OUR 30+ HOMESTEADING BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS (FOR THE NOVICE OR PRO)

[@jennepic]

Thank you for putting the Bible front and center as it should be!

[@DixieLivingHomestead]

My FAVORITE comment.

[@shannonhopper8987]

I just love this too.

[@BRUtahn]

It literally was not at the front lol

[@patriciahammett4197]

I agree, ways #1.

[@PirouettingFox]

Agreed!

[@rough-hewnhomestead5737]

Thank you for including the Bible on this list as it is THE most important book ever written! Great list of books. The first Cadfael book is on special on Kindle for a limited time right now! (I snagged it.) Although I love 'real' books, I like to buy the first in a series I'm trying on Kindle before diving in for them all. If I like the first one, I'll usually buy it, along with the rest of the series. Looking forward to reading it as I'm a homesteading herbalist and will probably enjoy it. I LOVE Be Your Own Doctor and will shop for Rachel's other books! I also bought Herbal Antivirals on your suggestion in a previous video. So many books....so little time. ;) God bless!

[@scottfamily865]

This is the channel I must watch when I’m by myself having my morning coffee, the company is unbeatable. Homesteading Family is comforting and encouraging and inspiring. A feel good, no nonsense learning experience. Thanks everyone!

[@leiatrappett2743]

“The lost book of herbal remedies” by Nicole Apelian & Claude Davis, is my 1st herbal book & I absolutely LOVE it!!!

[@LeeLynn-vq8yq]

Wonderful information, thank you so much! I was looking at that Bible front and center, and you did not disappoint on your presentation of it's value! Thank you for not being afraid to present the Word and the Gospel. God bless you!

[@NS-pf2zc]

Having stumbled through building a homestead that we then had to leave, and now building our new one...that bit about systems is just so so so important and we are trying (struggling?!) to get there. We do tend to jump into it all and learn from mistakes, but it is the harder way and I would highly suggest going the systems way the most. ETA: I just LOVE how you guys interact with one another. Your praise of each others strengths and your team approach exemplifies a loving and very cohesive marriage. It really shows and should be emulated. Your faith in God and your approach to life is obviously paramount and I just admire that so very much!

[@PirouettingFox]

You said exactly what I was feeling 😁

[@ashleyhall6287]

This was wonderful! I am going to be on the hunt for some of these. The Bible is absolutely our guidebook. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” God bless you guys and keep doing your good work!

[@TheSjlewis]

The same for us! Can't live without the word of God

[@shawnwesson1028]

you probably dont care at all but does any of you know of a method to get back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my password. I would appreciate any help you can give me!

[@ralphpaxton3634]

@Shawn Wesson Instablaster :)

[@shawnwesson1028]

@Ralph Paxton i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@shawnwesson1028]

@Ralph Paxton it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thanks so much you really help me out !

[@babyroot3479]

Congratulations on the upcoming podcast! That is very exciting news. I also wanted to say thank you SO MUCH for breaking down and time stamping your videos for quick reference. It's been absolutely invaluable and such a time saver for me. I always watch your videos in their entirety but often come back later to rewatch a particular section. Thanks again! ❤❤❤

[@dollyperry3020]

I'm so glad that you like my mama's book Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery. She felt so strongly about sharing the information that was being lost and she would have been so happy to know that you found those "gems".

[@12pointlife51]

I had one of the very first editions many years ago. A very sacrificial effort that we can all benefit from!

[@dollyperry3020]

@@12pointlife51 I'm so glad. The first subscribers were mom's inspiration and encouragers for the most part.

[@EchoCanyonRanch1]

@@dollyperry3020 How is Esther and family doing? We sure miss their videos!

[@dollyperry3020]

@@EchoCanyonRanch1 They are all doing well and I admit to missing their videos as well. But things shifted and Esther is working now and so no time to make videos. We can treasure the ones she made though...and hopefully there will be more books!

[@PirouettingFox]

🥰

[@tinkerlong4556]

Thank y’all for sharing your knowledge, your joy and your faith. Y’all are a constant inspiration to me and my family! I believe fully you’ll hear “Well done...” one day. ❤️

[@theresazelazny7445]

I love watching you two working together. Your presentation, content and smooth interaction shows us a wealth of valuable experience. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Thank you so much!

[@jbk1022]

Book that I love is “The Backyard Homestead” edited by Carleen Madigan. It gives you an idea what you can have base on size of your lot. Talks about the growing zones in USA; how to prepare your soil; planning out your garden; caring for your veggies, herbs, grain and fruit trees … plus preserving. It also covers how to start with animals from picking the right breed to butchering and preserving, as well as foraging some wild foods.

