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The Nourishing Homestead: One Back-to-the-Land Family’s Plan for Cultivating Soil, Skills, and Spirit
A practiculture way to grow nutrient-dense food, produce healthy fats, and live the good life
The Nourishing Homestead tells the story of how we can create truly satisfying, permanent, nourished relationships to the land, nature, and one another.
The Hewitts offer practical ways to grow nutrient-dense food on a small plot of land, and think about your farm, homestead, or home as an ecosystem. Much of what the Hewitts have come to understand and embrace about their lives of deep nourishment is informed by their particular piece of land and local community in northern Vermont, but what they have gleaned is readily transferable to any place—whether you live on 4 acres, 40 acres, or in a 400-square-foot studio apartment.
Ben and Penny (and their two sons) maintain copious gardens, dozens of fruit and nut trees and other perennial plantings, as well as a pick-your-own blueberry patch. In addition to these cultivated food crops, they also forage for wild edibles, process their own meat, make their own butter, and ferment, dry, and can their own vegetables. Their focus is to produce nutrient-dense foods from vibrant, mineralized soils for themselves and their immediate community. They are also committed to sharing the traditional skills that support their family, helping them be self-sufficient and thrive in these uncertain times.
Much of what the Hewitts are attempting on their homestead is to close the gaps that economic separation has created in our health, spirit, and skills. Ben uses the term “practiculture” to describe his family’s work with the land—a term that encompasses the many practical life skills and philosophies they embody to create a thriving homestead, including raw-milk production, soil remediation, wildcrafting, Weston A. Price principles, bionutrient-dense farming, permaculture, agroforestry, traditional Vermont hill farming, and more. The Nourishing Homestead also includes information on deep nutrition, the importance of good fats, and integrating children into the work of a homestead.
The Hewitts’ story is reminiscent of The Good Life, by Helen and Scott Nearing, and is sure to inspire a new generation of homesteaders, or anyone seeking a simpler way of life and a deeper connection to the world.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2015
18 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Ben Hewitt
39 books37 followersBen Hewitt writes and farms in Northern Vermont. His work has appeared in numerous national periodicals, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Gourmet, Discover, Skiing, Eating Well, Powder, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Bicycling, and many others. He lives with his wife and two sons in a self-built home that is powered by a windmill and solar photovoltaic panels. To help offset his renewable energy footprint, Ben drives a really big truck.
His book The Town That Food Saved, published by Rodale, tells the story of a rural, working-class Vermont community that is attempting to blueprint and implement a localized food system. Ben is currently working on a book about food safety, to be published by Rodale in 2011.
His book The Town That Food Saved, published by Rodale, tells the story of a rural, working-class Vermont community that is attempting to blueprint and implement a localized food system. Ben is currently working on a book about food safety, to be published by Rodale in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, and it set me on fire for the homesteading lifestyle. Some parts were quite vague (although the author was quite diligent in saying so, and would in turn give reference for other more in-depth books on the subject), while other parts were too specific to his own homestead (although once again, I felt that that was the point of the book). I got quite a few pieces of sound advice for my homesteading journal. I also very much agreed with a lot of reasons on why a person might want to cut ties with the consumer culture, and I was often reading aloud to my husband some of the ideology within the pages. Plus, there was a wonderful lack of religion coupled with the lifestyle, which in my short time researching the subject, is quite rare.
May 21, 2015
With every book by Ben Hewitt I read I love him even more! In The Nourishing Homestead Hewitt goes into great detail about his family's 40 acre "practiculture" homestead - what they grow and raise, how and when the built the various structures, tips on raising livestock, how they involve their children, and much, much more. While some of the information is more obviously geared toward someone trying to build their own homestead, much of it could be applied to anyone who's interested in more homemade/homegrown lifestyle. This book more so than any of his others reminds me of Joel Salatin because Hewitt explains at length the importance of nourishing the soil in order to grow the most nutrient-dense vegetables and animals. Overall, if you are in any way interested in growing and/or raising more of your own food there will be something (if not LOTS of things) in this book that will help you. I would highly recommend this one and may end up buying it for myself!
