Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) by England, Angela -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Foreword Introduction Part 1: Living Large on a Small Scale

1 The Backyard Farm Adventure

The Growing Food Crisis An Earth-Friendly Lifestyle Cost and Health Considerations The Many Benefits of Small-Scale Farming

Cost of Land and Equipment Ease of Maintenance Intensive Production Possibilities

2 Finding Land: What Do You Need?

Purchasing Undeveloped Land

Location and Cost History of the Land Climate and Growing Season

Buying Developed Land with the House

Layout and Quality of the Land Outbuildings and Existing Amenities Fencing

Access to Water Zoning Restrictions

3 Building on Land You Already Own

Assessing Your Current Situation

Quarter-Acre Lot Half-Acre Lot Full-Acre Lot

Creating a Workable Plan

Precise Lasting Arrival Natural

Adding Buildings and Fences

Drainage Building Material Size and Situation

Part 2: Gardening on a Backyard Farm

4 What and How Much Do You Want to Grow?

Planning Your Garden Space

Square-Foot Style Gardening Raised-Bed Gardening Traditional Garden Plots with an Intensive Twist

Keep a Garden Journal Maximizing Your Garden Space

Vertical Gardening Container Gardening Edible Landscaping

5 Tools and Skills for the Backyard Farmer

Hand Tools

Garden Spade or Trowel Secateurs or Pruners Digging Fork Hand Weeder and Hoe

Cultivation

Tiller Shovels and Spades Garden Rake

Fencing and Miscellaneous Homestead Tools

Posthole Digger Fence Pliers Wire Cutters Wheelbarrow Other Must-Have Tools

Caring for Your Tools Basic Building Skills

Cutting Lumber Putting the Wood Together

6 Gardening Smart from the Start

Soil: A Dirty Word Types of Soil Feeding the Soil

Composting to Build Healthy Soil The Right Ratio Consider the Source Organic Fertilizers and Soil Supplements

Zones and Plant Hardiness Sun and Water Organic and Land-Friendly Principles

7 Get the Most from Your Garden

Increasing Crops Through Intensive Gardening

Crop Rotation Crop Succession

Extending the Growing Season

Seasonal Plantings Cover Your Crops in the Garden Cold Frames Greenhouses Start Plants Indoors

Companion Planting and Interplanting

8 Vegetables for the Backyard Farm

Vegetables to Grow on an Acre Cool-Season Vegetables

Beets (Beta vulgaris) Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) Mustard (Brassica juncea) Peas (Pisum sativum) Spinach (Spinacea oleracea) Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris)

Warm-Season Vegetables

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) Carrots (Daucua carota) Corn (Zea mays) Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) Garlic (Allium sativum) Onions (Allium cepa) Peppers (Capsicum annum) Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) Summer Squash (Cucurbita sp.) Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) Winter Squash (Cucurbita spp.)

9 Kitchen Herb Gardens

Medicinal Herbs

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis) Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) Lavender (Lavendula) Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Culinary Herbs

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) Dill (Anethum graveolens) Mint (Mentha) Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Sage (Salvia officinalis) Thyme (Thymus spp.)

10 Fruits, Berries, and More

Fruit on Just an Acre? Yes!

Apples (Malus) Sweet Cherries (Prunus avium) and Sour Cherries (Prunus cerasus) Mulberries (Morus sp.) Peaches (Prunus persica) Pears (Pyrus sp.) Persimmons (Diospyros sp.) Plums (Prunus sp.)

Vines and Berries

Blackberries and Raspberries (both Rubus spp.) Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) Grapes (Vitis spp.) Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) Melons (Cucumis melo or Citrullus lanatus) Strawberries (Fragaria spp.)

Perennial Edibles and Nuts to Grow

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis) Pecans (Carya illinoinenmis) Walnuts (Juglans spp.)

