Homegrown and Handmade – Ten Skills to Learn Plus a Giveaway!

I was so excited to be able to review the newest edition of Homegrown and Handmade by Deborah Niemann through a giveaway promotion with Homestead Bloggers Network, because this book covers so many things that help someone embrace a new self-sufficient journey. Be sure to look for the amazing Giveaway at the end of the post for $100 worth of goodies!

Here are just a few of the things this book will help you learn:

1. Planning a Sustainable Garden – Whether you want to plan a large garden to grow the majority of your produce, or you only have room for an Edible Landscape, this section will help you plan the garden that’s right for you.
2. Growing Herbs – I love that growing herbs get covered in this book because they are such a great way to save money on the homestead. Typically hardy to grow but pricy to buy this is a great use for garden space.
3. Fruits and Berries – Fruits and berries are another great way to get your money’s worth in the homestead. They are perennial plants and will usually produce for years and years after the initial purchase!
4. Cooking – One thing I hear all the time from Untrained Housewife readers is something like “OK I have all these blueberries – now what?” Learning to cook with the fruits, vegetables, and herbs you grow is a new skill to learn and it’s covered throughout Homegrown and Handmade!
5. Backyard Poultry – Chickens and ducks and eggs, oh my! I love my chickens and raising ducks at the ranch as well, so this is a great addition to a backyard farm.
6. Raising Dairy Animals – So much information to consider when planning for a home dairy starting with which animal to raise – cows, goats, sheep, camels, etc. Learn the pros and cons of each, as well as the basics of caring for them.
7. Soap Making – I will confess here…soap-making is something I haven’t tried yet. As with our home currently under rebuilding efforts from water damage it won’t be happening any time soon. But it’s next on my list of homesteading skills to tackle now that I’ve dipped my toes into fiber arts. I’m so glad to have these simple recipes Deborah put in the book!
8. Raising Your Own Meat – Pork, poultry and more are discussed in this book and, again, Deborah provides recipes to help you utilize what you are producing. It’s lovely as these hands-on tidbits are sprinkled throughout the whole book.
9. Fiber Animals and Using Them – One of the best things I ever did was learn to spin and take up my crochet efforts again. In fact, I recently produced my first ever original crochet scarf pattern! This book walks you through fiber production and includes a fun knitting project as well.
10. Homemade Money – I love that Deborah includes an entire section on creating a business out of your homesteading efforts and discusses both food and non-food items you can produce and sell.

Regardless of where you are in your homesteading and self-sufficiency journey, this book will have something for you to learn from and challenge yourself with. Reading Homegrown and Handmade is like chatting with a knowledgeable neighbor. Want to learn more for yourself? Pick up the newest edition of Homegrown and Handmade here, and enter to win the Homegrown and Handmade giveaway package from New Society Publishing and Homestead Bloggers Network below.

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About Angela England

Angela England has written 562 posts in this blog.

Founder of Untrained Housewife, Editor-in-Chief of Blissfully Domestic (http://blissfullydomestic.com), mother of five, wife of one, and God-seeker always.

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