Here are some quotes I really liked:
"The term practiculture evolved out of our struggle to find a concise way to describe our work with this land. Of course, no single word or term can fully explain what we do...The longer I do this work, the less I feel as if we are practicing agriculture so much as we are simply practicing culture. Practiculture also refers to our belief that growing and processing our food, as well as the other essentials necessary to our good health, should be both affordable and, for lack of a better term, doable. Practical. It should make sense, not according to the flawed logic of the commodity marketplace, which is always trying to convince us that doing for ourselves is impractical, but according to our self-defined logic that grasps the true value of real food to body, mind, spirit, and soil. Finally, practiculture is about learning practical life skills and the gratification that comes from applying those skills in ways that benefit one's self and community. This sort of localized, land-based knowledge is rapidly disappearing from first-world countries in large part because the centers of profit and industry would rather we not possess it. They know that its absence makes us increasingly dependent on their offerings." (p. 27)
"Obviously, I like making butter. But the moment I begin to apply the mentality of money to the process my fondness for the task begins to fray. Because let's be honest: It makes no fiscal sense...when I take measure of the time and inputs, and I consider that time and those inputs to be of monetary value...I begin to view my butter in a different light. I begin to see how perhaps it would make more sense to simply sell the time it takes to make my butter and to buy butter on the open market, where it goes for a fraction of the price mine embodies...as soon as I start thinking in these terms, butter making begins to feel like a burden, rather than a joy...This stinginess is a learned response, the result of an economy that depends on consumption rather than production, and I am struck by how markedly things have changed in a relatively scant amount of time. Less than a century ago, even the poorest Americans had access to fresh butter and other unadulterated, nutrient-dense foods. But the advent of modern food regulations and technologies (in the case of dairy, pasteurization) has ensured that none but the fortunate few will ever know what real butter tastes like. None but the fortunate few will ever know the pleasure of churning their own. For everyone else, it is too time consuming and troublesome. Or simply too expensive. It is infuriating that we have arrived at a place where the fundamental right to feed ourselves as we wish has been largely eroded. At this very moment, I could leave my house, drive a handful of miles, and purchase a semiautomatic handgun, a carton of unfiltered cigarettes, and a fifth of whiskey. Yet I can't legally sell the butter I make at any price. I can't legally sell a home-butchered hog or even a single link of the excellent (if I do say so myself) sausage we make. The reason for this is simple: When I buy whiskey, cigarettes, and firearms, the rich get richer. When I sell a pound of butter or a package of sausage, they get a little poorer." (p. 40-41)
"It is always easiest to do what everyone else is doing. And then I remind myself: Easiest, yes. But not necessarily the most satisfying or correct." (p. 44)
"Consuming nutrient-dense foods will provide us with the foundation of deep nutrition that should allow us to escape many of the assumed degenerative diseases of modern first-world societies. It's worth noting that many of the diseases and conditions we currently accept as almost inevitable hardly existed only a century ago. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and the innumerable other side effects of industrialization are not inevitable." (p. 72)
"In short, here's how it works: The food and drug industries, aided and abetted by governmental agencies funded by our tax dollars, have entered into a symbiotic and highly profitable relationship. One industry feeds us the garbage that makes us sick, while the other stuffs us with the pills that keep us alive so we can keep eating the garbage that's making us sick, therefore necessitating the pills that allow us to live. Meanwhile, the governmental agencies that regulate these industries continually enact regulation that is favorable to these industries and detrimental to truly nutritive, small-scale food production. And the whole time, our need for constant medical attention ensures that we never stray too far from the meaningless, make-work careers that provide the health insurance we could no longer afford if we dared pursue our true passions and interests." (p. 77)
"One of the most profound but least discussed changes in the American diet over the past century is the reduction in the diversity and quantity of bacteria contained in our food. This reduction correlates to the expansion of an industrialized food system that, for a multitude of reasons, cannot produce bacterially diverse products. In part, this is because the conditions that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria can also support harmful bacteria, and it's also because modern distribution systems are unable to accommodate 'living' foods. Likewise, overblown fears of foodborne illness have created a regulatory system that makes many of the healthiest, most biologically diverse foods flat-out illegal. The hard truth is this: Many of the healthiest foods - such as raw butter and raw fermented dairy products - cannot be purchased at any price." (p. 89-90)
"Farmers have been safely and humanely slaughtering and processing animals on farm for literally centuries, both for their own families and for others in their community. The advent of contemporary food regulations has little to do with legitimate fears over foodborne illness and everything to do with suppression and control. These regulations are largely why it is so difficult to create a viable local food-based business." (p. 224)
Here are some quotes I really liked:
