[littlechick]

Hiya 

Firstly over the past 6 months I have been looking into going self sufficient and doing as much as I can from home so that I haven't got to rely on supermarkets as much as I have been. It really annoys me when I walk into supermarkets and see row apon row of S T (excuse my language!) not only this but I feel totally conned and forced to become part of a society that is controlled by these supermarket fat cats who quite frankley do not give two hoots.

Rant over 


Not only this but I have two young children of 4 and 20 months and I am very unsure what sort of a future they will have and would love to be able to show them how to live and grow thier own food, you never know they may need to know this (and they should really)


Now I rely on the internet a lot to find out information on growing fruit and veg, looking after chickens and have been looking into keeping goats etc.

If the day ever did come that we were without the internet I would realy have some serious problems as I have NO books!

So can anyone here recommend a really good book for Veg growing, fruit growing and anything on keeping livestock? I am especialy interested in keeping goats, bees and possibly pigs (I have chickens already but not sure about breeding)


Any good all rounder books that could help a novice?



Thanks!

[Anke]

Firstly go to your local library, and check out what they have got. They will almost certainly have the John Seymor book, that although more of a coffee table book gives a good introduction to smallholding. (New edition 2001)

However on gardening there is a lot of rubbish been published recently, most of it along the lines .... as seen on TV.... My gardening books that I refer too regularly are:

Monty Don: The complete gardener (also a bit of a coffee table book, but very informative)
Michael Littlewood: The organic gardeners handbook
Pauline Pears: Bed system (for spacing, as I have raised beds in my garden)

For diseases etc:RHS Encycopedia is good, there is also an Organic one, but haven't got it.

All these books are in the libraries I'm sure.

On goats: Ulrich Jaudas: The new goat handbook (only available through abebooks, as out of print)
and Storey's guide to raising diary goats by Jerry Belanger. Although its American, it had lots of info for homemade remedies etc in it. For goats the British Goat society (BGS) has a very good website.

Again there is lots about beekeping in the library system, but I would think trying to get on a beekeeping course (try to find your local beekeepers asociation, they quite often run courses, and/or are quite happy to let you tag along to meetings at the hives in summer) before you read loads about beekeeping. I read the books and found them quite difficult to follow, once I did it myself it all became clear....

Happy reading - but honestly, just lpoughing through the forum will give you lots of ideas/knowledge for everything related to smallholding!

Regards, Anke.

Oh and all of the HFW books on cooking - with the River cottage cookbook also having got a lot of smallholding info in. But probably not if you are vegetarian....

[OhLaLa]

Oh boy - I have so many - here are a few:

The Self-Sufficiency Manual by John Seymour (about £14)

Home Farm by Paul Heiney (about £11)

Bee's at the Bottom of the Garden by Alan Campion and Gay Hodgson (about £6)

Fork to Fork by Monty Don and Sarah Don (about £16)

Starting with Pigs: A Beginners Guide by Andy Case (about £7)

Also the Dr. D. G. Hessayon range of books has good advice about growing vegetables and fruit etc.

 

Katie Thear did a few comprehensive type books (have a look on Amazon.co.uk).

PS: Monty Don is about to release a book called 'My Dream Farm' which is supposed to cover all aspects of farming/smallholding, not much info known about it yet but might be worth keeping an eye out for.

[VSS]

For no nonsense veg growing at a good price (no shiny colour pictures but good line drawings) you can't beat "Grow your own vegetables" by Joy Larkom

[Mo]

Good on ya, littlechick  

My advice would be much the same as Anke - use your Library.

I'd make a list of the books people are suggesting then check out what's in your library. If they don't have what you want, get them to order it in for you.
Then you can see what the books have to offer and decide if you want to buy them.

I do it a lot. People recommend books and we tend to check them out at the Library before deciding whther or not to buy them.

Good luck!

[Fluffywelshsheep]

also check out Amazon for people reviews before you buy them , you can search online for them see what other people say then you can go to the library and get them to order them in before you buy, Also check out the charity shop for books, they can be a treasure trove of books. If some one local suggest a book a0ks to borrow it off them for a loan.

On a more practical thing see if you can put your name down for a allotment (if you don't have backyard room), can take a while to get one but you'll find a fountain of information from the locals

The quiet Linz aka fluffywelshsheep

[katie]

I'd definitely agree with the suggestions of books by John Seymour, Paul Heiney and Katie Thear. Katie Thear's @The Smallholder's Manual' is a mine of information.
I also like 'How to Grow Your Own Food- a Weekly Guide ' by Dirty Nails (!) as it reminds you what you should be doing in the garden/greenhouse week by week.

Trying the library first is a good idea as everyone has their own favourites.

Best of luck to you!

Katie

[Fluffywelshsheep]

liked the sound of the last one so good old google and found this page http://www.dirtynails.co.uk/books/

[scattybiker1972]

try looking here too.
http://www.allotment.org.uk/book/

ive got some books from here. the books ive got include preserving your harvests and jam and chutney making as well as veg & livestock ones.also they do good newsletters to sign up for.its worth a browse and they came really quickly too

[littlechick]

Ooo thank you very much everyone!

I will go to our local library next week and have a mooch!

Thank you very much for all your suggestions and links, wow what a helpful bunch! 

[northfifeduckling]

I actually love Jamie Oliver's At Home, not just nice recipes but lots of tips from his gardener on how to grow the ingredients 
I bet you'll enjoy the journey, a lot of the here recommended reads you can get in the library. Have fun! 

[claire]

if you have not grown vegetables before and want a way to start off small and managable whilst learning.....before going into a whole large area that puts you off half-way through the growing seaon.....Squarefoot Gardening, by Mel Bartholomew.  also on the internet http://www.squarefootgardening.org/whatissfg

[littlechick]

Thank you very much both of you 

[northfifeduckling]

will you let us know how you get on and what you like?