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The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner: What to Do & When to Do It in the Garden, Orchard, Barn, Pasture & Equipment Shed
This hardworking addition to the best-selling Backyard Homestead series offers expert advice on what tasks to do around your farm and when to do them — no matter where on the planet you call home. Author Ann Larkin Hansen sets the priorities for each area of the farm, including the barn, garden, orchard, field, pasture, and woodlot. For every critical turn of the year (12 in all), Hansen provides an at-a-glance to-do list along with tips and a more in-depth discussion of key topics for the season. Easy-reference charts, checklists, and record-keeping sections help you keep track of it all.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2017
376 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 18, 2017
I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.
This book seems to be for readers who have at least an acre of land and sufficient free time to work it.
It may offer plenty for a hobbyist like myself. However, the book's format does not lend itself to the hobbyist. The book is broken up by season and further subdivided by land type (e.g. woodlot, pasture, bees). Personally, I have one third of an acre in which I grow fruit, veggies and herbs. While there was useful information for me in this book it was hard to find. For example, I learned about seasonal changes in soil firmness which is useful, but I only found that because it was in a rare breakout section. Most of the divisions in the book are rather high level (e.g. pasture) and I find myself not feeling it worthwhile to read most of them as they don't offer the promise of a payback anytime soon.
This book seems to be for readers who have at least an acre of land and sufficient free time to work it.
It may offer plenty for a hobbyist like myself. However, the book's format does not lend itself to the hobbyist. The book is broken up by season and further subdivided by land type (e.g. woodlot, pasture, bees). Personally, I have one third of an acre in which I grow fruit, veggies and herbs. While there was useful information for me in this book it was hard to find. For example, I learned about seasonal changes in soil firmness which is useful, but I only found that because it was in a rare breakout section. Most of the divisions in the book are rather high level (e.g. pasture) and I find myself not feeling it worthwhile to read most of them as they don't offer the promise of a payback anytime soon.
August 26, 2017
This is a spiral bound resource for anyone wanting to homestead. Whether you have a couple of acres or a few hundred acres the ideas in this book will work for you. The book clearly and concisely breaks down each season and the things you should be doing to keep your homestead running properly and efficiently.
The author notes and I definitely agree with the idea that you can't do things on the same day each year. That sure would make life easier for the homesteader, but it's really about the seasons and when those occur naturally. You can't just mark your calendar on a date and do the same thing each year. Depending on the weather you could be off by a couple of weeks easily.
"Doing a thing in its proper season when it would naturally occur, or when conditions make the job most efficient and comfortable is how you spread the work more evenly through the year. This is what makes it possible to get it all done and still have some leisure time."
"This book is about timing, as important an aspect of raising plants and animals as any other."
"As a culture, we've gotten into the habit of looking at the calendar to determine planting times and other such decisions, no matter what's going on outside. But a few generations ago, instead of looking at the calendar, farmers and gardeners looked at what the local plants and birds and wildlife were doing -- a much more accurate indicator considering how different seasons are from year to year."
The author gives a list of each season and defines them. When you are homesteading there aren't simply Winter, Fall, Summer, Spring. There are seasons in between as the weather changes. A homesteader has twelve seasons that get them through the year. Each season bringing different priorities and chores that need to be done.
Ann lists the Seasonal Priorities and Seasonal Chores for each chapter in the book. She clearly tells you what you should be doing when the ground and outside temperatures are at certain levels. Using this guide you will become accustomed to using ground and outside temperature as your gauge rather than dates.
"Mud, flood, blossoms, and babies signal the arrival of spring, though the surest sign is the frost going out of the ground -- and staying out."
Chapter 1 - Mid-Winter, Topic of the Season: Soil
Chapter 2 - Late Winter, Topic of the Season: Plants
Chapter 3 - Early Spring, Topic of the Season: The Lives of Poultry and Livestock
Chapter 4 - Mid Spring, Topic of the Season: Rotational Grazing
Chapter 5 - Late Spring, Topic of the Season: Cover Crops and Honey Bees
Chapter 6 - Early Summer, Topic of the Season: Making Hay
Chapter 7 - Mid Summer, Topic of the Season: Starting and Maintaining an Orchard
Chapter 8 - Late Summer, Topic of the Season: Tools and Equipment
Chapter 9 - Early Fall, Topic of the Season: Weed, Pest, and Disease Control in Garden, Field, Orchard, and Pasture
Chapter 10 - Mid-Fall, Topic of the Season: Sustainable Forestry Principles and Practices
Chapter 11 - Late Fall, Topic of the Season: Biodiversity (a variety of plant & animal life)
Chapter 12 - Early Winter, Topic of the Season: Quality of Life
These chapters are followed by an Appendix that gives a quick-glance at each topic (Garden, Field, Pasture, Orchard, Beeyard, Barn, Coop, Shed, Woodlot, Wildlife Habitat) and a simple breakdown of what you should be doing in each season.