"The term practiculture evolved out of our struggle to find a concise way to describe our work with this land. Of course, no single word or term can fully explain what we do...The longer I do this work, the less I feel as if we are practicing agriculture so much as we are simply practicing culture. Practiculture also refers to our belief that growing and processing our food, as well as the other essentials necessary to our good health, should be both affordable and, for lack of a better term, doable. Practical. It should make sense, not according to the flawed logic of the commodity marketplace, which is always trying to convince us that doing for ourselves is impractical, but according to our self-defined logic that grasps the true value of real food to body, mind, spirit, and soil. Finally, practiculture is about learning practical life skills and the gratification that comes from applying those skills in ways that benefit one's self and community. This sort of localized, land-based knowledge is rapidly disappearing from first-world countries in large part because the centers of profit and industry would rather we not possess it. They know that its absence makes us increasingly dependent on their offerings." (p. 27)
"Obviously, I like making butter. But the moment I begin to apply the mentality of money to the process my fondness for the task begins to fray. Because let's be honest: It makes no fiscal sense...when I take measure of the time and inputs, and I consider that time and those inputs to be of monetary value...I begin to view my butter in a different light. I begin to see how perhaps it would make more sense to simply sell the time it takes to make my butter and to buy butter on the open market, where it goes for a fraction of the price mine embodies...as soon as I start thinking in these terms, butter making begins to feel like a burden, rather than a joy...This stinginess is a learned response, the result of an economy that depends on consumption rather than production, and I am struck by how markedly things have changed in a relatively scant amount of time. Less than a century ago, even the poorest Americans had access to fresh butter and other unadulterated, nutrient-dense foods. But the advent of modern food regulations and technologies (in the case of dairy, pasteurization) has ensured that none but the fortunate few will ever know what real butter tastes like. None but the fortunate few will ever know the pleasure of churning their own. For everyone else, it is too time consuming and troublesome. Or simply too expensive. It is infuriating that we have arrived at a place where the fundamental right to feed ourselves as we wish has been largely eroded. At this very moment, I could leave my house, drive a handful of miles, and purchase a semiautomatic handgun, a carton of unfiltered cigarettes, and a fifth of whiskey. Yet I can't legally sell the butter I make at any price. I can't legally sell a home-butchered hog or even a single link of the excellent (if I do say so myself) sausage we make. The reason for this is simple: When I buy whiskey, cigarettes, and firearms, the rich get richer. When I sell a pound of butter or a package of sausage, they get a little poorer." (p. 40-41)
"It is always easiest to do what everyone else is doing. And then I remind myself: Easiest, yes. But not necessarily the most satisfying or correct." (p. 44)
"Consuming nutrient-dense foods will provide us with the foundation of deep nutrition that should allow us to escape many of the assumed degenerative diseases of modern first-world societies. It's worth noting that many of the diseases and conditions we currently accept as almost inevitable hardly existed only a century ago. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and the innumerable other side effects of industrialization are not inevitable." (p. 72)
"In short, here's how it works: The food and drug industries, aided and abetted by governmental agencies funded by our tax dollars, have entered into a symbiotic and highly profitable relationship. One industry feeds us the garbage that makes us sick, while the other stuffs us with the pills that keep us alive so we can keep eating the garbage that's making us sick, therefore necessitating the pills that allow us to live. Meanwhile, the governmental agencies that regulate these industries continually enact regulation that is favorable to these industries and detrimental to truly nutritive, small-scale food production. And the whole time, our need for constant medical attention ensures that we never stray too far from the meaningless, make-work careers that provide the health insurance we could no longer afford if we dared pursue our true passions and interests." (p. 77)
"One of the most profound but least discussed changes in the American diet over the past century is the reduction in the diversity and quantity of bacteria contained in our food. This reduction correlates to the expansion of an industrialized food system that, for a multitude of reasons, cannot produce bacterially diverse products. In part, this is because the conditions that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria can also support harmful bacteria, and it's also because modern distribution systems are unable to accommodate 'living' foods. Likewise, overblown fears of foodborne illness have created a regulatory system that makes many of the healthiest, most biologically diverse foods flat-out illegal. The hard truth is this: Many of the healthiest foods - such as raw butter and raw fermented dairy products - cannot be purchased at any price." (p. 89-90)
"Farmers have been safely and humanely slaughtering and processing animals on farm for literally centuries, both for their own families and for others in their community. The advent of contemporary food regulations has little to do with legitimate fears over foodborne illness and everything to do with suppression and control. These regulations are largely why it is so difficult to create a viable local food-based business." (p. 224)
November 16, 2015
As most of ya'll know by now, it's one of our dreams, my husband and I, to move onto a little piece of land so I can have a big garden and he can grow grapes and make wine, and I can have a cow and some goats, and he can make cheese, and we can live like Green Acres every day.
