As you may or may not know, since I’ve mentioned it before on the blog, Mr. Nurture and I are in the process of saving up for our atypical dream house – a modest homestead with ample land to grow our own food, raise small farm animals, and live a truly sustainable lifestyle, closer to nature and closer to the way our ancestors lived.
I’ve been racking up (read hoarding) as many resources as I can get my hands on to prepare us for this journey, which is also part of the reason I started this blog in the first place. So I was really excited when Angela England, of Untrained Housewife, announced that she had a written a how-to guide on backyard farming, and offered me a copy to review!
Backyard Farming On An Acre (More Or Less) Review
Backyard Farming On An Acre (More or Less) is the ultimate guide for those wishing to eat healthier, save money, and live more sustainably. Whether you’re looking to purchase new farm land or to build on land you already own, Angela breaks everything down in an easy-to-follow, comprehensive way, explaining everything you need to know from zoning restrictions to water access.
Ready to start your edible gardening? Angela’s got you completely covered, with helpful tips and advice on planning, planting, raising, and harvesting everything from vegetables and herbs, to fruits, berries, and nuts! The book is really organized in such an easy format, you can just open the table of contents, find the plant you want to learn more about, then flip to the correct page to find information, pictures, and down-to-earth advice on all that goes into growing and harvesting that plant.
One of the most useful things for me, about this book, is the section on animal farming. This is an area which I’ve yet to learn much about, so Angela’s detailed, yet concise, instructions on buying and raising chickens, goats, sheep, and rabbits was just perfect! I learned more in the 20 minutes that it took me to look through that section than I ever could have learned by reading through online guides and forums! I’m so glad to have all this information in one place, to go back to and reference when I need it!
And ultimately, my favorite sections of the book are what Angela calls “Enjoying the Bounty” and “Crafting From the Backyard Farm.” If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, I’m sure you can guess why. 🙂 These sections are literally the “bread and butter” of the book, in my opinion. After all the hard work of planning, raising, and harvesting from your farm, the fruits of your labor can be  enjoyed through fresh, seasonal produce used in delicious recipes, or preserved (by canning, freezing, or dehydrating) in your root cellar. Want to learn to make cheese? How about harvesting your sheep’s fleece to turn into yarn? Or making handmade soap from your goat’s milk? All this and so much more is outlined so beautifully in the pages of this book.
This is not just a book, it’s much more than that. Honestly, it’s as if Angela is sitting across the table from you, teaching you all that she’s learned about backyard farming, in a fun, personal, conversational manner. Whether you’re looking to start your first small garden this year, or want to plan a full-fledged mini-farm on your property, Backyard Farming On An Acre (More Or Less) is the place to start!
Check out the Backyard Farming On An Acre website, as well as on Facebook!
Where to Buy Backyard Farming On An Acre
You can purchase Backyard Farming On An Acre (More Or Less) online at Amazon.com, and as of today, it’s on sale for only $13.60 (US) and qualifies for FREE Super Saver Shipping!
Also, from now until December 2oth (that’s tomorrow!), Angela will send you some amazing free bonuses with your purchase! We’re talking over $10 of bonuses, including a neat homeschool companion study guide for the book! Check out the details on this great offer here.
But you don’t have to wait until your copy arrives to start enjoying the wonderful resources this book has to offer – check out Angela’s downloadable resources page for free homesteading resources and printables to get you started on your way to a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle!
Pinning this on my wishlist!
Pinning this on my wishlist!
This would make a great gift for my husband! We just bought 7 acres, and he’d like to farm the whole thing, but I’d love to keep him to one well-farmed acre.
Wow, 7 acres!! That’s awesome, Wendy! Congrats 🙂
You can do SO much with an acre – it’s crazy how much you can produce using the modern intensive techniques. 🙂
This would make a great gift for my husband! We just bought 7 acres, and he’d like to farm the whole thing, but I’d love to keep him to one well-farmed acre.
Wow, 7 acres!! That’s awesome, Wendy! Congrats 🙂
You can do SO much with an acre – it’s crazy how much you can produce using the modern intensive techniques. 🙂
This seems like a great read! So interesting! We have waaayyy less than an acre-I would love to be able to get some tips on planting a vegetable garden in a small space!
We personally have less than an acre as well. In fact our home and lot dimensions are very similar to the first diagram shown as a 1/4 sample. 🙂
This seems like a great read! So interesting! We have waaayyy less than an acre-I would love to be able to get some tips on planting a vegetable garden in a small space!
We personally have less than an acre as well. In fact our home and lot dimensions are very similar to the first diagram shown as a 1/4 sample. 🙂