I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about homesteading or those already doing it who want a quick-glance guide to help them through the seasons. The lists Ann includes are very helpful to planning out each season and tracking your production in years previous.
The author notes and I definitely agree with the idea that you can't do things on the same day each year. That sure would make life easier for the homesteader, but it's really about the seasons and when those occur naturally. You can't just mark your calendar on a date and do the same thing each year. Depending on the weather you could be off by a couple of weeks easily.
"Doing a thing in its proper season when it would naturally occur, or when conditions make the job most efficient and comfortable is how you spread the work more evenly through the year. This is what makes it possible to get it all done and still have some leisure time."
"This book is about timing, as important an aspect of raising plants and animals as any other."
"As a culture, we've gotten into the habit of looking at the calendar to determine planting times and other such decisions, no matter what's going on outside. But a few generations ago, instead of looking at the calendar, farmers and gardeners looked at what the local plants and birds and wildlife were doing -- a much more accurate indicator considering how different seasons are from year to year."
The author gives a list of each season and defines them. When you are homesteading there aren't simply Winter, Fall, Summer, Spring. There are seasons in between as the weather changes. A homesteader has twelve seasons that get them through the year. Each season bringing different priorities and chores that need to be done.
Ann lists the Seasonal Priorities and Seasonal Chores for each chapter in the book. She clearly tells you what you should be doing when the ground and outside temperatures are at certain levels. Using this guide you will become accustomed to using ground and outside temperature as your gauge rather than dates.
"Mud, flood, blossoms, and babies signal the arrival of spring, though the surest sign is the frost going out of the ground -- and staying out."
Chapter 1 - Mid-Winter, Topic of the Season: Soil
Chapter 2 - Late Winter, Topic of the Season: Plants
Chapter 3 - Early Spring, Topic of the Season: The Lives of Poultry and Livestock
Chapter 4 - Mid Spring, Topic of the Season: Rotational Grazing
Chapter 5 - Late Spring, Topic of the Season: Cover Crops and Honey Bees
Chapter 6 - Early Summer, Topic of the Season: Making Hay
Chapter 7 - Mid Summer, Topic of the Season: Starting and Maintaining an Orchard
Chapter 8 - Late Summer, Topic of the Season: Tools and Equipment
Chapter 9 - Early Fall, Topic of the Season: Weed, Pest, and Disease Control in Garden, Field, Orchard, and Pasture
Chapter 10 - Mid-Fall, Topic of the Season: Sustainable Forestry Principles and Practices
Chapter 11 - Late Fall, Topic of the Season: Biodiversity (a variety of plant & animal life)
Chapter 12 - Early Winter, Topic of the Season: Quality of Life
These chapters are followed by an Appendix that gives a quick-glance at each topic (Garden, Field, Pasture, Orchard, Beeyard, Barn, Coop, Shed, Woodlot, Wildlife Habitat) and a simple breakdown of what you should be doing in each season.
I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about homesteading or those already doing it who want a quick-glance guide to help them through the seasons. The lists Ann includes are very helpful to planning out each season and tracking your production in years previous.
March 8, 2018
Some super helpful stuff! I'm still waiting for the book that puts all my seasonal planning AND all the things you should be planting and when, into an easy-to-decipher format. But this was good too!
September 2, 2017
Some of my most treasured possessions are the garden journals I inherited from my paternal grandmother. They're full of notes, clippings, drawings and information which she wrote down over more than 50 years of active gardening and permaculture. It's a habit which I've carried on myself. This book, an adjunct of the wonderful Backyard Homestead series, is a similar guiding hand from knowledgeable understandable people who -want- to help others be successful gardeners and homesteaders.
My access to this book is an advance reader (electronic) copy, but the published version is listed as spiral bound and has room for personalized notes. The chapters are arranged by season and include tasks and what-to-expect for each time period.
This book will be a very useful addition to any active gardener who needs a little help and guidance putting pen to paper along the way, and also to new/wannabe gardeners who occasionally feel overwhelmed and confused about what to do when.
I found information in this book which would be useful for beginning to advanced homesteaders.
A very well designed and logically arranged book.
Five stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
My access to this book is an advance reader (electronic) copy, but the published version is listed as spiral bound and has room for personalized notes. The chapters are arranged by season and include tasks and what-to-expect for each time period.
This book will be a very useful addition to any active gardener who needs a little help and guidance putting pen to paper along the way, and also to new/wannabe gardeners who occasionally feel overwhelmed and confused about what to do when.
I found information in this book which would be useful for beginning to advanced homesteaders.
A very well designed and logically arranged book.
Five stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
February 3, 2023
Read it for book club. Love it! It includes ALL the seasons and what you should be doing during each season for your homestead. Teaches you how to pay attention to the weather and the other clues when seasons change and not relying on a calendar. Found it extremely helpful for my garden, fruit trees and poultry. Definitely recommend for anyone interesting in homesteading, even urban homesteading.
September 21, 2017
I have always wanted to have a homestead, but for a variety of reasons, that may never happen. But I have enjoyed learning about how to do it, just in case that dream ever does come true. Because of that, this book will be one that I will definitely use!
The book is logically laid out by seasons, beginning in mid-winter (approximately January). Each season is divided into early, mid, and late sections. The author points out that there is no hard and fast rule on dates, but she did say that she bases her decisions on air and soil temperatures and rate of growth of grasses. She also points out that no book is comprehensive and that this one is meant to be a starting point.
Each section is further divided into different areas to consider on the homestead. First is the overall focus (for example, in midwinter, focus on paperwork and woodlot). Then she lists several concerns in various areas of the homestead: garden, field, pasture, orchard, beeyard, barn, coop, shed, woodlot, wildlife habitat. Under each area, she includes several blank lines for readers to insert their own notes. Then she takes each area and discusses more seasonal chores more in-depth. Finally, she tackles a subject of general interest at the end of each chapter, such as soil compositions, types of crops and crop rotation, etc.
I found myself turning page after page, astounded at all I was learning. I grew up with parents who had both been raised on farms, and my father had a HUGE garden, so I thought I knew quite a lot about all these various subjects. All this book did was highlight how very much I actually did know, because I found myself constantly filing away tidbits of knowledge on every page.
This book is clean, clear, concise, and very companionable. (Sorry! Had to keep the alliteration going!) When I say companionable, I mean that this book will become a very handy reference for newbie homesteaders. The author knows firsthand the confusion that overwhelms new homesteaders, and she has set out admirably to relieve a great deal of that confusion with this excellent book. Readers with more than an acre or so will probably benefit most from this book, although those with less than an acre will still gain quite a bit of information.
I gratefully received an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. But I loved it so much, I’m going to buy a hard copy to keep for myself.
The book is logically laid out by seasons, beginning in mid-winter (approximately January). Each season is divided into early, mid, and late sections. The author points out that there is no hard and fast rule on dates, but she did say that she bases her decisions on air and soil temperatures and rate of growth of grasses. She also points out that no book is comprehensive and that this one is meant to be a starting point.
Each section is further divided into different areas to consider on the homestead. First is the overall focus (for example, in midwinter, focus on paperwork and woodlot). Then she lists several concerns in various areas of the homestead: garden, field, pasture, orchard, beeyard, barn, coop, shed, woodlot, wildlife habitat. Under each area, she includes several blank lines for readers to insert their own notes. Then she takes each area and discusses more seasonal chores more in-depth. Finally, she tackles a subject of general interest at the end of each chapter, such as soil compositions, types of crops and crop rotation, etc.
I found myself turning page after page, astounded at all I was learning. I grew up with parents who had both been raised on farms, and my father had a HUGE garden, so I thought I knew quite a lot about all these various subjects. All this book did was highlight how very much I actually did know, because I found myself constantly filing away tidbits of knowledge on every page.
