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  • Home
  • Raising Outdoor Kids
    • Cooking & Crafting

      How to Make Birdseed Ornaments for Wild…

      November 27, 2020

      Raising Outdoor Kids

      Beautiful Spring Picture Books for Children

      March 28, 2020

      Raising Outdoor Kids

      Playing in Nature Protects Our Children During…

      March 17, 2020

      Raising Outdoor Kids

      50+ Spring Nature Activities for Kids of…

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      How to Make a Willow Nature Crown…

      July 2, 2019

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      9 Special Ways to Celebrate Summer Solstice…

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      A Beginner’s Guide to Pond Dipping with…

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      How Pokémon Can Get Kids Bird Watching

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      Nevada, USA

      Rock Climbing and Hiking Around Las Vegas…

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      Signs of Spring Nature Walk for Kids…

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    • All Alberta British Columbia Lower Mainland Northern Interior Okanagan
      British Columbia

      Hiking and Camping with Kids at Kokanee…

      July 30, 2018

      Okanagan

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      December 1, 2017

      British Columbia

      Family-Friendly Adventures on BC’s Sunshine Coast

      November 8, 2017

      British Columbia

      A National Park Reserve in the South…

      November 3, 2017

      Okanagan

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      November 1, 2017

      Okanagan

      Hiking Spion Kop with Kids in Lake…

      October 10, 2017

      Okanagan

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      September 28, 2017

      British Columbia

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      August 30, 2017

      Alberta

      Rock Climbing with Kids in Jasper National…

      August 8, 2017

      Alberta

      Family Adventures in Jasper National Park: 10…

      July 26, 2017

      Alberta

      Shaw’s Point Resort

      August 6, 2015

      Alberta

      Apiaries in Northern Alberta

      August 5, 2015

      Alberta

      St. Isidore, Alberta

      August 4, 2015

      Alberta

      The Hoodoos

      July 29, 2015

      Alberta

      Royal Tyrrell Museum

      July 28, 2015

      Alberta

      Bow Valley Campground

      July 27, 2015

      British Columbia

      Hiking and Camping with Kids at Kokanee…

      July 30, 2018

      British Columbia

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      December 1, 2017

      British Columbia

      Family-Friendly Adventures on BC’s Sunshine Coast

      November 8, 2017

      British Columbia

      A National Park Reserve in the South…

      November 3, 2017

      British Columbia

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      November 1, 2017

      British Columbia

      Hiking Spion Kop with Kids in Lake…

      October 10, 2017

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      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      September 28, 2017

      British Columbia

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      August 30, 2017

      Lower Mainland

      Visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in…

      March 7, 2017

      Lower Mainland

      Outdoor Family Adventures in Metro Vancouver

      August 2, 2016

      Lower Mainland

      Biking the Stanley Park Seawall

      July 27, 2016

      Lower Mainland

      Exploring Deep Cove and Quarry Rock Trail

      July 25, 2016

      Lower Mainland

      Visiting Queen Elizabeth Park

      July 22, 2016

      Lower Mainland

      Biking Through Pacific Spirit Regional Park

      July 20, 2016

      Lower Mainland

      Exploring Lynn Canyon Park

      July 18, 2016

      Lower Mainland

      1001 Steps to the Beach

      April 19, 2014

      Northern Interior

      Life at Ness Lake

      September 1, 2016

      Northern Interior

      McMillan Creek Regional Park

      October 8, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Ferguson Lake Nature Reserve

      October 6, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Eskers Provincial Park

      October 5, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Autumn in Northern British Columbia

      September 28, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Wildflowers in Northern British Columbia

      June 6, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Visiting Barkerville Historic Town

      June 2, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Travelling North

      June 19, 2013

      Okanagan

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

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      A National Park Reserve in the South…

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Backwoods Mama

Book Reviews

Five Great Books For Urban Homesteaders

January 30, 2013

The slower pace of January lends itself well to sprawling by the fire with a pile of good books and a knitting project (a sweater for the baby). My two youngest take my laying by the fire as an invitation to crawl all over me. Sometime I try to convince them to rub my back or encourage them to find a book of their own. Usually we end in a game of air plane where I precariously balance my daughter on my feet.

My reading has been focused various urban homesteading projects. I’ve drawn out some preliminary plans for our backyeard on a sheet of paper. There are (more) compost bins, raised garden beds, fruit tress, raspberries, elderberries and even beehives in our plans for this year. This is an ambitious plan but both my husband and I want to get started with out urban homestead. There is also room for chickens but that will be a project for another year.

Through my research I’ve come across some great books that I want to share. If you have any interest in gardening or homesteading (urban or otherwise) these books have plenty of information for the newbie as well as the veteran. Below is a round up with twitter-style reviews (under 140 characters) of five books for the urban homesteader.
Ecological Gardening by Marjorie Harris

Soil is a living organism. Learn about composting and mulching and how to make happy soil. Great reference books with some slug stomping fun.

The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan

Learn how to put your backyard to work. Whether it’s vegetable gardens, fruit trees or meat rabbits, a great reference book for the urban homesteader wannabe.

Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett L. Markham

Excellent book on small scale farming and gardening. Plenty of details on preparing and planting a good garden bed and that’s just the beginning.

Mini Farming Guide to Vegetable Gardening: Self-Sufficiency from Asparagus to Zucchini by Brett L. Markham

A vegetable gardeners reference book. Learn who’s who in the world of vegetables. So much great information.

Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett

The reference book for raising rabbits for meat or for show.

Please feel free to share your favourite homesteading books in the comment section below.

This post is linked to Yarn Along and Barn Hop. 

Five Great Books For Urban Homesteaders was last modified: May 31st, 2016 by Josée
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6 comments

anna January 31, 2013 at 12:53 am

What a wonderful, inspiring stash of books. I love the little dolly beside them too! (And your spearminty knitting is gorgeous too, of course!)

Reply
Josée January 31, 2013 at 6:12 am

Thanks Anna! I'm always finding my daughter's little dolls sitting or sleeping around the house. It's cute.

Reply
Sarah McCollum February 1, 2013 at 5:49 pm

Hi I commented on your facebook page I'm interested in raising meat rabbits and really curious about the Creme, do you sell breeding trios or pairs? Sarah Smallholdfarm@gmail.com

Reply
Josée February 1, 2013 at 7:04 pm

Thanks for your interest Sarah. I sent a reply to the email you provided.

Reply
Matthew February 2, 2013 at 1:39 am

Ambitious! Sounds lovely, and I hope Felix takes to gardening. Did you ever come across "The Great Brain" books? I'm reminded of the chores the children in those books had to do in their vegetable garden.

Reply
Loralie February 5, 2013 at 5:41 am

Thanks for recommending those books. I definitely want to check out the mini farming ones. Another good one I am reading right now is Backyard Bounty by Linda Gilkeson. We have 3 new planters that we are hoping will reap a nice harvest this year!

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