[@lisahenry1467]

The Little Britches series by Ralph Moody are a favorite at our house for non-fiction stories about Ralph’s family having a homestead and his creative ways of earning a living.

[@HerHealthyHome]

Homesteading: a backyard guide The backyard homestead The family garden plan is a great book for if you just need to get things on paper and need a template for planning.

[@BeccaS1]

I come back to this video time and time again! Thanks for making it!

[@amelia-ireneinpdx2613]

I don't know if you watch "Off Grid with Doug & Stacy", but in the last couple of moths they have done 3 videos with Dr Leo (can't remember lsst name) on bee keeping & most recently why you should stop using the tradional American bee hive & switch over to the European beehive. Dr Leo has written several books on bee keeping & if I were to get into it, that is who I'd be following for it. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to bees, not really afraid of them unless people around me are hitting the panic button, but don't want to risk getting stung... Dr Leo will be at Doug & Stacy's event in Hannibal, Missouri in August if you're interested.

[@ianemeseferry4022]

Thank you for not shying away from your faith! Looking forward to diving deeper into some of your favorites. Although child training and homeschooling wasn't touched on, would love to hear some of your favorites on those topics. I've truly enjoyed Elisabeth Elliot books, including The Shaping of a Christian Family.

[@elainesgroi1709]

Love your channel and especially the last Book you talked about! God Bless !!!!

[@lisalowe6922]

I LOVE how you put the Bible front and center. It was Very appropriate for the favorite books list. Here are a few verses that are not included in the Bible, but were received in a revelation in the 1800's: " As all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom, yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning even by study and also by faith; organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of honor, a house of God; That you incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, That all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High." As you gave your testimony of the Bible, I could hear all of these things from this verse. Indeed, the word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto my path.

[@jennifersinclair6044]

I'm surprised, as a builder, that no book along those lines was suggested. If nothing else, but bc nothing is possible on a homestead unless you have some building knowledge & hopefully some skills. Especially if you're starting off on raw land. If I may, I'd like to suggest the Hand Sculpted Home. Apologies I don't recall the authors names. But it's a fantastic way to get the creative juices flowing, but more importantly to show that almost anyone can build their own home. I find that, that the most daunting part of building a homestead for most ppl. That they think they can't afford it. That the conventional modern form of building is the only way. When in reality societies around the world have been building their own homes & homestead infrastructure for centuries & it's absolutely possible for us to do it today still, just as other cultures still do. It's knowledge that has almost been lost in western countries, I think. Preserving that knowledge is just as important as any other homesteading traditional knowledge, if not more important, in my opinion. Anywho, maybe that could be covered in a video at some point?...

[@kellygeraghty6830]

Encyclopedia of Country Living is my absolute favorite not only for homesteading but also for those who are peppers. Just a great book to have on hand.

[@melissanash6801]

Proud Homeschoolig family for 11 years! Looking forward to the pantry chat about that topic.

[@vestimisner6376]

Great Information! Thank you, what I love most is you guys sharing that coffee cup! That's love!! My husband and I do it all the time. Glad you two had a get away. God bless you and your family!!

[@kristina63076]

One of my favorite garden planning books is Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte. Companion planting, what plants help each other, how to get rid of certain pests, etc. I use it all the time. Every single year.

[@ANDRE-sp2mi]

Thank you for this video. I miss being outdoors and helping out restore the land. Appreciate your help

[@Kimberly-oo9dv]

Thank you for sharing these books; it is most helpful when you know a book will provide functional knowledge and not just lofty thoughts.

[@VibrantHolisticLifeCoach]

The Ball Blue Books are some of my go-to books as well. I also love Steve Solomons books for gardening.

[@ksay34]

Highly recommend The Nourishing Homestead by Ben Hewitt. Great book to gain inspiration and direction.

[@PatsyMellen]

Awesome library of books but the Bible is at the top of the list. God Bless you and your family.

[@MyLifeRefining]

REALLY great video! Thanks for sharing your favorite resource books from your library!

