My Top 10 Book List on Self Sufficiency

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that the majority of those in the sustainability community that might have a thing for books. I'm not sure why but it just seems they go hand in hand. So as a fellow bibliophile I want to share with you my favorite reading list on the subject of self-reliant homesteading. This certainly isn't a complete list, I'm sure many of you would have several to add to this list but I wanted to make a sort of top 10 books that I have felt gave me a better insight or maybe inspired me in the subject of permaculture. 

These are listed in no particular order. I have provided links to Amazon for each of these but I am making no money if you choose to buy from them thanks to a recent law passed in my state. Hope you enjoy. 

1. Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition. This is a widely well known book and was originally published as a Readers Digest book. This covers a wide variety of subjects regarding family homestead life and even though it doesn't delve deep into each I highly recommend this one. I'm pretty sure this is the book that sparked the self-sufficient fire in me. This one is also recommended by several of my friends. 

2. Country Wisdom & Know How. This book has been around about a decade but is already a classic. It's actually part of a series of books on the subject and covers over 200 topics. This is a great book and series for your library. 

3. One Acre & Security: How to Live Off the Earth Without Ruining It. This book was originally printed about 40 years ago by a then well know survivalist and back to earth proponent. This is really a great book for those looking for ideas on living self-sufficiently but yet not primitive survival. The author covers a lot including what to look for in that secluded property that's still not too far from the city. 

4. The Self-Reliant Homestead: A Book of Country Skills. This is one I wouldn't want to be without. It's detailed and yet easy to read much like a text book. This book really covers a lot of info and I highly recommend this one. 

5. The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe Book. Many consider this the homesteaders bible. This is one of the first books I purchased on the subject. The author updates and comes out with news editions ever few years. There is so much information in this book, I learn something new every time I pick it up. This is a great reference book to have around the house to quickly look up the answer to that homesteading question. 

6. Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management. This book was originally published in 1935 and has been revised several times but don't be dismayed on the age, there is a reason it is still being published. This book is a pretty low cost but important addition to your library. It's interesting because of the age it does give some insight into the old ways of doing things. 

7. Self Sufficiency for the 21st Century. Another great book and with some modern insight. There is a lot of information here and it is good whether you are living in the country of finding your self sufficiency in the city. A great addition to your library. 

8. Homesteading: A Backyard Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More. From the author of Back to Basics this is a more in depth guide in the same series. Great full color illustrations and very practical information. Great for beginners or the experienced. 

9. The Modern Homestead Manual. This was written by a husband and wife team that has many years of experience in building a homestead from scratch. There is a lot of good advice here even how to build relationships with neighbors. A very easy to read writing style. I believe it was published in small numbers so it may be difficult to come by a copy but it's worth it. 

10. Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. This one comes recommended by my friend Jessie. It talks more about the mentality of survival and sustainability and comes highly recommended by her. 

Well that's my top ten book list. I also want to list some magazines I would recommend if you are into subscriptions. There are a growing number out there and many are good but I want to highlight three that I feel are the best. 

1. Countryside & Small Stock Journal. This magazine has been around almost a century and before the advent of the internet it was the best way to communicate and network with others living the country life. This still is probably my favorite. All of the articles are from the readers and unlike a lot of magazines it's mostly articles and not a lot of advertising. I love reading these over and over again. 

2. Mother Earth News. By far the most popular magazine on this subject but still it is one of the best. Lots of beautiful pictures and great, helpful articles. They also put out several special editions every year with tons of great information. 

3. Back Woods Home Magazine. A lesser know publication but a very good one. This is for the serious homesteader. A lot of great information on just about every aspect of living off the land. I love every issue. 

Well that wraps up my lists. I hope they were helpful and maybe a good starting place for you to begin filling up your self-sufficient living library. Let me know what your favorites are. 

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Free Education and Building Sustainable Communities

So a free education, sounds nice doesn't it? We've all heard to term used. Some may embrace it, others feel it's a right while other cringe at the term but learning for free just might be a good thing. Now before I go further I have to come clean. In not talking about the kind of education you get in a brick building or on a maze filled campus. I'm not talking about devoting years of your life for a piece of paper that gives you a slight chance for a little higher wage, maybe. I'm talking about something different, very different and yet kind of the same. I'm talking about a community of learning and sharing knowledge. I'm talking about a Free School or as some call it, Free Skool. 

I have written about this in the past and if you've read much of anything I've written you know I talk a lot about building strong communities. Some of those communities can be your neighbors, those living geographically close and those across the world but are friends of the same mindset. Strong communities are vital to sustainable independence. Having others to help, share, enjoy and learn from is a very important aspect of sustainable living sometimes forgotten about. Strong communities of devoted people with a common goal will help each individual gain more independence and further a sustainable lifestyle. So how do free skools fit in? They are the hubs for these communities. They are where we come together to learn, share and build together. 

So what is a free skool? Well there are many different definitions and many people do them differently with different goals and agendas but in my mind they are really a community calendar of events and classes where we come together and share our lives, our knowledge, our wisdom and our experiences. A free skool event can be many different things, maybe a class or a lecture, a group workday, volunteer day, social gathering or many other things that a group might do together. Most, usually have a monthly calendar and people in the group volunteer to teach, coordinate or host an event or class which is open to the public. We are all students and we are all teachers. I tell my children all of the time that learning doesn't stop when you graduate. I believe continually learning and growing is our purpose as a species. 

So if you want to build a strong community. If you want to bring people together that desire a sustainable and even self-sufficient life one of the best ways to get that started is to be involved in a free skool. It spans all religious, political and philosophical lines. It brings people together to simply learn and share. Free skools help you learn from the more experienced and share your wisdom with others. 

They are easy to start, just begin by putting the word out in your community. Maybe gather a few friends. Pick a place, date and subject and start letting everyone you know about it. Social networks are great for spreading the word. Libraries work good for classrooms. As you grow encourage others to be involved to talk about what they know. Soon you'll have a calendar filled with gardening class, kombucha for beginners, kitchen DIY, mechanics, book clubs, philosophy hour, basic plumbing, natural building construction, hooping, yoga, solar cooking and much, much more.

 Be open to what ever someone might have knowledge about. The possibilities are endless. Then one day you'll look around at the many people involved and see so much diversity and yet a strong community of friends. You see a sustainable community isn't just a city block of like minded people or a commune in the countryside. A sustainable community is people coming together, working together and learning together to build a better, more harmonious tomorrow. 

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