The Weekend Homesteader: A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency

Weekend Homesteader #1-12

by Anna Hess

Whether you want to live off the grid in a fully self-sufficient way, or just turn your backyard into your own small homestead, here is advice on backyard chicken care, how to plant a no-till garden that heals the soil, composting, canning, and much more.

The Weekend Homesteader is organized by month—so whether it’s January or June you’ll find exciting, quick-to-do projects that allow you to start your own homestead without getting overwhelmed. If you need to fit homesteading into a few hours each weekend and would like to have fun while doing it, these projects will be right up your alley, whether you live on a forty-acre farm, a postage-stamp lawn in suburbia, or a high rise.

Permaculture techniques will turn your homestead into a vibrant ecosystem and attract native pollinators while converting our society's waste into high-quality compost and mulch. Meanwhile, enjoy the fruits of your labor right away as you learn the basics of cooking and eating seasonally, then preserve homegrown produce for later by drying, canning, freezing, or simply filling your kitchen cabinets with storage vegetables.

As you become more self-sufficient, you'll save seeds, prepare for power outages, and tear yourself away from a full-time job, while building a supportive and like-minded community. You won't be completely eliminating your reliance on the grocery store, but you will be plucking low-hanging (and delicious!) fruits out of your own garden by the time all forty-eight projects are complete.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference, Food, Nature, Self Help, Green

368 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2012

About the author

Anna Hess dreamed about moving back to the land ever since her parents dragged her off their family farm at the age of eight. She worked as a field biologist and nonprofit organizer before acquiring fifty-eight acres and a husband, then quit her job to homestead full time. She admits that real farm life involves a lot more hard work than her childhood memories entailed, but the reality is much more fulfilling and she loves pigging out on sun-warmed strawberries and experimenting with no-till gardening, mushroom propagation, and chicken pasturing.

She also enjoys writing about the adventures, both on her blog at WaldenEffect.org, and in her books. Her first paperback, The Weekend Homesteader, helped thousands of homesteaders-to-be find ways to fit their dreams into the hours leftover from a full-time job. The Naturally Bug-Free garden, which suggests permaculture techniques of controlling pest invertebrates in the vegetable garden, is due out in spring 2015 from Skyhorse Publishing. In addition, a heaping handful of ebooks serve a similar purpose.

(As a side note, I use Goodreads more as a personal way of keeping track of the books I read than as a way to share the books I write. If you're here to learn about me as an author, check out my gardening-homesteading shelf and ignore all the fluff. You can also drop by www.wetknee.com for my authorial musings.)

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be an excellent and thought provoking book even though I'm deeply unlikely to make practical use of any of the interesting advice. I am an urban dweller with a small amount of space to work with and an HOA that bans everything from garden sheds and dog houses to clothes lines. My gardening is mostly of the container variety and even if I could sneak a chicken coop or bee hive past my HOA my houseful of rescued PET rabbits is evidence enough that yes, I would be that person running a retirement home for old hens. Still, this book pleasantly combines the author's personal journey into homesteading with practical projects that I can appreciate and enjoy learning about, such as seeding mushroom logs, even when those projects exceed my bandwidth. And hey, I'm inspired to finally put in those rain barrels I've wanted for the last decade! More than anything else I appreciated the thoughtful exercises on being present in your world, knowing yourself (don't grow lettuce if what you really love are beets, even if beets are "harder") and making decisions from that place. That's good advice no matter how small or urban your homestead!

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most homesteader books make me feel overwhelmed and frustrated. This one is nice because is goes by month, throughout the year with tasks, rated by difficulty. Some are easy, some hard but I feel I'm able to pick a choose, make mistakes and chug along as I please. For example, a garden has always seemed so overwhelming and too much work, however Anna gives you an easy no fuss way to convert a simple strip into a garden YOU can manage.

[Toni Okamoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I chose to read this book, I thought it was for someone who wanted to learn more about self-sufficiency while still holding a full-time job. I thought it'd be written for someone who wanted to be a "Weekend Homesteader." This is not the case. It often discusses leaving behind "the rat race," and a lot of what the author discusses considers more of the financial investment than one of time. For example, she talks about dumpster diving to save money. I'm definitely not above taking something out of the trash to save money and for the environmental benefit (and I've definitely done it before), but at this point in my life, I don't have much time to sift through street piles.

