Off-the-wall solutions for real farmstead problems Fueled by a failing economy and a passionate desire for a return to simpler times, a new wave of homesteaders is seeking the good life and the kind of true satisfaction that can only be built, not bought. Many of these modern pioneers are cash poor, but rich in energy and creativity. Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions offers them a set of fresh ideas for achieving independence through sweat equity and the use of unconventional resources. This highly readable and entertaining guide brings together answers to common problems faced by homesteaders young and old, urban, suburban, and rural. Traditional knowledge is combined with MacGyver-style ingenuity to create projects that maximize available resources, including: Animal management strategies for the yard, garden, and field Pole building and construction techniques from woodlot materials Replacing farm machinery with homemade hand tools and implements Leveraging increased self-sufficiency into a home-based business Whether you are a dreamer or a doer, Plowing with Pigs will inspire, challenge, and enable you to do more with less (and have fun doing it). Oscar H. (Hank) Will III is a farmer, scientist, and author, known for seeking and implementing creative farmstead solutions. The editor of Grit magazine, Hank has published hundreds of articles and five books on a range of topics including antique farm machinery. Karen K. Will is editor of The Heirloom Gardener magazine and author of Cooking with Heirlooms: Seasonal Recipes with Heritage-Variety Vegetables and Fruits . She operates Prairie Turnip Farm with her husband Oscar H. Will III.

Put your wooded land to work! This comprehensive manual shows you how to use your woodlands to produce everything from wine and mushrooms to firewood and livestock feed. You’ll learn how to take stock of your woods; use axes, bow saws, chainsaws, and other key tools; create pasture and silvopasture for livestock; prune and coppice trees to make fuel, fodder, and furniture; build living fencing and shelters for animals; grow fruit trees and berries in a woodland orchard; make syrup from birch, walnut, or boxelder trees; and much more. Whether your property is entirely or only partly wooded, this is the guide you need to make the best use of it.

Tested skills for thriving in the age of limits Merlin, Gandalf, Voldemort-these well-known sorcerers from popular culture are famed for their amazing spells and spectacular magical powers. In ancient times however, a wizard was actually a freelance intellectual whose main stock in trade was good advice, supported by a thorough education in agriculture, navigation, political and military science, languages, commerce, mathematics, medicine, and the natural sciences-in essence, the true Renaissance man. Greer proposes a modern mage for uncertain times; one who possesses a startling array of practical skills gleaned from the appropriate tech and organic gardening movements forged in the energy crisis of the 1970s. From the basic concepts of ecology to a plethora of practical techniques such as composting, green manure, low-tech food preservation and storage, small-scale chicken and rabbit raising, solar water heating, alternative energy sources, and more; Green Wizardry is a comprehensive manual for today's wizard-in-training. Providing a solid practical introduction to the entire appropriate tech toolkit, this book is a must-read for anyone concerned about decreasing our dependence on an overloaded industrial system and, in a world of serious energy shortages and economic troubles, making life a great deal less traumatic and more livable.

Roll up your sleeves, warm up your oven, and find a new favorite bread. From intense, chewy sourdough to light, airy focaccia, many of today's most popular breads are best when they're fresh from the oven. Then again, that's always been true. The timeless allure of fresh bread has been part of Mother Earth News magazine since 1970, when they published their first issue. In Bread, for the first time, the editors have collected their very best recipes and techniques. You'll find all the classics, including rustic white, whole-wheat sandwich bread, and sourdough. There's plenty of quick-breads and page after page of country and holiday favorites, such as skillet cornbread, Irish soda bread, and fruit- and nut-filled harvest breads. Go beyond the traditional and try your hand at flatbreads, boiled breads, naan, bagels, pizza crust--even gluten free breads. With more than 150 tried-and-true recipes to choose from, you're sure to find new loaves to love.

Roll up your sleeves, warm up your oven, and find a new favorite bread in this collection of the best classic bread recipes and bread-making techniques. Whether it is intense, chewy sourdough or light, airy focaccia, one thing has always held true about the most popular breads: they are best when they are fresh from the oven. You will find all the favorites in this comprehensive recipe guide, including crusty white bread, sourdough, and all types of sandwich bread. Easy Homemade Bread includes plenty of quick-bread recipes as well, and page after page of country and holiday favorites, like skillet cornbread, a variety of different muffins, and fruit- and nut-filled harvest breads. For the more adventurous, Easy Homemade Bread offers more challenging recipes, including dozens of savory flatbreads, including naan, focaccia, and pizza crusts; boiled and fried breads, including bagels, pretzels, and doughnuts—and even gluten-free breads. With more than 150 tried-and-true recipes to explore, every baker is sure to find new loaves to love.

Offers to teach modern homesteaders how to maximize their available resources, including animal management, construction techniques from woodlot materials, and replacing farm machinery with homemade hand tools.