Because we are getting closer to realizing that dream - we are hoping to move next summer - I've been reading up a bit on homesteading in general, as well as in specific areas we are interested in. This was one of those "general" books that I grabbed from the library on a whim.
It's very dense and information packed, partially with how-to ideas on living a life off of the land as independently as possible, partially with anecdotes about the last 20 years on their homestead and how things have worked out (and maybe more importantly, how some things have not worked out), and partially with philosophy on modern life versus traditional living, and what we give up for modern conveniences.
This book was well-written and well-structured. I didn't agree with all of the ideas in the book, and that can be a good thing. It made me think more about what I want to do and what I don't want to do, what I want to give up and what I'm not comfortable giving up. For example, one of the things the homesteaders in this book do without is health insurance. Now, being Canadian, that's no longer really a worry for me, but I'm in disagreement of their assessment of things, too. If they'd had an illness along the lines of one I've had in the past, they'd have lost their farm to the hospital they owed for months of care and surgeries and the like. So, there's that. And I'm never going to treat skins and make my own sandals, though I do knit - and crochet, why was crochet left out of the book? But I'm also not going to rely on just wood stove heat. And there's just no effin' way I'm butchering my own meat. Seriously. Not. Gonna. Happen.
I did get some good ideas from this book as well, as it reinforced why I want to have my own dairy cows, and what I want to do with my own milk, butter, cream and cheese. I <3 cows so this wasn't a big need for reinforcement. But, still.
I felt validated.
Also, goats, yes, ideas about goats. I think I might want Nigerian Dwarves, after reading about them here.
This is a long book with a lot of information. If you aren't seriously thinking about homesteading, then it probably isn't for you. It can be very dry. But it has good ideas, especially about energy saving and conservation and the kinds of tools you should invest in for the best results. If you've got farming dreams of your own, you may want to take a peek at this one and see if you can't get some good ideas, too.
Because we are getting closer to realizing that dream - we are hoping to move next summer - I've been reading up a bit on homesteading in general, as well as in specific areas we are interested in. This was one of those "general" books that I grabbed from the library on a whim.
It's very dense and information packed, partially with how-to ideas on living a life off of the land as independently as possible, partially with anecdotes about the last 20 years on their homestead and how things have worked out (and maybe more importantly, how some things have not worked out), and partially with philosophy on modern life versus traditional living, and what we give up for modern conveniences.
This book was well-written and well-structured. I didn't agree with all of the ideas in the book, and that can be a good thing. It made me think more about what I want to do and what I don't want to do, what I want to give up and what I'm not comfortable giving up. For example, one of the things the homesteaders in this book do without is health insurance. Now, being Canadian, that's no longer really a worry for me, but I'm in disagreement of their assessment of things, too. If they'd had an illness along the lines of one I've had in the past, they'd have lost their farm to the hospital they owed for months of care and surgeries and the like. So, there's that. And I'm never going to treat skins and make my own sandals, though I do knit - and crochet, why was crochet left out of the book? But I'm also not going to rely on just wood stove heat. And there's just no effin' way I'm butchering my own meat. Seriously. Not. Gonna. Happen.