This book is clean, clear, concise, and very companionable. (Sorry! Had to keep the alliteration going!) When I say companionable, I mean that this book will become a very handy reference for newbie homesteaders. The author knows firsthand the confusion that overwhelms new homesteaders, and she has set out admirably to relieve a great deal of that confusion with this excellent book. Readers with more than an acre or so will probably benefit most from this book, although those with less than an acre will still gain quite a bit of information.
I gratefully received an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. But I loved it so much, I’m going to buy a hard copy to keep for myself.
August 29, 2019
The season by season picture of the homestead is charming and inspirational but I feel like it's not quite aimed at me. Most is aimed at people with at least a small acreage rather than a suburban backyard, so though the sections about field, pasture, orchard, beeyard, barn, coop, woodlot, and equipment shed fill me with no small measure of joy, the only piece that is really relevant to my little yard is the garden section.
I think you have to be at the right level for this book: needing the guidance, but having the capacity to start up at least a few of the projects. That said, I really appreciate the author's preface that includes a reminder learned over 25 years doing this: "You can't do it all at the same time" - a good reminder that's easy to forget, when even when doing just a garden seems a bit overwhelming.
The garden pieces that were relevant to me were very useful, and what I had hoped for from this book. Even though I've managed by veggie garden for several years, I often tend to falter, and the season-by-season breakdown of what to do, in little bite-sized pieces, helped a lot.
An e-copy was provided by Netgalley free of charge in exchange for an honest review
I think you have to be at the right level for this book: needing the guidance, but having the capacity to start up at least a few of the projects. That said, I really appreciate the author's preface that includes a reminder learned over 25 years doing this: "You can't do it all at the same time" - a good reminder that's easy to forget, when even when doing just a garden seems a bit overwhelming.
The garden pieces that were relevant to me were very useful, and what I had hoped for from this book. Even though I've managed by veggie garden for several years, I often tend to falter, and the season-by-season breakdown of what to do, in little bite-sized pieces, helped a lot.
An e-copy was provided by Netgalley free of charge in exchange for an honest review
February 8, 2020
Allright, I've only read deeply - if that's possible in a guide like this - until summer, since it's winter now and I want to know what I've got to do now and in the forthcoming months. But that's enough to understand this is an excellent guide. I mean, I think it is - the proof is in the pudding and I might violently disagree on when to plant my petunias, having read this and planted them for a few years. I just like the clarity, the simplicity of the illustrations, the brief and direct instruction, the lack of whiffle. It's spring-bound which is marvelous and soon it be soiled by my grubby hands when I take it to the homestead...
October 16, 2017
A continuation of the wonderful The Backyard Homestead series which covers a planner that is a valuable resource to beginner homesteader or those seeking an easy to use reference. I found it to be valuable but would want to own the spiral bound edition instead of the Kindle copy. Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.
November 25, 2017
A nice reference book, but definitely more of a broad overview kind of book, one you can use as a starting point rather than an only reference. A good addition to a homesteading library, but definitely not the book I would choose if I could only have one or two books in said homesteading library.
Still, it was laid out very clearly with plenty of information and room to write in your own notes. The more detailed 'topic of the season' sections were quite interesting as well.
Still, it was laid out very clearly with plenty of information and room to write in your own notes. The more detailed 'topic of the season' sections were quite interesting as well.
July 2, 2019
I am glad I bought this one. It's a great place to park all the homestead plans and yearly chores and there is room to add my own stuff like dates and garden chores for my locality. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was that I wish there were a few resources listed for each area. Even if they were other storey publications, that would be okay. I would love to able to manage grasses and trees better but am having a tough time finding homestead-scale resources.
November 10, 2024
I really appreciated that this book was not only divided into 12 seasons, but it was full of information to help you determine when each season begins and ends in your climate in any given year. It does include chores for far more areas of homesteading than I can imagine myself tackling, but that is preferable to having less information than I need (and gives a little encouragement to try new things). This one goes on my maybe-purchase list for gardening books.
March 21, 2020
A good book, although it wasn't entirely applicable to my aspirations. Although it would be nice to have my own small farm someday, I only have a small urban background big enough for some veggies and a chicken coop. Still, I like the idea of spacing out work throughout the year, and making sure to time things correctly.
July 10, 2024
It’s not really a book for reading straight through, and it’s not a comprehensive tome on everything that should be done on a homestead, but it is a handy guide for pointing newer homesteaders (or experienced ones who want to add new projects) in the right direction with tasks and timing. I expect to refer back to this book often.
