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The Five-Year Guide to Self-Sufficiency: Simple Living Made Simpler
For decades, Americans have embraced the consumer mindset and ignored the consequences of their inaction. Now, however, with prices rising and more chemicals than foods in the grocery store, families are starting to take notice. The return to sustainable living is long overdue, but many are so intimidated by the amount of work involved that they never even start.
The Five-Year Guide to Self-Sufficiency follows a logical progression to move your homestead forward every year in an organized and affordable manner. Over the course of five years, you will learn how to get the most from your land, whether it be half an acre or 100. You'll grow everything from a basic garden bed to a fruitful orchard, pick from a wide variety of livestock ranging from chickens to alpacas, and lead a simpler life with less reliance on fossil fuels.
The road may be long and arduous, but there's no need to overwhelm yourself. By taking everything at a rational pace, you too can remove yourself from a meaningless culture and improve your quality of life one day at a time.
The Five-Year Guide to Self-Sufficiency follows a logical progression to move your homestead forward every year in an organized and affordable manner. Over the course of five years, you will learn how to get the most from your land, whether it be half an acre or 100. You'll grow everything from a basic garden bed to a fruitful orchard, pick from a wide variety of livestock ranging from chickens to alpacas, and lead a simpler life with less reliance on fossil fuels.
The road may be long and arduous, but there's no need to overwhelm yourself. By taking everything at a rational pace, you too can remove yourself from a meaningless culture and improve your quality of life one day at a time.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2012
26 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 5, 2019
I liked it --3.5 stars. the author doesn't try to make you panic -- she's just like "yeah if you really want to be self sufficient start small and don't panic the world isn't going to end right away".
Year one is intro to basic gardening and easy plants. Year two is expanding gardening and orchards, keeping small animals like chickens and rabbits, and exploring alternative energy and water purification. Year three is advanced gardening, goats, more varieties of fowl, food preserving, and hunting/fishing. Year four is more alternative energy, gardening technique, more and larger varieties of livestock, bees, candle and soap making, clothing/quilting, and housekeeping without manufactured cleaners. Year 5 is more into the extreme end of self sufficiency, with cereals in the garden, enough alt energy to provide power for a household, and basic animal husbandry you would provide yourself were a vet unable to do so.
A very simple book to read, and easy to follow at your own speed as far as you want to go. More of a "great depression get-readyer" than "doomsday prepper".
Year one is intro to basic gardening and easy plants. Year two is expanding gardening and orchards, keeping small animals like chickens and rabbits, and exploring alternative energy and water purification. Year three is advanced gardening, goats, more varieties of fowl, food preserving, and hunting/fishing. Year four is more alternative energy, gardening technique, more and larger varieties of livestock, bees, candle and soap making, clothing/quilting, and housekeeping without manufactured cleaners. Year 5 is more into the extreme end of self sufficiency, with cereals in the garden, enough alt energy to provide power for a household, and basic animal husbandry you would provide yourself were a vet unable to do so.
A very simple book to read, and easy to follow at your own speed as far as you want to go. More of a "great depression get-readyer" than "doomsday prepper".
June 17, 2016
A good place to start...
The author has a great idea on how to develop a plan for self-sufficiency, but I think it would have been better to set up ,ore like a guide with each subject taking a section which can be easily found and read. It is obvious that much research was done for the making of this book. I would have liked to see a better balance (there is more information on canning food then there is on alternative energy). It is a great read non the less, and wet the whistle for wanting more information that must be found from other sources. Don't let my review detour you.. It is as I said a good place to start.
The author has a great idea on how to develop a plan for self-sufficiency, but I think it would have been better to set up ,ore like a guide with each subject taking a section which can be easily found and read. It is obvious that much research was done for the making of this book. I would have liked to see a better balance (there is more information on canning food then there is on alternative energy). It is a great read non the less, and wet the whistle for wanting more information that must be found from other sources. Don't let my review detour you.. It is as I said a good place to start.
February 5, 2014
Covered all the basics, and then some.
Amelia covered all the basics in The Five Year Guide to Self-Sufficiency. I feel like I have a good understanding of what to expect when simplifying my life, and what areas need much more study.
I borrowed this book from Amazon Prime, but am going to purchase it to add to my collection of reference books.
Thanks Amelia!
Amelia covered all the basics in The Five Year Guide to Self-Sufficiency. I feel like I have a good understanding of what to expect when simplifying my life, and what areas need much more study.
I borrowed this book from Amazon Prime, but am going to purchase it to add to my collection of reference books.
Thanks Amelia!
December 26, 2013
This is a great book for beginners like me. Instead of throwing out all the things you COULD do, overwhelming the reader with information, Barrows provides a roadmap for how to ease into a different lifestyle. I will probably never do half the things in here, but it would be nice!
January 6, 2019
Free Kindle ebook. Outline for creating a simpler life. Useful info.
December 11, 2014
Good beginning for anyone who wants to establish a self sustaining homestead.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews