The Self-Sufficient Life And How To Live It: The Complete Back-To-Basics Guide

Description

Embrace off-grid green living with a new edition of the bestselling classic guide to a more sustainable way of life from the father of self-sufficiency. For over 40 years, John Seymour has inspired thousands to make more responsible, enriching, and eco-friendly choices with his advice on living sustainably. The Self-Sufficienct Life and How to Live It offers step-by-step instructions on everything from chopping trees to harnessing solar power; from growing fruit and vegetables, and preserving and pickling your harvest, to baking bread, brewing beer, and making cheese. Seymour shows you how to live off the land, running your own smallholding or homestead, keeping chickens, and raising (and butchering) livestock. In a world of mass production, intensive farming, and food miles, Seymour's words offer an alternative: a celebration of the joy of investing time, labor, and love into the things we need. While we can't all be able to move to the countryside, we can appreciate the need to eat food that has been grown ethically or create things we can cherish, using skills that have been handed down through generations. With refreshed, retro-style illustrations and a brand-new foreword by Alice Waters, this new edition of Seymour's classic title is a balm for anyone who has ever sought solace away from the madness of modern life. Contents......Page 6 Foreword by Alice Waters 7......Page 9 Prefaces to the 2018 Edition 8......Page 10 Prefaces to Earlier Editions 10......Page 12 Introduction 12......Page 14 CHAPTER 1 THE MEANING OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY......Page 18 The Way to Self-sufficiency 18......Page 20 Humans & the Environment 20......Page 22 The Natural Cycle 24......Page 26 The Seasons 26......Page 28 The Urban Garden 28......Page 30 The Community Garden 30......Page 32 The One-acre Farm 32......Page 34 The Five-acre Farm 37......Page 39 CHAPTER 2 FOOD FROM THE GARDEN......Page 42 The Food-producing Garden 42......Page 44 The Deep Bed 46......Page 48 Sowing & Planting 48......Page 50 Growing under Cover 50......Page 52 Protecting from Pests 52......Page 54 Pests, Fungi & Diseases 54......Page 56 The Illustrated Index of Vegetables, Herbs & Fruits 57......Page 59 The Edible Parts of Plants 58......Page 60 Roots 62......Page 64 Stems 64......Page 66 Leaves 66......Page 68 Flowers and Vegetable Fruits 74......Page 76 Seeds and Pods 76......Page 78 Fruits 80......Page 82 Green Manure Crops 88......Page 90 The Cultivation of Vegetables 89......Page 91 The Cultivation of Herbs 143......Page 145 The Cultivation of Fruits 155......Page 157 Caring for Fruit Trees 178......Page 180 Vegetables through the Year 180......Page 182 Winter 182......Page 184 Spring 184......Page 186 Early Summer 186......Page 188 Late Summer 188......Page 190 Fall 190......Page 192 The Greenhouse 192......Page 194 CHAPTER 3 FOOD FROM ANIMALS......Page 196 The Living Farmyard 196......Page 198 The Cow 198......Page 200 Beef 204......Page 206 Goats 206......Page 208 Pigs 208......Page 210 Sheep 215......Page 217 Poultry 220......Page 222 Rabbits 226......Page 228 Bees & Honey 227......Page 229 CHAPTER 4 FOOD FROM THE FIELDS......Page 232 Clearing Land 232......Page 234 Draining Land 234......Page 236 Irrigating Land 236......Page 238 Making Use of Woodland 237......Page 239 Hedging & Fencing 240......Page 242 The Working Horse 244......Page 246 Horse & Tractor Power 246......Page 248 Preparing Land & Sowing 247......Page 249 Harvesting 250......Page 252 The Cereals 252......Page 254 Wheat 254......Page 256 Milling Grain 255......Page 257 Oats & Rye 256......Page 258 Barley 257......Page 259 Corn 258......Page 260 Rice 259......Page 261 Growing Crops for Oil 260......Page 262 Growing Root Crops 261......Page 263 Grass & Hay 268......Page 270 CHAPTER 5 FOOD FROM THE WILD......Page 274 Game 274......Page 276 Fish & Sea Foods 276......Page 278 Plants, Nuts & Berries 280......Page 282 Mushrooms 282......Page 284 CHAPTER 6 IN THE DAIRY......Page 286 The Hayshed & Cowshed 286......Page 288 The Dairy 288......Page 290 Making Butter & Cream 290......Page 292 Making Cheese 293......Page 295 CHAPTER 7 IN THE KITCHEN......Page 298 The North-facing Storeroom 298......Page 300 Harvesting & Storing 300......Page 302 Making Bread 302......Page 304 Preserving 306......Page 308 Freezing 308......Page 310 Canning 310......Page 312 Making Pickles & Chutneys 312......Page 314 Making Jams & Syrups 314......Page 316 Bakery & Desserts 316......Page 318 Meats 317......Page 319 Fish 318......Page 320 Vegetables 319......Page 321 CHAPTER 8 BREWING & WINE-MAKING......Page 322 Brewing Basics 322......Page 324 Malting Barley 323......Page 325 Making Beer 324......Page 326 Making Wine 328......Page 330 Making Hard Cider & Vinegar 332......Page 334 CHAPTER 9 ENERGY & WASTE......Page 336 Food for the Garden 336......Page 338 The Dry Toilet 338......Page 340 Managing Waste 340......Page 342 Saving Energy 342......Page 344 Power from Water 344......Page 346 Heat from the Sun 346......Page 348 Power from the Sun 348......Page 350 Fuel from Waste 349......Page 351 Power from the Wind 350......Page 352 CHAPTER 10 CRAFTS & SKILLS......Page 354 The Workshop 354......Page 356 Building 356......Page 358 Springs & Plumbing 359......Page 361 Knots & Ropework 360......Page 362 Basketry 362......Page 364 Pottery 364......Page 366 Spinning Wool & Cotton 366......Page 368 Dyeing & Weaving 368......Page 370 Spinning Flax 370......Page 372 Curing & Tanning 371......Page 373 Making Bricks & Tiles 372......Page 374 Working in Stone 374......Page 376 Working in Metal 376......Page 378 Building & Thatching 378......Page 380 Scything 380......Page 382 Woodworking 382......Page 384 Household Items 386......Page 388 Making a Pond & Fish Farming 388......Page 390 The All-purpose Furnace 389......Page 391 Becoming a Self-supporter 390......Page 392 Glossary 400......Page 402 Index 402......Page 404 Resources 407......Page 409 About the Authors 408......Page 410