So you’re ready to live the good life, are you? Well, you’ve come to the right place. There are many resources available to help you learn about homesteading about living self-sufficiently, and homesteading books are a great place to start.
As a young farmer, I have worked on a variety of farms and homesteads over the years. I studied sustainable agriculture at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor Maine and live my life by the principles I’ve learned. Over the years, I’ve collected a lot of knowledge of farming and food systems and a lot of favorite botanical books.
The Best Homesteading Books
There are dozens of homesteading books available on the market today. Which ones are the best? And which should you trust? In my time as a homesteader and a food systems student, here are my favorite homesteading books I’ve collected over the years.
The Self-Sufficient Life and How To Live It, by John Seymour
With the new edition of the best-selling guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about homesteading life. In The Self-Sufficient Life and How To Live It, Seymour gives you step-by-step instructions on how to do everything from chopping wood to raising chickens to harvesting energy from the sun. There’s a good reason this book is so popular in the homesteading world!
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery
My personal favorite out of these homesteading books is The Encyclopedia of Country Living. In this detailed guide, Emery gives you all the information you need and more to live a more sustainable, holistic life, even in uncertain times. This book has been a staple on the shelves of homesteaders for over 50 years and still remains to be a best-seller. Get this book and see why we all love it so much!
The Woodland Homestead, by Brett McLeod
If you live on a wooded lot, The Woodland Homestead is a great pick for you. Learn about foresty, tools, fruit trees, silvopasture, woodworking, maple sugaring, and so much more. No matter how much of your land is wooded, McLeod will open your mind to all of the ways you can work with it to live a more sustainable lifestyle. This book is a staple for every woodland homesteader.
The Resilient Farm and Homestead, by Ben Falk
We’re living in uncertain times. Although homesteading allows us to live more sustainability and self-sufficiently, there are ways to better fortify our land. With The Resilient Farm and Homestead in hand, you’ll learn how to use permaculture to create more resilience on your farm or homestead. Not only is this one of the best homesteading books available, but it’s also an amazing guide to permaculture, soil, agroforestry, and more.
Back to the Basics, by Abigail R. Gehring
If you have a million ideas for things to do on your homestead, this book is for you. In Back to the Basics, not only will you learn about homesteading basics, but you will learn about so many niche crafts. Learn to dye wool, make soap, weave, carve, graft, and so much more. This book is for all the creatives who want to learn how to do everything.
The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan
Only have a little bit of space to start your homestead? Not a problem. Madigan in their book The Backyard Homestead will help you transform your backyard–no matter the size–into a self-sufficient paradise. Paired with wonderful illustrations and how-to guides, this book will teach you how to grow veggies and grains, raise chickens and goats, preserve your harvest, and more–whether you’re in the middle of the woods of the middle of suburbia.
The Foxfire Series, by Eliot Wigginton and his students
In the 1960s, Wigginton and his students began the Foxfire series. In this collection, you will find information on a wide range of traditional skills. There are 12 foxfire books total, including The Foxfire Book, Foxfire 2, Foxfire 3, Foxfire 4, Foxfire 5, Foxfire 6, Foxfire 7, Foxfire 8, Foxfire 9, Foxfire 10, Foxfire 11, and Foxfire 12. With these books, you’ll learn about the heart of homesteading.
Niche Homesteading Books
Although there are lots of excellent thorough homesteading guides available, sometimes, you need something more specific. Luckily, I have compiled this homesteading book list complete with many niche homesteading books. If you want to learn about growing mushrooms, root cellaring, raising chickens, cider making, rainwater harvesting, grazing, beekeeping, sugarmaking, natural building, cheesemaking, and so much more, you should check out my homesteading book list on Bookshop.
Summary: Homesteading Books
There is an abundance of homesteading books available to help you live the good life. Books that cover a wide range of topics–from permaculture and woodland homesteading to maple sugaring, rainwater harvesting, and more.
Have you read any of these books? Do you have more suggestions for good homesteading books? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to hear them!
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