I did get some good ideas from this book as well, as it reinforced why I want to have my own dairy cows, and what I want to do with my own milk, butter, cream and cheese. I <3 cows so this wasn't a big need for reinforcement. But, still.
I felt validated.
Also, goats, yes, ideas about goats. I think I might want Nigerian Dwarves, after reading about them here.
This is a long book with a lot of information. If you aren't seriously thinking about homesteading, then it probably isn't for you. It can be very dry. But it has good ideas, especially about energy saving and conservation and the kinds of tools you should invest in for the best results. If you've got farming dreams of your own, you may want to take a peek at this one and see if you can't get some good ideas, too.
August 30, 2015
I received this book as a gift for donating to Farm-To-Consumer-Legal-Defense-Fund, and won the lottery, so to speak. This book rates 10 stars. I'm a backyard gardener and an avid reader of Mother Earth News, WAPFs Wise Traditions Quarterly, Joel Salatin, etal, and find this book to be the best of the many good books on the subject of homesteading. And, as an added bonus, the author's writing style, his "voice", is a pleasure to read.
The author tells how he and his family have achieved success - measured by sustainable farming practices, stewardship of the land, high degree of self-sufficiency, etc. If you too believe homesteading is worth all the time and effort that this life requires and you want to follow in his footsteps, this book gives guidance and encouragement in how to do it.
Of particular interest to me is Chapter 4, "Real Food and Deep Nutrition". The author says "It's quite nearly futile to try to bring someone over to your way of thinking about food." How true this is. I've lectured my family members (shame on me!) about what to eat and have purchased 5-gallon containers of coconut oil and 6-month supplies of cod liver oil, chia seeds, raw honey, and other products for them that I use myself in order to obtain optimal health, but, alas, my efforts at conversion have failed. All I can do is take care of myself and my cats - who have been on a raw meat diet for the last 8 years - and stop telling my brother that Jiffy is not the best choice in peanut butter.
The author tells how he and his family have achieved success - measured by sustainable farming practices, stewardship of the land, high degree of self-sufficiency, etc. If you too believe homesteading is worth all the time and effort that this life requires and you want to follow in his footsteps, this book gives guidance and encouragement in how to do it.
Of particular interest to me is Chapter 4, "Real Food and Deep Nutrition". The author says "It's quite nearly futile to try to bring someone over to your way of thinking about food." How true this is. I've lectured my family members (shame on me!) about what to eat and have purchased 5-gallon containers of coconut oil and 6-month supplies of cod liver oil, chia seeds, raw honey, and other products for them that I use myself in order to obtain optimal health, but, alas, my efforts at conversion have failed. All I can do is take care of myself and my cats - who have been on a raw meat diet for the last 8 years - and stop telling my brother that Jiffy is not the best choice in peanut butter.
November 25, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book... On a whole, I enjoyed it very much. The passion of the author is palpable : from his lifestyle philosophies to his choice of chainsaws. But at the same time, I found a lot of his commentaries more depressing than inspiring. His facts about the state of commercial foods are backed by very few solutions besides doing like he does and choosing a life on the farm. I wish there would have been more about what he thinks people (like me) without acres of land can improve our nutrition and health. It left me sadder than I thought I would be. But he was being honest and I appreciate that very much and I wish him amazing success in his goals. Also, some of his links in the "Digging Deeper" section of the book need to be revised because some websites aren't valid anymore.
August 3, 2015
Overall: I kinda wanted something more practical, but the story-telling method of this family's homestead experience grows on you after a while.
I picked this book up because it looks like one of my nephews on the cover dipping his face into a bucket full of blueberries. That and my family's desire to move to a homestead. It was on a whim for sure.
I was looking for a straight forward Do This, Don't Do This kind of book, but that is not this book. Ben's story re-telling of the Hewitt's family homestead experience is interest if it's not as practical as I wanted. It takes a little getting used to, but the book is full of tid-bits and nuggets of gold.
I would recommend this to: people interested in homesteading, farming, etc.