[@Beyondthisveil]

Thank you for not backing down or shying away from sharing the most important book in your arsenal of reading material. Too many folks are more concerned about what effect their declaration may have on their business if they show their connection to God and salvation in particular. I was so pleased I stumbled onto your KZbin channel last year; and, more importantly (not that I matter in your personal life) BUT as an older generation from you, I'm so proud to see how you are living. The amount of time you invest in each other, your children and even your parents / grandparents already is a huge testimony of your heart. You would almost have to be deaf and blind not to see where your guided from. So yes, you just sealed my level of respect for you and what you are doing. I will gladly continue to be part of this fine community.

[@DaraRich]

Love so much you mentioned the Bible as your favorite book and the base of all. Greetings from Germany!

[@HerHealthyHome]

I have two other ball books and I've used their recipes more than any other book. I love that they let me use less sugar and give you ways to spruce it up.

[@pamelaandrade6930]

Even though we are not Homesteaders, your videos take me back to a time when I was, in Australia. Thanks for your wonderful content and family videos.

[@szaffiforillo4538]

My husband introduced me to your channel and this was the first video I saw. I’m very impressed. Thank you for sharing your trusted resources. I’m planning to get some of these books. I just subscribed to your channel and looking forward to see more great content!

[@loriannryder6274]

I truly can't wait to see your video on homeschooling. I know it will be a little different as I'm in Canada but after noticing my son slipping through the cracks and not getting the assistance he needs I feel it would be a better fit for our family. Also I have a daughter who suffers from anxiety and since being out of school she has changed and blossomed so much. I think covid has not only opened my eyes but has bin a small blessing in connecting and helping my daughter. I hope you have a blessed day.

[@joanxox4191]

I have been homeschooling in Canada for 27 years. Most of the curriculum resources come from the US

[@aliciabeasley3379]

So glad you guys shared and included the Bible! I keep up with yall and enjoy all the videos!

[@sewfit4you219]

In addition to some of the books you have mentioned, I also use "Small -Batch Preserving" by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard.

[@waxingsustainable]

Well, my Amazon cart just grew! Thank you for the wonderful recommendations, and your boldness! God bless.

[@carolync4727]

just a suggestion, because amazon has literally put so many out of business and also deplatformed the president because they could, try as much as possible to buy on goodreads, thrift books, abe books and stuff like that. =)

[@tonibennett1397]

Home Food Systems by Rodale Press is excellent! Covers everything! Also, you can buy used books online with Thriftbooks App.

[@brightstarr57]

Very informative! And very nice that you included the Bible at the end! Thanks! 😊

[@grandknit1016]

Great chat today! Thank you for sharing all your "go-to" books! So excited about the upcoming podcast!!! Blessings

[@jonathansheard2561]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience guys. I love the fact you've put your Bible in the centre! Praise the Lord!!

[@JMK_Fam]

THANK YOU!!!! I listen while I milk the cows podcast will make it soooooo much easier

[@karenpelfrey6418]

Love this wealth of information and so happy to see you share the Bible as your favorite book.

[@connorflanagan9329]

You may already have one, but you should make an Amazon page, where you can add all of the books, tools and products that you use?

[@outdoorgal9602]

Looking forward to learning Permaculture. There is a Permaculture place near to where I am looking to by land. I am looking forward to learning from them.

[@pamedajoch]

Love the Encyclopedia of Country Living. I've read it through and refer to it regularly. Also love the Ellis Peters books! I have them all and have read them more than once.

[@cynthia5018]

BOOKS Highly Recommended: "The doable off - grid Homestead" by Stewart and Shannon Stonger "Eco - Farm" an acres U.S.A. Primer by Charles Walters "Will Bonsall's Essential Guide To Radical, Self - Reliant Gardening" by Will Bonsall "Herbal Home Health Care" by Dr. John R. Christopher "Herbs to the Rescue" Herbal First Aid Handbook by Kurt King, M. H. Thank You Josh and Carolyn for Sharing. The Lord Bless You and Your Family.

[@janyhollo2197]

Appreciate you SOOOOOO much. Have used so much of your information!! You are such great people!!

[@pamelaandrade6930]

BT w, the hose nozzles can be bought in Home Depot.

[@megmcginnis239]

Loved the Pantry chat. Amen on the Bible. Thanks for sharing. Some favorite books of our family are. KEEPING BEES WITH A SMILE-HORIZONTIAL HIVE METHOD BY DR. LEO, WINTER VEGETABLES BY CHARLES DOWDING, SEPP HOLZER'S PERMACULTER, BACK TO BACIS...ALL OF THE VOLUMES (OUR CHILDREN SPENT HOURS POURING OVER THESE BOOKS), and a fun one on sheep ADVENTURES IN YARN FARMING; FOUR SEASONS ON A NEW ENGLAND FIBER FARM BY BARBARA PARRY

[@ellenspn]

Agree with your choices. Emery’s book is invaluable and the cheese and dairy books are some of my favorite but my most used book by far is my study bible!

