Rejecting both end-times hand wringing and dewy-eyed faith that technology will save us from ourselves, urban homesteaders choose instead to act. By growing their own food and harnessing natural energy, they are planting seeds for the future of our cities.If you would like to harvest your own vegetables, raise city chickens, or convert to solar energy, this practical, hands-on book is full of step-by-step projects that will get you started homesteading immediately, whether you live in an apartment or a house. It is also a guidebook to the larger movement and will point you to the best books and Internet resources on self-sufficiency topics.Projects include: How to grow food on a patio or balcony How to clean your house without toxins How to preserve food How to cook with solar energy How to divert your greywater to your garden How to choose the best homestead for you Written by city dwellers for city dwellers, this illustrated, smartly designed, two-color instruction book proposes a paradigm shift that will improve our lives, our community, and our planet. Authors Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen happily farm in Los Angeles and run the urban homestead blog www.homegrownrevolution.org.

    Twenty Instructables illustrate just how simple it can be to make your own backyard chicken coop, or turn a wine barrel into a rainwater collector.Illustrated with dozens of full-color photographs per project accompanying easy-to-follow instructions, this Instructables collection utilizes the best that the online community has to offer, turning a far-reaching group of people into a mammoth database churning out ideas to make life better, easier, and in this case, greener, as this volume exemplifies.

    My name’s Karen, and I care about making sure my family’s dietary needs are met, no matter what. One way I do this is through our year’s worth of personal food storage, and now I’m here to show you how to easily store a year’s worth of food as well. In A Year Without the Grocery Store, I walk you through a step-by-step plan which: - Incorporates the meals your family already loves. - Takes into account your family’s unique food allergies, intolerances, and preferences. - Teaches you how to economically store food, and shows you how, if necessary, you could feed each member of your family for around 160/year. - Provides you with recipes that take your food storage from edible to delicious. - Discusses alternate ways to cook your food storage in case you encounter a power outage. - Discusses properly storing water. - Points out pitfalls and holes in most people’s food storage and crafts a plan for how to avoid them. If you thought the idea of a year’s worth of food storage was a little crazy, take another look at healthy meals, money savings, not having to run to the grocery store before winter storms, and peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’ve planned and prepared and that your family can now go a year without the grocery store.

    The author also includes information on ropes, their strengths and their uses.'

    Amendt one of the top prize-winning cooks in the nation. This handy and helpful volume explains how to make the finest jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, conserves, butters, curds, fruit, vegetables, juices, sauces, pickles, vinegars, syrups, and specialty preserves. Plus, it has a complete canning guide with the latest methods and safety precautions.

    Making Home is about improving life with the real people around us and the resources we already have. While encouraging us to be more resilient in the face of hard times, author Sharon Astyk also points out the beauty, grace, and elegance that result, because getting the most out of everything we use is a way of transforming our lives into something much more fulfilling.Written from the perspective of a family who has already made this transition, Making Home shows readers how to turn the challenge of living with less into settling for more—more happiness, more security, and more peace of mind. Learn simple but effective strategies to:Save money on everything from heating and cooling to refrigeration, laundry, water, sanitation, cooking, and cleaningCreate a stronger, more resilient familyPreserve more for future generationsWe must make fundamental changes to our way of life in the face of ongoing economic crisis and energy depletion. Making Home takes the fear out of this prospect, and invites us to embrace a simpler, more abundant reality.Sharon Astyk is a writer, teacher, blogger, and farmer whose family uses eighty percent less energy and resources than the average American household. She is a member of the board of directors of ASPO-USA, founder of the Riot 4 Austerity, and the author of three previous books, including Depletion and Abundance and Independence Days.