I picked this book up because it looks like one of my nephews on the cover dipping his face into a bucket full of blueberries. That and my family's desire to move to a homestead. It was on a whim for sure.
I was looking for a straight forward Do This, Don't Do This kind of book, but that is not this book. Ben's story re-telling of the Hewitt's family homestead experience is interest if it's not as practical as I wanted. It takes a little getting used to, but the book is full of tid-bits and nuggets of gold.
I would recommend this to: people interested in homesteading, farming, etc.
March 6, 2021
More memoir than instructional. Still interesting to see how they are making homesteading work for their family.
Big take away: doing something might nit be the most cost effective ($15/lb butter example), but if you enjoy it and want to spend your time on something that isn't "fiscally responsible" who cares?
Big take away: doing something might nit be the most cost effective ($15/lb butter example), but if you enjoy it and want to spend your time on something that isn't "fiscally responsible" who cares?
January 21, 2022
Some sifting/skimming required to get to the helpful information. I could of done without the strange nutritional theory and preaching. I think I was looking for more detail on practices and some of the info was a bit vague for me. I thought the tips about parenting were great.
August 28, 2015
This was..... meh. A decent overview, but not a particularly new or different way of presenting it. I finished it, but not with vim and vigor.
July 6, 2022
Why the heck is this book so positively reviewed (both here and elsewhere online)? I can't figure it out. It's boring and more than a little pedantic as a memoir, as much as I approve of author's urge to feel connected to the natural world. It isn't great as a "how to" manual; you'd be better off checking out the old Foxfire books by Eliot Wigginton. The section on "real food and deep nutrition" is appalling with the bit on phytic acids and an ode to Sally Fallon and the Weston A. Price Foundation's cherry-picked quackery. If you have diabetes or cavities, it's doubtless because you eat grains and legumes, not because of your genetics. Ugh.
I *love* back to land and nature memoirs. I have a whole bookshelf of them on Goodreads. I enjoy foraging and I've made kombucha and I lacto-ferment vegetables and I'm sympathetic to folks who hunt for food. But as I read, I kept wondering if these homesteaders had health insurance. Maybe the author's books and articles provide enough income for that? It's a shame he doesn't mention that aspect of his lifestyle in the "money and stuff" chapter, but I guess that takes a certain amount of self-awareness and introspection this book just doesn't have.
In the end, though, it was the pedestrian writing and complete lack of humor that killed the story for me. I'll go re-read Louise Dickinson Rich, Sue Hubbell, Gary Paul Nabhan and so many others and return this to the library where another raw milk aficionado can check it out.
PS The photos are nice. Love the cows, chickens, and kids.
I *love* back to land and nature memoirs. I have a whole bookshelf of them on Goodreads. I enjoy foraging and I've made kombucha and I lacto-ferment vegetables and I'm sympathetic to folks who hunt for food. But as I read, I kept wondering if these homesteaders had health insurance. Maybe the author's books and articles provide enough income for that? It's a shame he doesn't mention that aspect of his lifestyle in the "money and stuff" chapter, but I guess that takes a certain amount of self-awareness and introspection this book just doesn't have.
In the end, though, it was the pedestrian writing and complete lack of humor that killed the story for me. I'll go re-read Louise Dickinson Rich, Sue Hubbell, Gary Paul Nabhan and so many others and return this to the library where another raw milk aficionado can check it out.
PS The photos are nice. Love the cows, chickens, and kids.
November 11, 2020
Truly one of the most comprehensive and yet easy to read homesteading books I’ve found! Tons of pictures help with understanding and share the obvious joy the Hewitts have for their lives and work. The recipes and notes are clearly presented and broken up in efficient manners. Everything is covered, from tools to livestock to food to planting. I was even pleasantly surprised to see the author lay out clearly their financial situation and admit his own privilege. My only irritation was the health section, which made some big claims and yet was the only section to be sorely lacking in citations. Take those with a grain of salt but the rest was truly fantastic. Highly recommended for those looking to connect more to nature and against our consumerist model.
April 14, 2020
I love this book! And everything I've read from Ben Hewitt so far. He sheds light on the different aspects of homesteading and how his family approaches it. It is very enlightening. I gleaned a lot of different tidbits from it. I made some of the homemade tinctures he outlines in the book yesterday. His writing style is very informative but readable. Check out his other books as well.
