Hestia Guild Bookshelf

1. Emery, Carla. The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 9th edition. Sasquatch Press, 1994

The definitive book on how to grow, preserve, and cook every kind of food in the world. Absolutely the ultimate - and incredibly easy to read. Carla is a Christian, and there's the occasional Bible reference, but she's not the intolerant type; I think her actual religion is closer to environmentalism. And the writing is so good and so comprehensive that it doesn't matter. Things like how to fry a duck egg (different from chickens), make hominy grits, build a root cellar, etc. We refer to this book as the Bible because it's saved us so often. Make sure you get the 9th edition; the earlier ones are less complete.

2. Seymour, John. The Guide to Self-Sufficiency. The Hearst Corporation and Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1976

This is the homesteading book from Britain, where they call it "smallholding". It is not only chock full of information, it is chock full of beautiful illustrations that show you how to do these mysterious things step by step. Foolproof! How to make homemade beer, cheese, bricks, etc. The pictures even make it a great homeschooling book. For those of you with only a tiny plot of land, Mr. Seymour also put out "The Self-Sufficient Gardener" - same thing on a smaller scale.

3. Thomas, Sherry, and Tetrault, Jeanne. Country Women: A Handbook for the New Farmer. Anchor Press, 1976

This wonderful book is currently out of print, so you either have to xerox library copies (I did) or look in used bookstores. But it is worth it! Put out by the editors of "Country Women" magazine, it is the only homesteading guide geared to women and their special problems while farming - confidence, finding the right tools, etc. Written 100% by women, the sections on plumbing, well-digging, sheep-vetting, etc. are great. I learned how to put roll roofing on my house and barn from this book. Interspersed between articles are women's poetry about the country life and the ongoing journal of one woman who starts her own sheep farm in Oregon.

4. Logsdon, Gene. Practical Skills. Rodale Press, 1985

Gene Logsdon, the self-proclaimed "homesteading curmudgeon", has put out lots of books all written in his folksy style. "Practical Skills" is just that - how to make, do, and make do. The first chapter is on tools and home improvement, and is invaluable. Homemade antennas, choosing a grain mill, binding hooked rugs, building animal troughs, livestock-proof gates, you name it. Also has really useful illustrations. Logsdon debunks the agribusiness concept of small farming (high overhead, high profit) for the easier-for-small-folks version (low overhead, low profit, high savings).

5. Bacon, Richard M. The Forgotten Arts. Yankee Magazine, 1985

This is actually a five-book set, five slender paperbacks tucked into a box and put out by Yankee Magazine. It's chock full of random things in no particular order - building a cider press out of a car jack, drying beans, making wattle fences and old-fashioned colonial milk paint, building a community skating rink, dealing with your rural driveway, etc. Surprising amount of info in a small space. It's also out of print, so you'll have to hunt for it.

6. Mack, Norman. Back to Basics. Reader's Digest Books. 1981

A full-color book with a lot of the stuff in the above books, plus others - alternative energy, windmills, solar stuff, a whole section on making your own furniture, canning, homemade soda pop and maple syruping.....

7. Bay Laurel, Alicia. Living on the Earth. Vintage Press, Random House, 1971

When I first met Bella, I saw this book on her bedroom wall and knew we'd have the same goals in life. (I also had a copy!) It's the original hippie guide to homesteading. It's a great book to color in the pages with your kids - there are big, childlike, sweeping illustrations. No printing...everything is just handwritten in Alicia's loopy cursive. This book starts with outdoor survival and moves to important things like home birth and home medical remedies, how to make your own shellac and turpentine, dealing with crabs and lice. Also fun things that only the hippies would think of - tie-dyeing with natural dyes, making musical instruments, wind chimes, and kid toys out of recyclable materials, etc. Will bring a smile to your face, and your kids will love it. It's another one that is probably out of print and you'll have to look hard to find a copy.

8. Vince, John. Old Farms: An Illustrated Guide. Bramhall House, 1982.

This book is almost entirely of beautifully rendered drawings of old-fashioned farmhouses from the Viking era to the 19th century....and this includes all their tools, dishes, furniture, animal shelters and equipment, and almost everything one might need in order to recreate an ancient farmstead. I found myself drooling over no-longer-available hand tools. This book is worth having if only as a picture of something to strive for.

9. Clarkson, Rosetta E. Herbs and Savory Seeds. Dover Publications, 1972.

This is a reprint of a century-old book on antique gardens and everything that they grow. From creating garden mazes and labyrinths to making pomanders and potpourri, Rosetta Clarkson did it before it became trendy. Her book is a whiff of perfume from the past, useful for every old-fashioned domestic goddess who would actually rather build their own potpourri out of real flowers grown in the garden than buy a batch of perfumed wood chips.

10. Henisch, Bridget Ann. The Medieval Calendar Year. Pennsylvania State University Press, 1999.

This well-researched book records the medieval peasant's year of domestic and field chores as seen through the illustrated Books of Hours of the period. An excellent way to see the rhythm of our ancestors' yearly rotations through working the earth.