[@cynthia5018]

TRADITIONALLY FERMENTED FOODS by Shannon Stronger, YES, The BEST Fermented Foods Book EVER! LOVE IT!

[@melissastrutzel7265]

I would love it if you made a video on your favorite kids' books as well. Thanks for another great video. Your content is outstanding.

[@rhondawelker6742]

Thank you for sharing a lot of good information. You saved the best for last. 😃

[@sargefaria]

Great library indeed. Thought it was great that you saved the Best for last and was happy to see it and hear it mentioned

[@coltcash1123]

Foxfire Series, hands down best. If you havent read them, grab a copy of the first one. Its basically a group of high school kids that went into appalachia and interviewed older people. Its got eveything from detailed instructions on building a log cabin to building a still. Lots of entertaining stories. I just cant recomend them enough

[@amomto4]

I love Justin Rhodes' book "The Rooted Life" and Joel Salatin's "Folks this ain't normal"

[@rachelhcrumpacker3439]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! LOVED this information :) Can't wait for the podcast!!

[@franmoyer8527]

😮 I did not know they had a podcast! Which one is it, please?

[@mandythislovelypath3740]

A book you missed, or may not have, is Butchering by Adam Danforth. It is such a great resource and covers with detailed pictures and steps how to butcher sheep, chickens, goats, rabbits, etc. Thanks for this!

[@carolhamilton5164]

I have Carla Emery’s book. I so wanted the original when she first started mimeographing it. I had young children at the time and animals and a huge garden (about an acre) plus foraged for berries and cherries etc. I have a later version. I also used to watch her daughters KZbin The Fouch Family off Grid. Unfortunately the stopped their channel. Can’t use Pomona’s because a of corn allergy.

[@marycoffin642]

Brother Cadfael is my hero!

[@marygallagher3428]

A "rare Benedictine" indeed ;-)

[@thegoodoldways]

Thank you for this curated list. Wow.

[@patbauer2108]

Do you have a written list of these books? It was hard to catch the authors names. What an awesome list of resources! Thank you for sharing them and your comments about how they helped you. Love your permaculture study first suggestion to make all you do efficient. Thanks for your videos and teaching on how you do life. So happy hearing God / Bible is daily family time. We need to bring God back to our government, schools and families!

[@HomesteadingFamily]

Yes, on our blog www.homesteadingfamily.com and in the description

[@EricaD61]

BOOKS!!! My favourite subject! Great array of books. I havent heard of any of them. Some are probably difficult to get in Australia atm. Really keen to check some of them out. Thanks😍😍

[@organoworm3146]

Loved that, and loved seeing a few books I already have! The Bible is definitely number 1 and I also love the farming insights into the past through the parables. x

[@jimmcintyre4390]

Somehow I had not heard of Brother Cadfael. So excited!

[@brittanyrowley3762]

Do you think you will show us cheese making now that you're back in milk?

[@HomesteadingFamily]

We're getting a few more dairy videos filmed! :)

[@brittanyrowley3762]

@@HomesteadingFamily Oh yay! And maybe some of those dairy ones include cheese? 😊😉😁😍 I'm seriously so very excited to find out! ❤ please say yes!?

[@TheHornbrookGirls]

Thank you so much for your videos. I always am so encouraged!! We are new to homesteading. It's a new journey for our family and we couldn't be more excited about it. Your videos are so helpful as we learn a new way of living.

[@n.watson8497]

Love the recommendations, and especially the last one! I just ordered the First Cadfael ominbus edition. Looking forward to it. Thanks!

[@12pointlife51]

Glad to know someone else enjoyed A Year In Provence!

[@monicag.1527]

Great video! Have been waiting for you two to share your favorite books 😁

[@morginhammer1118]

Great video! I love Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions". I love your channel and all the info you share!

[@dentonduoboys4760]

I have my grandmothers copy of Carla Emery's Encyclopedia. A few weeks ago my husband hit a snake with the lawn mower and so my 7 yr old son and I went and got the book from the shelf to learn how to clean and skin a snake. (Plus I like that she too is from Idaho!) Shelly

[@honorshearing2821]

Love you guys. will purchase some of the books. I am just starting my fermenting journey. Have kept chickens before (the foxes got them) but will start again when I move house soon. I already have my Bible. Thank you from leafy Surrey in south east England. May God keep you and protect you and your family.

