Trying to be more self-sufficient? Want to start learning how to grow your own food and raise your own meat? What’s the very best book you have read about Gardening, Preserving, Raising Animals and all the stuff it’s good to know?
There are lots of books out there – I have my favourites. Here’s just one of them:
The Encylopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery
Carla Emery was a remarkable woman, who made it her calling to spread the word about Homesteading and providing for yourself and your family. I have read this book from front to back and back to front many many times. It’s 871 pages chockful of information, I kid you not.
Here is the kind of information included in this amazing book:
- Introduction to Plants
- Grasses, Grains and Canes
- Garden Vegetables
- Herbs & Flavorings
- Tree, Vine, Bush & Bramble
- Food Preservation
- Introduction to Animals
- Poultry
- Goats, Cows & Home Dairying
- Bee, Rabbit, Sheep & Pig
Interwoven is Carla’s story – the story of her life, her marriage, motherhood, travelling to markets to sell her book, her frustrations and her dreams. By the time I finished reading this book for the first time, I felt I knew her personally. Her writing style is plain, simple and very easy to understand language.
Carla passed away a few years ago but her life and beautiful spirit live on through this book.
You can and should read the reviews of Carla’s Encyclopedia of Country Living. Then, order the book through Amazon. You won’t be disappointed. If you’re
new to the idea of raising your own food and/or animals, you will learn a LOT from this book.
Carla’s book would make an excellent Christmas present for the wannabe gardener/small farmer in your life. Have a relative expressing interest and asking questions about country style living, even in the city? Anyone would appreciate this kind of thoughtfulness about choosing a present for them.
