Book Review and #Giveaway: The Weekend Homesteader

I have always been fascinated with the concept of living a self sufficient life. The idea that I could feed my family on what I grow in my garden or bake in my kitchen is appealing, although I seriously think we would all starve if that were the case! I am an avid gardener but my yields are terribly low. I love to bake but my homemade bread comes out so dense it is almost a lethal weapon if you chuck it at someone. Clearly, I need a little bit of help in my effort to become self reliant! That is where The Weekend Homesteader comes in! I recently received a copy of this book to review and am eager to start trying some of these ideas in the new year. If you are interested in learning more about self sufficiency, this book might be just what you need!

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Title:  The Weekend Homesteader
Subtitle:  A Twelve-Month Guide to Self-Sufficiency
Format/Length:  Paperback (368 pages)
Author: Anna Hess
ISBN:  978-1616088828
Publisher:  Skyhorse Publishing; 1 edition (November 13, 2012)
My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

 

From the Publisher:

The Weekend Homesteader is organized by month—so whether it’s January or June you’ll find exciting, short projects that you can use to dip your toes into the vast ocean of homesteading without getting overwhelmed. If you need to fit homesteading into a few hours each weekend and would like to have fun while doing it, these projects will be right up your alley, whether you live on a forty-acre farm, a postage-stamp lawn in suburbia, or a high rise.

 

About the Author:

Anna Hess dreamed about moving back to the land ever since her parents dragged her off their family farm at the age of eight. She worked as a field biologist and nonprofit organizer before acquiring fifty-eight acres and a husband, then quit her job to homestead full time. She admits that real farm life involves a lot more hard work than her childhood memories entailed, but the reality is much more fulfilling and she loves pigging out on sun-warmed strawberries and experimenting with no-till gardening, mushroom propagation, and chicken pasturing. Visit her at www.WaldenEffect.org.

 

My Review:

As I started glancing through this book at the types of information that the author included I was immediately thrilled to see that she did not expect me to have 40 acres to play with. My reality is that I live in the burbs on a quarter acre lot! Anything that tells me to put a cow in my backyard isn’t going to happen for me. I really love that Ms. Hess understands that even suburbanites want to learn how to be more self sufficient! To aid other suburbanites in their efforts, she discusses vertical gardening and moveable (yet attractive) chicken coops. I seriously wish I could have chickens in my neighborhood because she has a ton of information in here on keeping them!

I really appreciate the month by month layout of this book. It is a good way to motivate me one step at a time. I don’t have to do everything at once and giving me just one or two chores at a time is much more manageable. It also reminds me to plan ahead. In April it tells me to plan my summer garden, which I tend to forget to do and am struggling to find things at the garden center because they have already been picked over.

In addition to outdoor chores, you will find lots of information on canning and other food preservation methods, storing drinking water, planning your budget, and diversifying your income. The range of topics that Ms. Hess included in this book is very impressive. With the  layout that she creates in The Weekend Homesteader, you will be learning a new skill every month!

For anyone wanting to become more self reliant, I think that The Weekend Homesteader is a very useful book. There are colorful pictures, handy planting guides, and a few recommended resources scattered throughout the book if you need more information on a particular topic or are looking for supplies to make your homesteading easier.

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The publisher would like to give one of my readers a copy of this book to start their own homesteading adventures with. This is a Rafflecopter giveaway so follow the directions below to enter. This giveaway ends at midnight EST on December 22 , 2012.
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Disclaimer:  In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials.”: I received one copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. Some of the links in this post may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

By entering this giveaway, you release this blog and it’s owner from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, related to any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the giveaway or delivery, mis-delivery or acceptance of any prize.

25 thoughts on “Book Review and #Giveaway: The Weekend Homesteader”

  1. Maybe the Art of Barter, or one of the herbal medicine books…

    I’ve been reading Anna’s blog for years. She is the real deal-always trying something new and not afraid to get her hands dirty. Whoever wins her book is in for a treat!

    Reply
  2. I’d love to read the “Altruistic Armadillos, Zenlike Zebras
    Understanding the World’s Most Intriguing Animals” book!

    Reply

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