Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival


Mors Kochanski - 1988
    With clear instructions, extensive use of diagrams and a color photo supplement, this comprehensive reference includes all the practical skills and knowledge essential for you to survive and enjoy the wilderness: * Lighting and maintaining a fire * Chopping wood and felling a tree * Creating a shelter and keeping warm * Safe use of the axe and bush knife * Plants and animals important for survival * Food, water and outdoor cooking * Wilderness first aid. * This bestseller should be required reading for hikers, campers, hunters, foresters, backwoods adventurers, scouts, youth groups--anyone with a passion for the outdoors.

Flintknapping: Making and Understanding Stone Tools


John C. Whittaker - 1993
    In this new guide, John C. Whittaker offers the most detailed handbook on flintknapping currently available and the only one written from the archaeological perspective of interpreting stone tools as well as making them.Flintknapping contains detailed, practical information on making stone tools. Whittaker starts at the beginner level and progresses to discussion of a wide range of techniques. He includes information on necessary tools and materials, as well as step-by-step instructions for making several basic stone tool types. Numerous diagrams allow the reader to visualize the flintknapping process, and drawings of many stone tools illustrate the discussions and serve as models for beginning knappers.Written for a wide amateur and professional audience, Flintknapping will be essential for practicing knappers as well as for teachers of the history of technology, experimental archaeology, and stone tool analysis.

Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens


Douglas W. Tallamy - 2007
    But there is an important and simple step toward reversing this alarming trend: Everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity.There is an unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife—native insects cannot, or will not, eat alien plants. When native plants disappear, the insects disappear, impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. In many parts of the world, habitat destruction has been so extensive that local wildlife is in crisis and may be headed toward extinction.Bringing Nature Home has sparked a national conversation about the link between healthy local ecosystems and human well-being, and the new paperback edition—with an expanded resource section and updated photos—will help broaden the movement. By acting on Douglas Tallamy's practical recommendations, everyone can make a difference.

How to Store Your Garden Produce: The Key to Self-Sufficiency


Piers Warren - 2002
    The easy to use reference section provides applicable storage and preservation techniques for the majority of plant produce grown commonly in gardens and allotments. Why is storing your garden produce the key to self-sufficiency? Because with less than an acre of garden you can grow enough produce to feed a family of four for a year, but as much of the produce will ripen simultaneously in the summer, without proper storage most of it will go to waste and you’ll be off to the supermarket again. Learn simple and enjoyable techniques for storing your produce and embrace the wonderful world of self-sufficiency. In the A-Z list of produce, each entry includes recommended varieties, suggested methods of storage and a number of recipes. Everything from how to make your own cider and pickled gerkhins to how to string onions and dry your own apple rings. You will know where your food has come from, you will save money, there will be no packaging and you’ll be eating tasty local food whilst feeling very good about it.

Backyard Homesteading: A Back-to-Basics Guide to Self-Sufficiency


David Toht - 2011
    It shows homeowners how to turn their yard into a productive and wholesome "homestead" that allows them to grow their own fruits and vegetables, and raise farm animals, including chickens and goats. Backyard Homesteading covers the laws and regulations of raising livestock in populated areas and demonstrates to readers how to use and  preserve the bounty they produce.

Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens...Naturally


Lisa Steele - 2013
    They're bringing back an American tradition: raising their own backyard chickens for eggs and companionship. And they care about the quality of life of their chickens. Fresh Eggs Daily is an authoritative, accessible guide to coops, nesting boxes, runs, breeding, feed, and natural health care with time-tested remedies.  The author promotes the benefits of keeping chickens happy and well-occupied, and in optimal health, free of chemicals and antibiotics. She emphasizes the therapeutic value of herbs and natural supplements to maintaining a healthy environment for your chickens. Includes many "recipes" and  8 easy DIY projects for the coop and run. Full color photos throughout. The USDA's new study of urban chicken raising sees a 400% increase in backyard chickens over the next 5 years, driven by younger adults.

Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks: Breeds, Care, Health


Dave Holderread - 2000
    Our Modern Way series of six books has sold more than 1,000,000 copies. In an effort to provide readers with the best how-to animal books on the market we are completely updating all six Modern Way titles and reintroducing them as part of our Guide to Raising series. Written by experts, these guides give novice and experienced livestock farmers all they need to know to successfully keep and profit from animals. Each book includes information on selection, housing, space requirements, breeding and birthing techniques, feeding, behavior, and health concerns and remedies for illness. The books also address the business of raising animals -- processing meat, milk, eggs, and more. The authors were chosen not only for their expertise but also for their ability to explain the ins and outs of animal husbandry in an inviting and authoritative manner.Whether readers are ready to start an entire herd or flock or are considering purchasing their first animal, Storey's Guide to Raising series offers vital information; each book is an indispensable reference.

Weedless Gardening


Lee Reich - 2000
      Say good-bye to backaches and weed problems!  Lee Reich’s organic Weedless Gardening eschews the traditional yearly digging up and working over of the soil. It’s is an easy-to-follow, low-impact approach to planting and maintaining a flower garden, a vegetable patch, trees, and shrubs naturally. "If you love to knock yourself out digging beds, buy a better shovel. If you're looking for a no-nonsense alternative, buy this book!" -Ketzel Levine, National Public Radio's Doyenne of Dirt)"Thoroughly practical, easy-to-follow guide to good gardening Lee Reich make it sound simple, and if you follow his methods and philosophy, it is." -Dora Galitzki, Gardening Columnist, The New York Times, and Author of The Gardener's Essential Companion"Finally, a book filled with science-based information that insures success and frees us from busywork in the garden." - Dr. H. March Cathey, President Emeritus, American Horticultural Society

Grow a Little Fruit Tree: Simple Pruning Techniques for Small-Space, Easy-Harvest Fruit Trees


Ann Ralph - 2014
    These great little trees take up less space, require less care, offer easy harvest, and make a fruitful addition to any home landscape.