June 29, 2020
So Wayne and I have this fantasy of living off the grid, or living on a farm. And really - we probably COULD figure out a way to do that. But we probably won't. Anyway, this was a bit of armchair off gridding and I really liked learning HOW they do it, how it's possible. I have friends that do live in a similar way, so it's some pretty interesting stuff....
November 2, 2017
A little too family specific to be an actual guide, even though it's written by one. I still picked up some knowledge and enjoyed hearing about their family's long term plans for living off the land.
April 22, 2022
This was an excellent impulse read. I was looking for a homesteading book about the experience & philisophy, not a how-to. This book was perfect. I got a real look at how the author came by his experience and was engaged the entire time. A beautiful read
August 23, 2022
This was a great overview of resources and tips to build a nourishing homestead. It covers the land, home, soil, animals, tools, gardening... so many different aspects. I love that he holds a regenerative, “practiculture”, approach. Would love to refer back to this one.
January 29, 2018
I read this book cover to cover! I only wish there were more pictures :)
November 23, 2019
Incredibly informative! This is one I want to own so I can make notes in it and use some of his knowledge in my own back yard gardens.
February 17, 2021
Most enjoyable book, learned so much more than I expected about growing a homestead.
January 16, 2023
Informative and enlightening as to what it's like on a homestead.
March 3, 2023
I need to read
July 10, 2015
Another thoughtful, informative, well written book by Ben Hewitt. He explains much of his thought process and philosophy in choosing to live as a Homesteader and many how to begin doing it tips for those who want to follow his life choice.
An example of the philosophy is the following, which always arouses firm agreement in those I pass along his wisdom.
"The manner in which you spend your time is, in fact, the manner in which you spend your life. Time is not money; it is life.
The notion that time and money can be conflated is enormously convenient to the industries that would like us to view our lives as being worth nothing more than whatever money we can earn so that we might buy whatever they are selling."
Here is an example of a practical tip.
"You don't cook on a wood stove so much as dance with it, sliding pots and pans across the surface to find the ideal temperature, feeding the firebox with different woods to achieve the desired outcome. A nice fat piece of hard maple for a simmering venison stew; a few slender sticks of white birch to hurry along the morning's first cup of coffee; a handful of dry ash to put the finish crust on a loaf of sourdough bread. Cooking on wood demands experience and knowing. You must know your stove, your pots, your ingredients, and your wood. Like so much of what happens on a homestead, there's a satisfaction to this knowing that cannot be replicated by simply turning a knob to let the electricity or propane flow."
An example of the philosophy is the following, which always arouses firm agreement in those I pass along his wisdom.
"The manner in which you spend your time is, in fact, the manner in which you spend your life. Time is not money; it is life.
The notion that time and money can be conflated is enormously convenient to the industries that would like us to view our lives as being worth nothing more than whatever money we can earn so that we might buy whatever they are selling."
Here is an example of a practical tip.
"You don't cook on a wood stove so much as dance with it, sliding pots and pans across the surface to find the ideal temperature, feeding the firebox with different woods to achieve the desired outcome. A nice fat piece of hard maple for a simmering venison stew; a few slender sticks of white birch to hurry along the morning's first cup of coffee; a handful of dry ash to put the finish crust on a loaf of sourdough bread. Cooking on wood demands experience and knowing. You must know your stove, your pots, your ingredients, and your wood. Like so much of what happens on a homestead, there's a satisfaction to this knowing that cannot be replicated by simply turning a knob to let the electricity or propane flow."
November 30, 2015
From one of my favorite writers comes yet another stunning book. Ben Hewitt, this time in partnership with his wife, Penny, has put together a complete guide to homesteading in the 21st century, detailing their own journey from living in a tent to the first studs of their future walls, to detailed information about soil health and animal husbandry, and outlines of what their days are like, right down to what they’re eating for breakfast, lunch and supper. The photos in the book alone are worth the purchase price, but paired with the prose, this volume is truly both a work of art and a pragmatic guide to the good life. Ben and Penny don’t leave off with how-tos for starting a garden or rotating pastures. They speak about abundance and fear, the philosophy that guides their life choices, examine their finances, and openly share their worries, joys and frustrations. This book is more than a testimony to the validity of a different path. It is an honest guide for maintaining inner peace amidst the chaos that inevitably unfolds for all of us who choose to walk it.