11 Heirloom Plants and Saving Seeds

Benefits of Heirloom Gardening

Cost Effectiveness for Growing Produce Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency

How to Save Seeds Testing Viability and Starting Seeds

Part 3: Animals for a Backyard Farm

12 Keeping Chickens on a Small Scale

Breeds for Backyard Flocks

Egg Layers Meat Breeds Dual-Purpose Breeds

Chicken Husbandry

Chick Brood Box Chicken Coop Regular Maintenance Signs and Prevention of Illness and Disease

Eggs from Your Chickens Meat from Your Chickens Other Types of Poultry

Guinea Fowl Geese Ducks Turkeys

13 Rabbits on a Backyard Farm

Rabbits for Meat Rabbits for Fiber Rabbit Husbandry

Housing Rabbits on a Small Scale Care and Maintenance Signs and Prevention of Illness and Disease

Harvesting Fiber from Rabbits

14 Sheep and Goats: Backyard Multitaskers

Breeds for Small Home Use

Breeds for Milk Breeds for Meat Breeds for Fiber

Goat and Sheep Husbandry

Care and Maintenance Housing Signs and Prevention of Illness and Disease Breeding Goats and Sheep Raising or Selling Your Yearly Offspring

Milking a Goat or Sheep Shearing Sheep or Goats

15 Beekeeping in the Backyard

Getting to Know the Bee World Starting Your Apiary

Equipment Needed Acquiring a Hive

Keeping Bees—A Year-Round Guide The Honey Harvest

Tools for Honey Extraction Comb Honey Straining the Honey

Part 4: Enjoying the Bounty

16 A Seasonal Guide to Managing Your Harvest

Eating Fresh in Spring

Spinach Salad with Tangy Dressing Radishes and Egg Salad

Summer’s Feast on the Kitchen Table

Stuffed Tomatoes Basil Pesto Blueberry Zucchini Bread Red Skin Potato Salad

Fall Bounty from the Backyard Farm

Sweet Potato Casserole with Apricots Simple Autumn Skillet

What’s Available in Winter?

Applesauce Oatmeal Coffee Cake Roast Pork Tenderloin with Winter Greens

Butchering on the Backyard Farm

Overview of Processing Meat and Chickens Finding Local Help

17 Canning and Freezing Produce and Meat

Equipment Needed for Home Canning Pressure Canners Home Canning Safety Tips Basic Steps for Water-Bath Canning Basic Steps for Pressure Canning Freezing Tips and Tricks Vegetable Blanching and Freezer Preparation Chart Packaging Meat to Freeze

Erica’s Inside-Out Lasagna

18 Dehydrating and Smoking

Drying Herbs Choosing a Dehydrator Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables

Fruit Leather

Making Jerky in a Dehydrator Drying in a Solar Oven

Making Sun-Dried Tomatoes Drying Meat in a Solar Oven

Smoking Meat in Home Smokers

19 Root Cellars and Basements

Storing Crops in a Cellar Storing Root Cellared Foods Constructing a Simple Root Cellar

Trash Can Root Cellar Basement Root Cellar

20 Preserving Garden Herbs

Growing Your Own Herbs Drying Herbs for Teas

Herbal Tea Benefits Common Herbal Tea Blends

Herbal Vinegars Herbed Butters, Oils, and Spreads Herbal Infusions, Decoctions, and Tinctures

Part 5: Crafting from the Backyard Farm

21 Making Butter, Yogurt, and Cheese

Butter

Butter from Raw Cow’s Milk Butter from Goat’s Milk Tools You Can Use

Yogurt Cheese

22 Fibers: From Sheep to Sweater

Cultivating and Choosing Good Fleece Preparing a Fleece for Spinning

Washing Carding and Combing

Dyeing Your Fiber

Hands-Off Dyeing Stovetop or Vat Dyeing Hand Painting with Dye

Spinning Yarn

Spindles and Wheels Spinning Terms and Techniques

Marketing Your Fiber or Yarn

23 Home Brewing Cider and Wine

Brewing Homemade Cider

Pressing Your Own Cider Fermenting Your Apple Cider Racking Off the Cider

Brewing Homemade Wine

24 Goat’s Milk Soap Making

Health Benefits Infused in Soap Why Make Your Own Soap? Making Goat’s Milk Soap Saponification Creative Soap Making

Oil Combinations Dyes and Embellishments

25 Other Ways to Use Your Harvest

Basketry and Weaving Lip Balm Candles Crayons Flower Cutting Dried Flowers Pressed Flowers Lavender Wands Plant-Based Dyes

Appendixes

A Simple Plans for the Backyard Farm B Gardening Journal Pages C Resources

Index About the Author

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