Building a Homestead Library - THP vol. 4
While I'm a big fan of the internet, there is just something wonderful about holding a physical book in your hands, diving deep into a topic or looking for that one tidbit you need for your project. This post is part of my Tiny Homestead Projects series, a chronicle of our projects that I hope will inspire you to homestead anywhere.
It All Began With One Book
Our homestead library began taking form when my husband and I travelled to London, England back in 2009. In a huge Waterstones, I found The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour. It was a book we had heard about many times on a favourite TV-show, Bonderøven.
We bought the book and even got a discount because the paper cover was ripped (the book inside it was not harmed in any way).
That book pushed us over the edge and from then on we've slowly invested in homesteading books, asking for them at Christmas and birthdays and looked for them at thrift stores.
Dividing our Library into Categories
Over the years we've added a number of books, although our library is still much smaller than we would like it.
As I was preparing to write this post it hit me that we have books in different categories:
Crafts
We have books on knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving and woodworking.General Self-sufficiency books
This includes books by Seymour, such as The Fat of the Land and books dealing more with the philosophical aspect such as Born Again Dirt - Farming to the glory of God by Noah Sanders as well as Homespun Mom Comes Unraveled and Radical Homemakers both by Shannon Hayes.Edibles
We currently have two books on wild edibles and a book on herbs.Preservation and Cooking
We have a number of preservation books in Danish about everything from canning to fermentation, baking as well as general cooking books. Among our favourites in English are The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and even The Original River Cottage Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-WittingstallParenting
Our final category, thus far, seems to be parenting. To us being parents is an inseparable part of our homesteading. Not that you need children to be a true homesteader, but once you've got them, you can't and shouldn't exclude them from your homesteading.
In this category, we have books such as Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne and Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker.
Categories We Want to Add
The categories above are not set in stone. Actually, I had trouble deciding where a couple of the books I mentioned should go. Besides these categories, we want to add books on livestock and gardening. I have an interest in beekeeping, chickens, rabbits, permaculture, greenhouses and fungi, all subjects we don't have any books on yet.
Do you have any recommendations for books to include in our homestead library?
Feel free to join the conversation at
Love Books, Mine all have dirt on them from holding them while seeking the value of the advice inside. I am currently building my medicinal wild plant library, I bought 2 books this summer at garage sales. Thanks for sharing
Would you recommend any of them?
yes but it is for plants native to Canada. Lone Pine Edible and Medicinal Plants in Canada Mackinnon Kershaw Arnason Owen Karst This book has amazing picture that trul help you to see the actual plant. I am a visual person so that helps. Alot of the book describe what it looks like but there are a million plants that all can look relatively the same. LOL in my opinion
I have been working on my library for so many years. Every time I think I have everything covered, I see or think of a new category.
Some of my recommendations are:
Country Wisdom & Know How (A general knowledge book)
Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook, 14th Ed. (Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living)
Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils, 8th Ed.
Butchering, by: Adam Danforth
Thank you for those recommendations. We've been talking about butchering for when we get some livestock. The rest of the titles are all new to me.
Hi there, you won my heart with this post. I love it! Lots of really good books in your personal Library. There is one I have called "Folks This Ain't Normal" by J. Salatin. You might like it agricultural, sustainability and food. God Bless🐓
Aww, I'm so glad to hear that.
That sounds right up my alley. I've heard so much about Salatin's writings, my only concern is that they might be very North America centric (for instance fields of farmers and you can farm etc.). How much value do you think is in them for a Scandinavian?
The one thing I miss most about living in Central America is the lack of access to books. Libraries are non-existent, to buy books is prohibitively expensive that is if you can find them and having them shipped in is a problem. Sure, we have access to internet and e-books but it's just not the same as holding a book in your hands...
I agree. Books are a lot more expensive here too. Before we could order them from GB, but now the VAT makes that too expensive as well.
My little homestead library is lacking. lol I have to admit that I take advantage of the library system here so I only bought the books I either couldn't get or found invaluable. I also do a lot of printing when I find stuff online because I can never find it again when I want it. lol I think I need to start keeping an eye out for more books. :)
Please do. We get so many books from the library, but frankly, they aren't all that well equipped in homesteading books. It seems like it is slowly improving though.
hard copy's are great should the internet go down or the computer dies for what ever reason and you can carry it with you when you need to change reading locations :) like from the swing to a covered porch :) thanks for sharing
Those would be great reading locations.
I've spent years working in libraries, physical books will always have my heart.
I'm not a doomsdayer, but I do like that no matter what happens to the internet and what not, pretty much short of a flood or a fire I will still have my books.
I am so with you! I have been gifted 2 kindles and tell me if I have used them to read books? I prefer the good old fashion paper ones, complete with bookmarks :)
These books you've shared with us are great reads!
Lovely Wednesday to you!
I'm the same, I try to read things digitally, but I never enjoy it or stick with it for very long.
A wonderful day to you too and thank you for stopping by.
Enjoy your Wednesday!
John Seymour is where it all started for me.
I got the original The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency book shortly after it came out in 1976.
I read the book over and over, from cover to cover, and started making plans when I was still a teenager. The dream started with that book...
Then some years later I had the fortune to have a short job that involved organising speaking events for John Seymour. That really was something for me 😎
Oh my goodness, I'm a bit starstruck now! We got that book when we were still in our teens too, although at a much later date obviously. My Son is currently looking through it every day asking for the farm book. Gotta start them young, right?!
There is such a wealth of information in that book. Have you read his other homesteading books? I really liked The Fat of the Land and would love more of his writings. I believe I've also read a book on forgotten skills by him, but that was a library book and had to be returned, sadly.
😊
I've got The Fat of the Land - although haven't read it for many years. Must get it out again and have another read.
Yes, please do! I've read it 7 times so far. He had such a wonderful writing style.
Only category I would add is "natural remedies." Great to see I'm not the only one who likes the feel of a book in their hand.
Brilliant! I have no idea why I didn't think of that, but we certainly need books on that topic too. Thank you.
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