What can I say?  I have this book over my bed out at the farm.  Use it a LOT.  Not real deep in any particular subject, but enough in most to get you over the hump.

A few others I have… not used as much, but always believed that more references were better.  I do find that each compliments the other – what one focuses on the others go lighter on.  For example:  Gene’s book has a few short pages of practical advice on beekeeping (as always, his contrarily way!).  Storey’s has a basic 2 page introduction.  The Country Living book below has 15 pages of information on bees and their products.  Self-Sufficient has 3 pages, one of which is diagrams – enough to give you an idea of what you might want to buy or build.

   Note!  This is NOT a cook book, although some nice food recipes are indeed included.  Think of it more as a “Recipes for having a clue what to do when you want to:  Catch a pig/cook on a wood stove/buy land/bake bread/etc.

Suggest reading the reviews on Amazon before you get this one.  Its not for everyone.

This is an oldie, published in 1973, but still of great value.  Unless you are planning on raising cattle for income,  simply want a lot of land to keep the neighbors away,  or like us are trying to do native wildlife habitat restoration, you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish on five acres – if its the right five.

A just plan fun read… if your like me and like this type of thing:

  Might be a bit serious/downbeat for some, but I liked it.