    It reveals you the reasons why photovoltaic solar panels are continuing to gain worldwide popularity and are becoming more important as a source of renewable energy. You can see the question “To go or not to go solar?” discussed in its practical aspects. Furthermore you are advised what kind of solar electric system you need and how to evaluate whether your home is ‘solar-ready’ or not You are also introduced to the basics of photovoltaics and to the main types of solar electric systems and their components. The book is intended to provide basic information to everyone who makes first steps in the world of photovoltaics and needs the matter explained in an easy-to-understand and straightforward way. The book exposes: Photovoltaics in the world of renewable energy Advantages of photovoltaics in a summary Why are photovoltaics continuing to gain worldwide popularity? Why is the cost of photovoltaics decreasing? Drawbacks of photovoltaics What are the main applications of solar electric systems? To go or not to go solar – that is the question! Some issues to consider before going solar Why would you need a solar electric system? Don’t go solar before reading this! What kind of solar electric system do you need? How big solar electric system do you need? How to finance the cost of your solar electric system? Financial incentives Is your building solar-ready? How to assess your location for solar resource? Why the condition of your roof does matter Free solar panels Solar power for business owners Energy efficiency above all How to improve the energy efficiency of your building The basics of solar power Solar electric systems Grid-connected solar electric systems Stand-alone (off-grid) solar electric systems Advantages and drawbacks of stand-alone systems Why are off-grid systems attractive? Main applications of stand-alone solar electric systems Selecting your solar vendor What to be careful about Grab the book and get started saving money on electricity and becoming energy independent now!

    Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: buying and saving seeds, starting seedlings, establishing raised beds, soil fertility practices, composting, dealing with pest and disease problems, crop rotation, farm planning, and much more. Because self-suf?ciency is the objective, subjects such as raising backyard chickens and home canning are also covered along with numerous methods for keeping costs down and production high. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations.

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

    Frank Miniter's The Ultimate Man's Survival Guide shows men how to do all of these and more, including:* how to fight off a bear* how to set a dislocated joint* how to pick the perfect cigar and bottle of wine Presented in seven sections--survivor, provider, athlete, hero, romantic, cultured man, and philosopher--Miniter teaches guys the skills, attitudes, and philosophies they need to be the ultimate man. Clearly written and packed with real-life anecdotes, as well as line-drawings and how-to illustrations, The Ultimate Man's Survival Guide teaches men that any guy can be the ultimate man whether he is rescuing a lost hiker, plucking a child from a swift stream, or standing up against injustice.

    With concise explanations and detailed illustrations, survival expert Gregory Davenport covers the five basic elements of survival--personal protection, signaling, finding food and water, travel, and health--providing the reader with complete information on how to stay calm and alive until rescue arrives.

    In this thoroughly revised update of his immensely popular guide "How to Be Invisible," J.J. Luna shows you how to protect yourself from these information predators by securing your vehicle and real estate ownership, your bank accounts, your business dealings, your computer files, your home address, and more. J.J. Luna, a highly trained and experienced security consultant, shows you how to achieve the privacy you crave and deserve, whether you just want to shield yourself from casual scrutiny or take your life savings with you and disappearing without a trace. Whatever your needs, Luna reveals the shocking secrets that private detectives and other seekers of personal information use to uncover information and then shows how to make a serious commitment to safeguarding yourself. There is a prevailing sense in our society that true privacy is a thing of the past. Filled with vivid real life stories drawn from the headlines and from Luna's own consulting experience, "How to Be Invisible, Revised Edition" is a critical antidote to the privacy concerns that continue only to grow in magnitude as new and more efficient ways of undermining our personal security are made available. Privacy is a commonly-lamented casualty of the Information Age and of the world's changing climate-but that doesn't mean you have to stand for it.

    Detailed weekly to-do lists break gardening down into simple and manageable tasks so that you always know what needs to be done and when to do it, from starting seeds and planting strawberries to checking for tomato hornworms and harvesting carrots. Enjoy a bountiful harvest with this organized and stress-free approach to gardening.

    A controversial hit that sparked debate among businessmen, environmentalists, and bloggers, The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler is an eye-opening look at the unprecedented challenges we face in the years ahead, as oil runs out and the global systems built on it are forced to change radically.

    Godfrey also provides over 100 kitchen-tested recipes for you to try. In addition, you'll learn how to put together a personalized three-month supply and how to involve your entire family in planning and preparing meals. And as for that vitally important one-year supply, you'll learn what to store, how much to store, and how to store it. By the end of this book, you'll be building your food storage, and you'll be using it every day to make meals your family will love.