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Index
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Section One: Getting Started
Chapter 1: What is Homesteading?
A working definition
Why should you homestead?
What are you homesteading for: money, self-sufficiency, passion?
Different ideas about homesteading
Different homesteading goals
Determining your goals
Homesteader profile: Samantha McClellan
Chapter 2: What Do You Bring to the Table?
Assessing abilities
Assessing resources: do you need land?
Notes on zoning and HOA rules
You will never be an expert, so you may as well get started
Chapter 3: Self-Sufficiency
How self-sufficient do you want to be?
Separating needs from wants
Necessities
Chapter 4: The Importance of Food
Where does your food come from?
Growing and producing your own food
What do all those labels mean?
Section Two: Farming
Chapter 5: Where Do I Get Land?
Renting versus owning
Yard farming
Basic steps to convert your yard into a farm
Micro farms
Urban farms
Chapter 6: How to Farm
The basics
Conventional farming
Organic farming
Permaculture
Biodynamics
Chapter 7: Animal Husbandry
The basics
Meat, milk, eggs, fish, fiber, and more
Keeping your animals healthy
Keeping your animals happy
Chapter 8: Record Keeping and Planning
Don’t skip the planning stage
Making a farm plan
Farming versus gardening
Farm/garden design and layout
What to grow: cash versus calories
Section Three: Dollars and Sense
Chapter 9: A Business Plan
What is it for, and do you need one?
Determining profit . . . and its importance
Chapter 10: Financing
The basics
Traditional funding sources
Nontraditional funding sources
Microloans
CSAs as a funding source
Chapter 11: Marketing
Getting the word out
Social media and beyond
Local avenues
Section Four: Learning to Love the Fiber Arts!
Chapter 12: The Importance of Fiber
As a step toward self-sufficiency
As a commercial venture
As an alternative to meat animals
Chapter 13: Fiber Animals
Sheep, goats, rabbits, and alpacas!
Wool gathering
From fleece to yarn
Homesteaders’ favorite fiber animals
Chapter 14: Crochet, Knitting, Macramé, Sewing, and More
Fiber arts basics
Outlets for your goods
Pricing your goods
Section Five: Home Production
Chapter 15: Canning
Lessons learned
A bit of canning history
Canning safety
Water bath canning
Pressure canning
Storing canned goods
Top five canning mistakes
Chapter 16: Dairy
Milk and more
Making cheese
Making yogurt
Making butter
Farmhouse Cheddar
Quick and Easy Yogurt
Marble Method for Making Butter
Chapter 17: Fermentation
My first foray into fermentation
What is fermentation?
Sauerkraut and beyond
Troubleshooting
Chapter 18: Eggs
Love at first crack
Egg surprises
Safety information
Tips for getting eggs from other birds
Egg sales
Chapter 19: The Basics of Baking
How baking bread saved my sanity
The science behind the magic
Bread and beyond
Baking tips
Pita Bread
Sourdough Starter
Mom’s Cornbread
Section Six: Lifestyle
Chapter 20: Children
Homeschooling
Homesteader profile: Jennifer Hall
Herding cats—raising kids on the homestead
Chapter 21: Community
Moving into a community
The importance of community
Building a community
How to host a crop mob
Chapter 22: Marking Time
Living in the seasons
Faith and homesteading
Celebrate the seasons
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Appendices:
Sample Farm Plan
The Basics of Composting
Tools
Soil Fertility Basics
Solarizing Raised Beds
About the Author
Index
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