October 18, 2015
Rome wasn't built in a day. And neither was Ben Hewitt's homestead. He is careful to point out many times that no one can expect to read this book and set up a similar operation overnight. It will take time. But that's the beauty of the book: it's both an inspiring memoir and example of how a successful homestead could be run, as well as a primer on how-to-homestead that can be referenced again and again as you expand to each new project. The how-to aspects of the book are more like jumping off points for further reading and research than an end-all, be-all definitive guide. However, I was impressed with how much great content he was able to squeeze into this little volume. I'm not sure I will ever achieve (or will ever want to achieve) the Hewitts' level of commitment to the homesteading lifestyle, but they provide an incredibly inspiring model to look up to. Time to start building Rome.
December 12, 2016
p. 77
"The food and drug industries, aided and abetted by governmental agencies funded by our tax dollars, have entered into a symbiotic and highly profitable relationship. One industry feeds us the garbage that makes us sick, while the other stuffs us with the pills that keep us alive so we can keep eating the garbage that's making us sick, therefore necessitating the pills that allow us to live. Meanwhile, the governmental agencies that regulate these industries continually enact regulation that is favorable to these industries and detrimental to truly nutritive, small scale food production. And the whole time, our need for constant medical attention ensures that we never stray too far from the meaningless make-work careers that provide the health insurance we could no longer afford if we dared pursue our true passions and interests."
"The food and drug industries, aided and abetted by governmental agencies funded by our tax dollars, have entered into a symbiotic and highly profitable relationship. One industry feeds us the garbage that makes us sick, while the other stuffs us with the pills that keep us alive so we can keep eating the garbage that's making us sick, therefore necessitating the pills that allow us to live. Meanwhile, the governmental agencies that regulate these industries continually enact regulation that is favorable to these industries and detrimental to truly nutritive, small scale food production. And the whole time, our need for constant medical attention ensures that we never stray too far from the meaningless make-work careers that provide the health insurance we could no longer afford if we dared pursue our true passions and interests."
February 19, 2015
Lovely book about homesteading as a lifestyle choice, part idea book, part memoir. The author describes their style of farming as "practiculture", taking the most useful and true aspects of permaculture, organic farming, et.al, and combining them, with a huge emphasis on healthy, mineralized soil. A family's relationships to money, debt, status and stuff is explored; the freedom of choice that comes from a low- to- no debt family economy is emphasized. While I wouldn't make all of their parenting choices, I found it to be an interesting and beautifully photographed book.
January 26, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this. The pictures are beautiful. The book covers a lot, and in a really accessible way. I think textbook style homestead books have their place, but I'm the type who would rather find someone to show me how to do something, even if I have to pay, than read about it in a book. So this book is very candid, and covers a lot of detail, but it's not boring or hard to understand. I love the recipes dispersed throughout the book, I love the medicinal plants he talks about and I love how candid he is about money, more people need to be like that.
June 11, 2016
Some of this book made me feel inadequate (soil conservation!) but other parts made me think I'm doing okay. Part of me would like to throw in the towel of this work life, but I also think I'm probably doing good in the world...so...
Well written and organized. I wish there were more captions. It's not a how-to book, but one that helped me think philosophically about our level of consumption and the life I'd like to lead, and the one which I'm trying to build the foundation for now.
Well written and organized. I wish there were more captions. It's not a how-to book, but one that helped me think philosophically about our level of consumption and the life I'd like to lead, and the one which I'm trying to build the foundation for now.
April 27, 2015
This is a great book for those of us who wish we were brave enough to homestead. I loved Be's book, "Home Grown" and this one is right up there with it. There are lots of practical ideas for living with the land. Ben also graces us with lots of peeks into his family's unconventional life.
May 21, 2015
Yes. Just read this. He has a few things wrong (I disagree completely with his views on wheat, for instance) but the majority is so, so right.
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