cash from squarefoot gardening) worked well enough for us to establish a farmers market stand, provide a percentage of our pantry and celler stores for three seasons before our marriage ended.

Callieslamb · #3 04/07/11, 08:04 AM

Here's a blog I read for a while http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/Mini-Farms.html
maybe there will be something there that will guide you in a good direction.

Google 'micro-farming' to get a few hints.

City Bound · #4 04/07/11, 05:43 PM

The have more plan.
http://www.amazon.com/Have-More-Plan.../dp/0882660241

This book has a lot of good ideas and it is easy and fun to read.

PrettyPaisley · #5 04/07/11, 11:00 PM

Backyard Homestead.

http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Homes.../dp/1603421386

Morakai · #6 04/07/11, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrettyPaisley

Backyard Homestead.

http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Homes.../dp/1603421386

THis is the book that I got. I love that it has plans for 1/10th ac, 1/4 ac & 1/2 ac. It even includes various plans as well. if nothing else it will help you plan out your acre so that you will get the most for what space that you have. It really did make it easier for me to see a starting spot for even smaller acreages. Not to mention what to plan for when first starting out.

**clovis** · #7 04/08/11, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrek

Squarefoot Gardening

This is one of the best books that I've ever read. It really opened my eyes, and in a sense, changed my life.

City Bound · #8 04/08/11, 12:42 AM

Squarefoot gardening is a good book, but that is just gardening.

**Roadking** · #9 04/08/11, 07:49 AM

Readers Digest "Back to Basics" and Carla Emorey (SP? my copy is not on hand, sorry if spelled incorrectly) "Encyclopedia of Country Living".
Matt

Pelenaka · #10 04/08/11, 09:35 AM

For me personally homesteading on less than 1/14 of an acre there is no one book but I'd have to say that Squarefoot Gardening also changed my life even though I don't follow it to the letter. Four Season Gardening is another. Blogs like Green Roof Growers and Growing Power, although I would kill to have a city block's worth of space. I get my inspiration for the same places that otherhomesteaders do such as HT, I just need to fine tune it for my small space.

~~ pelenaka ~~
http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.com/

**Shrek** · #11 04/08/11, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by City Bound

Squarefoot gardening is a good book, but that is just gardening.

I used squarefoot gardening to lay out our kitchen garden and incorporated aspects from the more BISF geared Cash from SquareFoot Gardening to guidelines from Seymours guide to self sufficiency to maximize our farmer market output to replace my ex wifes normal workplace income and allow us to eliminate the need of paying for child care as when we were on the same shift.

One major variation from Seymours guide I found helped free up some space requirement was not including the compost heap area described in the one and 5 acre plans as I had my worm bins and predigestors indoors and they produced adequate compost for our needs while freeing up a 20 by 30 foot area of yard space

Nico DeMouse · #12 04/08/11, 02:59 PM

Green Roof Growers is a great blog.

I also just got the backyard homestead book and am enjoying it -- it's a good basics book. Not enough on any one topic, but a good overview of many.

Square Foot Gardening is good, and the Carla Emory book....

I also like the John Jeavons book, How to Grow More Vegetables....it has several plans for gardens of various sizes, including when to start seeds, transplant, plant out, and so on...