With that said, there are a few things I appreciated. I'm voraciously reading through gardening books, so it was nice to hear her perspective. A lot of her schedule doesn't apply to me, though, since I'm in a very warm climate. Still, it's nice to read her style of methods for planting.

She also inspired me to start sun drying our clothing, and to become more prepared for possible power outages. While I was reading this, many of my friends in Texas were without power in the freezing cold. Like us, they're used to preparing for the heat and not freezing temperatures, so I followed a lot of her advice for preparing, and I even bought solar flashlights.

All in all, it was a quick read. If, like me, you're new to learning about homesteading and self-sufficiency, you might take something away from this book. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars, but I'm rounding up.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is hinted at by the title, this book is geared more towards someone who is starting out with homesteading and isn’t doing it full time. The 12-month guide to self-sufficiency line is a little misleading as you won’t be self-sufficient in 12 months even if you utilize all of the ideas in this book. It’s more of a guide to help you get started with some of the basics of homesteading. Projects are broken down into (for the most part) weekend-sized plans.

In addition, the book feels more geared towards someone in the city or suburbs rather than someone living in the country. Not all project ideas will work in every area which is true of most books as most authors will write about what they know. This book focuses on more mellow climates that experience mild winters with regular rainfall. The little quick hoops would be blown away by our windstorms and crushed by snowstorms in areas a little further north.

All that said, it’s still a good book for those starting out. It has a lot of great ideas. You just may need to ignore the months and go by what works in your area instead. It is an overview, so when you find an idea or plan that you like, you’ll want to find a more in-depth book to help you truly incorporate it into your homestead.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this book! Exactly a year after starting it. Whoa. Lots of good ideas. But I’m not sure how well some of her suggestions would work in Sask. I’d like a Canadian cold version, where planting “early” outdoors can’t possibly mean February or March. In any case, I’m inspired.

[Anna]

I'm not going to rate my own book, but I just got my hands on a real, physical copy, and I'm very impressed by how beautifully the layout turned out! I hope the rest of you enjoy it as much as I do. :-)

[Alisa Kester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Great tone, and the projects were nearly all things I am either trying to do, or at least thinking about doing. Her section on growing mushrooms made me realize I absolutely need to add that one to the list!

[Mendocino County Library]

"A good year-round read. It’s got it all: Recipes, food, herbs, gardens and more. If you want to learn to be more self-sufficient, this would be a great guide." – Ukiah Staff Recommended

[Rachel Cunning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book from the local library looking for some helpful tips that I could implement in my own suburban homestead. I certainly did pick up some useful tips, and I implemented a few of the techniques she used, particularly the kill mulch. She breaks down the possible tasks on a month by month basis, so it can be a useful book to have on your shelf for a longer duration than a library loan. For me, the book's content ranged from "yeah, done this a gazillion times" to "wow, that sounds great/difficult; I'd love to try that!" There's something for most levels of homesteaders in the book, even if I found myself skimming sections on how to cook a chicken and how to use a water-bath canner. At the same time, I must confess, I still find the idea of testing my soil's acidity level entirely more unnerving than I'd like to admit even if I think I could manage it following her instructions. The book is clear and concise, and I enjoyed her tone and writing style.

[Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most homesteading books will gather the complaint that they aren't detailed enough due to the number of concepts they try to tackle. While that usually is true, most homesteading books are equally guilty here. The Weekend Homesteader breaks things up into very small sections and seems much less focused then other homesteading books. This book seems to cover more topics and in less detail. Additionally, while some of the material in other books seems not too useful to me (animal husbandry and soap/candle/cheesemaking are less important to me than gardening) I can usually concede its usefulness to others. This book sometimes includes topics so basic (like making soup) that makes me question who the audience is for. I would assume most people will know how to make soup before they make the leap to self-sufficiency.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that this book provided a lot of useful information on a variety of garden topics and enough details to be helpful (I feel like I could do the projects she described). Some of the suggestions were eye-rolling-ly out-of-touch, though, especially regarding "just simplify your lifestyle and you can quit your day job" type thinking. The cost of health insurance alone will keep most American families shackled to a day job, especially when we have kids. And it's "super fun" trying to hang an entire family's clothes to dry (even indoors) when we have week after week of blizzards keeping things cold and damp. At least she recognizes that not everyone will want to follow all the suggestions in the book.

P.S. I've bought bulk food many times from LDS food storage centers, and no one has ever asked if I'm a member, so it's probably a resource anyone can use if they're near one.