The Total Fishing Manual (Field Stream): 317 Essential Fishing Skills


Joe Cermele - 2013
    The Total Fishing Manual is chock full of 317 field-tested tools, techniques and tactics, collected and written by the Field & Stream editors and accompanied by amazing photos and handy illustrations. GEAR UP How to pick the best lures, baits, flies, and tackle for every situation and every style of water you plan to fish. Customize your rod and reel to suit your every need. Learn how to customize your rod and reel, and to get the most out of your equipment.HIT THE WATER From small streams to major rivers, ponds to big lakes, and bays to the open ocean, hundreds of field-tested strategies will help you catch more fish with or without a boat.FIND THE FISH Professional fishing guides from across the country tell you how and where to find lunker bass, trophy walleyes, huge trout, and more - right in your home waters.SET THE HOOK Whether you're bobber fishing for bluegills with the kids or heading out after the muskie of a lifetime, the techniques and tactics in this book will make your trip a success.Whether you're a beginner, a weekend angler or a serious sport fisher this book has the information you need to hook’em.

Botany in a Day: Thomas J. Elpel's Herbal Field Guide to Plant Families


Thomas J. Elpel - 1998
    Line drawings highlight family characteristics, and plant entries discuss medicinal uses, edibility, toxicity, and look-alike plants. A standard reference at herbal and wilderness schools across the country, this resource is essential for herbalists, gardeners, and naturalists.

Primitive Technology: A Survivalist's Guide to Building Tools, Shelters, and More in the Wild


John Plant - 2019
    John Plant, the man behind the channel, Primitive Technology, is a bonafide YouTube star. With almost 10 million subscribers and an average of 5 million views per video, John's channel is beloved by a wide-ranging fan base, from campers and preppers to hipster woodworkers and craftsmen. Now for the first time, fans will get a detailed, behind-the-scenes look into John's process. Featuring 50 projects with step-by-step instructions on how to make tools, weapons, shelters, pottery, clothing, and more, Primitive Technology is the ultimate guide to the craft. Each project is accompanied by illustrations as well as mini-sidebars with the history behind each item, plus helpful tips for building, material sourcing, and so forth. Whether you're a wilderness aficionado or just eager to spend more time outdoors, Primitive Technology has something for everyone's inner nature lover.

Aquaponic Gardening: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together


Sylvia Bernstein - 2011
    A combination of aquaculture and hydroponics, aquaponic gardening is an amazingly productive way to grow organic vegetables, greens, herbs, and fruits, while providing the added benefits of fresh fish as a safe, healthy source of protein. On a larger scale, it is a key solution to mitigating food insecurity, climate change, groundwater pollution, and the impacts of overfishing on our oceans.Aquaponic Gardening is the definitive do-it-yourself home manual, focused on giving you all the tools you need to create your own aquaponic system and enjoy healthy, safe, fresh, and delicious food all year round. Starting with an overview of the theory, benefits, and potential of aquaponics, the book goes on to explain:System location considerations and hardware components The living elements—fish, plants, bacteria, and worms Putting it all together—starting and maintaining a healthy systemAquaponics systems are completely organic. They are four to six times more productive and use ninety percent less water than conventional gardens. Other advantages include no weeds, fewer pests, and no watering, fertilizing, bending, digging, or heavy lifting—in fact, there really is no downside! Anyone interested in taking the next step towards self-sufficiency will be fascinated by this practical, accessible, and well-illustrated guide.Sylvia Bernstein is the president and founder of The Aquaponic Source. An internationally recognized expert on aquaponic gardening, Sylvia speaks, writes, and blogs extensively about this revolutionary technique.

The Prepper's Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals


Tess Pennington - 2013
    But if you follow this book’s plan for stocking, organizing and maintaining a proper emergency food supply, your family will have plenty to eat for weeks, months or even years, with comforting, nutritious meals such as: • French Toast • Black Bean Soup • Chicken Pot Pie • Beef Stroganoff • Fish Tacos • Potatoes Croquette • Asian Ramen Salad • Quinoa Tabouli • Rice Pilaf • Buttermilk Biscuits • Peach Cobbler  . . . and much more Packed with tips for off-grid cooking, canning charts for over 20 fruits and vegetables, and checklists for the best emergency pantry items, The Prepper’s Cookbook will have you turning shelf-stable, freeze-dried and dehydrated foods into delicious, nutritious dishes your family will love eating.   "The Prepper’s Cookbook is an excellent resource and foundation that covers many topics of preparation. Especially helpful for the seeker and the new-to-prepping, however, there are great ideas for even the seasoned prepper." —Real Food Living   "It’s more than a cookbook. It’s also a handy guide for beginning preppers who have wondered, 'So what do I actually do with all this extra food I’m buying?'" —The Survival Mom

You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farm Enterprise


Joel Salatin - 1998
    It's like thinking the unthinkable.After all, the farm population is dwindling. It takes too much capital to start. The pay is too low. The working conditions are dusty, smelly and noisy: not the place to raise a family. This is all true, and more, for most farmers.But for farm entrepreneurs, the opportunities for a farm family business have never been greater. The aging farm population is creating cavernous niches begging to be filled by creative visionaries who will go in dynamic new directions. As the industrial agriculture complex crumbles and our culture clambers for clean food, the countryside beckons anew with profitable farming opportunities.While this book can be helpful to all farmers, it targets the wannabes, the folks who actually entertain notions of living, loving and learning on a piece of land. Anyone willing to dance with such a dream should be able to assess its assets and liabilities; its fantasies and realities. "Is it really possible for me?" is the burning question this book addresses.