If you could only have one book on Homesteading(one that covers everything)what would it be. There are too many choices out there and I can't afford them all. Would appreciate any advice. laualeye@email.com

-- Molly Sours (lauraleye@email.com), October 27, 1999

Answers

my vote would be the encyclopedia of organic garding. You didnt say what your intrests are but this cover both plants ,grains and animals, My copy is dated 1978 so you might find it used some were.Dont know if the newest would be as indepth?

-- kathy hart (saddlebronc@msn.com), October 27, 1999.

Beyond any doubt, I'd pick (and did pick)"Carla Emery's Old Fashioned Recipe Book". It is an excellent basic reference for just about anything homestead oriented that you could want to do. Another favorite, all round book is John Vivian's "Practical Homesteading". JD's book about goats "Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way" is the best thing I've ever seen for a good, general guide for milking goats. (I learned how to milk with this book in one hand and the goat in the other about 20 years ago!) Hope this helps! Good luck!

-- Kristen Hall (stnyhlw@intelos.net), October 27, 1999.

Carla Emery's book is my Number One choice. It's rally 50+ books in one volume. You can order it from www.CarlaEmery.com

My second choice is Husbandry by Nathan Griffith. It is available for $21 (including shipping) from Cobblemead Publications, HCR 68, Box 185, Trout, WV 24991. It's not as all inclusive as Carla's book, but it covers items that no one else touches on.

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), October 28, 1999.

It is Carla Emery's book, hands down. I have lots of others, most of them culled from yard sales and library sales, so look there, too. But Mrs. Emery's book has eveything, and some entertaining stories, too. $27.00 dollars well spent.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), October 28, 1999.

For sure...get the Carla Emery book. I have 2 copies, an old one Bantam edition (7?) and a 9th edition prototype. I love them both. Look at used book stores even, alot of times they are put with the cookbooks, sometimes in other sections. I found one at a used bookstore once and gave it as a gift. It is the best. Has tons of info!!!Good luck!

-- Jenny Pipes (auntjenny6@aol.com), October 31, 1999.

without a doubt, if I could only have one book it would have to be Carla Emory's book. I refer to it time and again for many subjects. I also recently saw advertised a book that looks good and I plan to get. It is "Storey's Basic Country Skills" by Storey books. It is 544 pgs. and costs $24.95 and can be found on their web site: WWW.storeybooks.com Looks like it would be at least as thorough as Carla's book!

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), November 02, 1999.

Well, I went to get the book that I most favor. Didn't recall the name- but, it is The Encyclopedia of Country Living, written by, Carla Emery. This is one book that I won't even lend to my own sister, for fear that I wouldn't get it back! Carla, I hope you are out there somewhere, having your ears ringing - there's people here talking about you!! I LOVE THIS BOOK! (By the way, I bought it at one of the 'sporting shows', also spent $28.00). This lady put her LIFE into this book - that is exactly how good it is!

-- Carol Price (cprice@gateway.net), November 09, 1999.

Storey's Basic Country Living is an incredible find! I've read it cover to cover and it has insights from basic farm layouts, home improvement, alternative energy sources, animal care & a great section on building barns for farm animals, in the back it has great resources. This book was compiled by a lot of pro's and consolidated for easy reading and understanding. Not to mention recipes, canning, basic butchering & how to make soap & cheese & marketing ideas for the small farmer. Get it now or you'll not get it all!

-- j.shuert (city003@aol.com), January 08, 2000.

Barbara -- the Storeys Basic Country Skills is an excellent book! I just found it a while ago in Costco for 19.95, and it was the best twenty bucks I've ever spent! The info in it is kind of different than the Carla Emery book (which I also have), but complimentary, not better or worse. I found Carla Emery really useful on "household", whereas the Storey book is good on what my mom used to call "outside work". They do overlap on info, but they have different strengths and levels of detail on things.

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), April 27, 2000.

I have two books and I don't know which I like best but they are: "Country Wisdon,The Art of Successful Homesteading" by the editors of Countryside Magazine and "Five Acres and Independence" by M.G. Kains. The book by M.G. Kains was originally published in 1935 but it has so much good common sense material that I wouldn't be without it.

-- John Hickson (john@mridp.com), August 13, 2000.

Carla Emery, The Encyclopedia of County Living. This book is phenomenal!! Love it, Love it, Love it!! Wendy

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), August 13, 2000.