[Taylor's♡Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended for: men and women that are interested in making their livelihood from home.
Remarks: despite the title, this book is not for people with full-time jobs that are interested in making their families slightly more self-sufficient. This book involves full-blown husbandry from growing fields of vegetables to raising livestock (things you can't do merely on your weekends off). On the other hand, I would recommend this book for stay-at-home moms and families that need a secondary income but want to stay home with their children.

[Krista D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book I test drove from the library and I'll be buying this one. Realistically, the "one year" plan is more like a decade long plan for me, with plenty of these things on my hard no list. But it has a lot of "next step" things I'm interested in to increase my gardening and make use of my space. I'm going to get this in ebook, though, because the print book was really difficult for me to read (font choice, font size, glossy pages).

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners

Having researched the subject extensively and begun to wet my feet with homesteading endeavors, I can honestly say this is one of the best newbie guides I've read. The calendar format Hess chose is perfect for making season appropriate suggestions for projects so the tasks don't feel like an overwhelming list. Love the detailed information on composting and soil science; definitely whet my appetite for reading further.

[Felicity Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

No theory, all action guide to 1 year as a weekend homesteader

I loved this book! I've recently read a lot of theory or big-picture garden books, so it was a delight to pick up a book that went straight into practical, step by step projects. Organizing the material by month made it very easy to follow. And, I liked that as the book goes on, there are non-garden projects that layv the foundation for more homesteading if desired.

[Bill DeYoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, warm and honest approach to developing homestead skills. Best parts are about cheerful self-sufficiency and maintaining positive attitude to complete today's chores knowing you get to do it again tomorrow. I have followed Anna Hess at "waldeneffect"; my wife and I have been homesteading 14 years and I made several pages of notes to improve our farm. I greatly appreciate this well-organized book to help me prime my pump of happiness.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was just thinking the other day that there was a book I had read, or started, that was divided into months and had to do with gardening and the like... and this was it!
For a newbie like me, it was a great read and I took notes the whole time. 🤓 Now I just have to put those notes into practice.... 😅

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely instructional if you want to learn to be more self-sufficient. There are forty-eight activities that walk you through growing your own food, incorporating animals into your homestead (if you're interested in that), and other how-to information on raising your own food and becoming more sustainable and self-sufficient. Detailed instructions are provided for each activity.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly written book. You can skip to the right month so you can actually do something right now. I decided thanks to this book, that none of this is for me, but that I will try to plant and grow a few herbs in a pot instead.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an avid gardener, day in and day out give me sunshine and flowers, this book reminds me of the sixties, I am afraid homesteading and "gardening" are just not meshing well for me, I am into the pretty, I do all the same hard work, but aesthetically this book could not be more divergent.

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

organising garden/farm/kitchen tasks by time of year instead of by subject is a great idea. i also liked that projects had clear time and cost estimates to help you pick which one to tackle on a weekend. hess divides big projects (like starting a chicken flock) into weekend-sized chunks over a few months to help make them achievable. timing is everything in the garden and i need to keep consulting this book across the months!

[Juli Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The organization of this book is a bit scatter-shot, in my opinion, but the projects, which range from the practical (dehydrate produce in your car) to the esoteric (learn to like hanging out with yourself), are pretty interesting.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and thorough for the range of topics it covers. Full of helpful pictures and graphs for visual learners. It is set up to be read over a year, however, I read it over a few days and took notes on what I wanted to remember since I just checked it out from the library.

[Bree Sotirovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

originally borrowed from the library. there is so much information that I have to buy it. It is broken down into months for chapters so I need to be able to look at multiple times throughout the year.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep referencing the book so I know it’s a keeper. I appreciate that each month also includes when you would take on that project in the southern hemisphere. It’s a worthwhile, relevant, and practical introduction to the topic.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great, practical, and INSPIRING guide to starting homesteading, with very realistic projects and goals. I will be utilizing it the next time we have a yard.

[Rosemary Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for newbies

Great for newbies or armchair homestead dreamers. Good reference book and nice gift for someone who wants to homestead in the future.

[Erin Maynard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too basic for me.

[Chrissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you lived in Virginia, this book would be great. I, however, do not. It has a lot of great ideas as a jumping off point but would need to be heavily adapted elsewhere.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed to see if it was something I wanted to add to my collection. Reads like an extended blog post. Not bad, just not the reference book I was hoping for.