Would you like to grow your own food? Get started with these 5 best homesteading books for beginners!
What is homesteading?
Many people think of homesteading as an old fashioned term, and it is. The term “homestead” used to refer to a tract of land that a family filed a record for from the U.S. Public Lands. They would then live on the land and “homestead” it.
But what is a modern homestead?
Today, the term “homesteading” is enjoying quite the comeback. The modern idea of homesteading is more about growing your own food and being a little (or a lot) less dependent on the grocery store.
Rather than farming on a large scale to make an income, homesteading focuses on growing your own food for your family to eat.
A modern homestead might have, for example, a family cow or pair of goats, some chickens and a vegetable garden. Or maybe it would consist of fruit trees, bees for pollination and honey, and a pair of steers for beef.
Homesteading is a great way to become more self-sufficient and more prepared for emergencies!
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5 Best Homesteading Books for Beginners
- The Encyclopedia of Country Living
- The Backyard Homestead
- Making Vegetables
- Backyard Homesteading
- Be Your Own Doctor
I have read many homesteading books, and continue to read at least a book every month, but these are my top picks for beginners! This list of 5 best homesteading books for beginners will get you started with homesteading and growing your own food!
Clicking the picture of the book will take you straight to the book on Amazon, but you can also check out some of these books from your local library for free!
#1 The Encyclopedia of Country Living
I don’t like to spend money on a book until I know it’s really, really good.
When I find a book that looks promising, I usually check it out from my local library first. Some books I have checked out numerous times, but I only add my very favorites to my collection!
The Encyclopedia of Country Living didn’t just get added to my collection; it has become my favorite reference book for all things homesteading, gardening, raising animals and living off the land.
This huge 922 page book by Carla Emery has some science, but is based more on the experience of the author and other contributors.
The book is just packed with practical, common-sense information, from raising animals, to gardening and growing grains, herbs, fruit and nuts!
You can find out more about this book here: Book Review: The Encyclopedia of Country Living.
#2 The Backyard Homestead
In the backyard homestead, Carleen Madigan shows you how to produce a variety of food for your family on as little as a quarter of an acre. She gives plans and detailed information on just how much space you need for different animals and garden crops.
I learned so much from this inspiring book! It’s an absolute must read for every backyard homesteader!
#3 Making Vegetables
THE book for beginning gardeners!
This large book starts at the beginning to teach you how to garden in a fun, inspiring way. It is packed full of colorful pictures and solid information about growing vegetables organically.
This is by far the most fun and colorful gardening book we have found.
Making Vegetablesis definitely a favorite of ours!
Highly recommended for beginning to intermediate gardeners!
#4 Backyard Homesteading
If you are a visual learner, this is one of the best homesteading books you could start out with!
Filled with colorful pictures and illustrations, Backyard Homesteading gives step by step instructions on growing everything from vegetables, to honey, to fruits and nuts. It has sections on raising different types of livestock and honey bees, and also includes a chapter on preserving the food you grow.
This book is very well organized and easy to read, a great choice for the beginning homesteader!
#5 Be Your Own Doctor
Whether you just want some practical first aid knowledge, or want to save on doctors trips, this book has an incredible amount of information that we use every day. This is one of the best homesteading books out there!
My absolute favorite book about herbs! The author does a wonderful job at combining her knowledge of healing herbs with real, practical and detailed instructions and examples.
Although not exactly a book about growing your own food, I consider this book a must-have for any homesteader.
Way beyond a first aid book, Be Your Own Doctor continues to save us trips to the emergency room on a regular basis!
More Homesteading Resources
Since writing this article, one of my new favorite best homesteading books is Back to Basics, which could almost rival The Encyclopedia for #1!
You can find dozens more reviews for the best homesteading books here!
You’ll also find a wide variety of homesteading how-to articles by browsing around on this site!