[@cynthia5018]

PRAISE THE LORD! "THE BIBLE" FOR IT IS HE ALONE WHICH SUSTAINS US!

[@rosemarymusser3663]

Loved this topic. I am a book lover & have several of the books you mentioned. Look forward to all your videos!!

[@JoySkydancer]

May I suggest: Grow Your Own Drugs by James Wong. His ginger chicken shiitake mushroom soup has cured every cold I've had. The other inspiring Permaculture book (along with their videos) is Miraculous Abundance by Perrine & Charles Herve-Gruyer.(subtitle: One quarter acre, two French farmers, and enough food to feed the world.) And YES to Ben Falk! Thanks for your inspiring channel.

[@kmapel529]

I LOVE this pantry chat! And I too am looking forward to the podcast! Thank you

[@dr_bullseye]

Thanks, have started buying these! Bible is #1!

[@gingerw7850]

Bee keeping- what book would you recomend for an absolute beginner

[@glory3670]

Carla Emery book - my intro to dreaming. I love that book.

[@davinakoehn2049]

Thanks for this video. I’m a book lover and this was very useful information for me. I love getting people’s favorite book recommendations. I have book shelves everywhere and find I need another bookshelf for my growing library. 😁

[@Mrs.Patriot]

Hentopia is a good one for some tips on chicken systems that allow freedom for the chicken keeper. Thanks for this video! I love books!

[@abbyb6741]

This was incredibly helpful!!! I have a couple of these and now I know what to add next. I would love to see more book reviews from you (since you mentioned you had a hard time narrowing it down)

[@ΝΙΚΗΦΡΑΓΚΟΥ]

Thank you for saring your experience..in Greece searching for homesteading books unfortunately they are not many choises and total are old books..

[@Make.it.yourself]

Love that you included the Bible ❤

[@KylaMattonOsborne]

I discovered the Cadfael books through the TV series on PBS, years ago. Thanks for reminding me about this series of books. I really would like to start at book one!

[@Leo-qp9um]

Thank you guys for your wonderful channel and I really enjoy it. What I am about to say is merely a suggestion and definitely not a criticism. I think your presentation would be much better if you look directly at us/camera and less looking at each other....thank you.

[@sweetjaybaby]

🌹Great Video 📚 I absolutely love this video! 👩🏻‍🌾

[@terrytillman5715]

Great list of books! There were many I had never heard of and was very interested in. My only frustration with this video was that a book was presented with the title and author, then you talked about what was in the book but did not repeat the title and author at the end. The thing is I did not know if I wanted to read the book until you said what was in it, but then if it did pique my interest, I had to go back and find where you initially gave the title and author. Just repeating the title and author at the end of each description would have helped a lot, or if you'd held it up for us to see WHILE you were still talking about it. Otherwise, very informative video.

[@carriechambless]

Great info. Thanks for sharing your ideas and experiences. And yes, I agree, the absolute greatest book of all time is the Bible. Blessings to you and your family.

[@BootsandBountyHomestead]

Omg, lots of great information. I honestly dislike reading, just the type of person I am, but I'm getting better. I have gardened all my life but have gotten into many other methods and ideas of gardening since getting into my 30s. I am building my knowledge now with an acre that I have maxed out to prepare myself for many acres in our next home in the near future. That's for the helpful information, my amazon wish lost just got longer, lol. Thanks again!!!

[@marciakolacki1670]

Just found your website. It's so interesting what your doing. Love the recipes for colds etc. Are you going to do a book on herbal remedies etc. The old fashioned ways are soooo wonderful. Love your stuff. Thanks for what your doing. Love it. Your Herbals best.

[@kelleygrantham2071]

Thanks so much for doing what you do and sharing it! Mother Earth is crying out for people like you. I hope this channel and your other resources is welcoming to all religions because the information you’re sharing is so important to all humanity. Blessed Be!

[@frostybuttercupsllc]

Extremely helpful!! Thank you!

[@shaunaferguson6102]

This was wonderful thank you for sharing! I especially appreciate the "last" (but first) book, thank you! 😘

[@RockinGFarm]

the Bible was the 3rd book I saw on your table. I smiled! What church are you affiliated with? My father is a Retired Nazarene pastor.

[@minze2001]

Bible #1

[@Wendybil1]

My Bible is by far my favorite (66) books! Thank you for putting it on top of your list