February 1, 2019
Presented in an easy to read and follow format, perfectly described as "what to do and when to do it". I do not have a homestead in my backyard but that prevent me from enjoying this book thoroughly and have a little dream besides.
Read
August 26, 2019I read this on Kindle, so it's probably a different experience than the spiral-bound planner. I found it a bit too high up at the 30,000 foot level to be really useful for me. It seems like it would be good for full-on homesteaders that need to map out their year, especially in the first few years.
May 8, 2023
This was a very informative book and I liked how it had a lot of different parts of the homestead listed. It went into enough detail to explain things and make it so you want to learn more. Very well written, the flow was nice, and the information was wonderful!
June 11, 2019
This book is my reference guide for every season on my homestead. I love it.
December 2, 2019
Good all around gardening books
Good read for gardeners. Not overly technical but useful information on when to perform different tasks. I would recommend giving it a read.
Good read for gardeners. Not overly technical but useful information on when to perform different tasks. I would recommend giving it a read.
December 21, 2019
Good book covering a wide range of homesteading topics, organized by time of year/season. I found it to be very hepful!
February 4, 2021
Excellent starting point if you don’t know where to start or need to get organized.
February 1, 2023
Not quite what I want my planner to look like, but a great source of ideas and a lovely overview.
February 5, 2024
This is a great beginners reference.
February 18, 2024
helpful resource, good information, well organized
October 18, 2017
This book is going to be so helpful! It is full of tips and information. It is separated by season as well as land type and I love how it has suggestions to pay more attention to the outside and animal behaviors than the calendar to determine when to accomplish tasks.
"As a culture, we've gotten into the habit of looking at the calendar to determine planting times and other such decisions, no matter what's going on outside. But a few generations ago, instead of looking at the calendar, farmers and gardeners looked at what the local plants and birds and wildlife were doing -- a much more accurate indicator considering how different seasons are from year to year."
My family and I are planning to build a homestead and I hope to be referring to this book as a guide for years to come!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.*
"As a culture, we've gotten into the habit of looking at the calendar to determine planting times and other such decisions, no matter what's going on outside. But a few generations ago, instead of looking at the calendar, farmers and gardeners looked at what the local plants and birds and wildlife were doing -- a much more accurate indicator considering how different seasons are from year to year."
My family and I are planning to build a homestead and I hope to be referring to this book as a guide for years to come!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.*
May 16, 2017
"This book is just a beginning. It gets you to the starting line. From there you have to run the course: do the thinking, planning and experimenting over the years to fill out the details of your own personal farm calendar."
Although I am reviewing from a digital format via Netgalley, I can see that in the print, paper version this book will be very useful. It is very organized with adequate space for making notes, easy to refer back to. The information included covers a variety of topics and the author sounds quite knowledgeable. Additional graphs are educational and easy to understand. I also appreciated the extra illustrations braking up all the text. It made the book more pleasing to my eye.
Although I am reviewing from a digital format via Netgalley, I can see that in the print, paper version this book will be very useful. It is very organized with adequate space for making notes, easy to refer back to. The information included covers a variety of topics and the author sounds quite knowledgeable. Additional graphs are educational and easy to understand. I also appreciated the extra illustrations braking up all the text. It made the book more pleasing to my eye.
November 26, 2017
This book is full of wisdom. It’s less a planner, and more like sitting across the table with your neighbor when you’ve just moved into an unfamiliar place.
Ms. Hansen speaks volumes in a very succinct manner. You really can read the subject matter in several different ways, and the chapters are laid out in a simple yet workable manner.
Do not skip the introductions; those pages give you background and insight into why the blood is so handy for the backyard gardner, all way up to the homestead hobby farm. Managing all aspects of your land and the items you need to care for those areas well, is an awesome undertaking. Ms. Hansen makes this seem like a doable, but also worth while endeavor.
Ms. Hansen speaks volumes in a very succinct manner. You really can read the subject matter in several different ways, and the chapters are laid out in a simple yet workable manner.
Do not skip the introductions; those pages give you background and insight into why the blood is so handy for the backyard gardner, all way up to the homestead hobby farm. Managing all aspects of your land and the items you need to care for those areas well, is an awesome undertaking. Ms. Hansen makes this seem like a doable, but also worth while endeavor.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews