Best homesteading books
The big homesteading references cover everything from building a chicken coop to making soap. They're the books people reach for when they don't know where else to look.
13 books, beginner-friendly first.
Back to Basics
Abigail R. Gehring · 2014
A broad illustrated guide to traditional skills: building, growing, preserving, and crafts. Covers a lot of ground without going deep.
beginnerLarge reference
The Backyard Beekeeper
Kim Flottum · 2024
A beginner's guide to keeping bees in small spaces. Honey keeps for a very long time.
beginner
The Backyard Homestead
Carleen Madigan · 2009
What you can produce on a quarter acre: vegetables, fruit, chickens, and more. A friendly overview.
beginner
The Encyclopedia of Country Living
Carla Emery · 2012
Carla Emery's massive reference on growing, raising, preserving, and cooking food. If you only keep one homesteading book, many people pick this one.
beginnerLarge reference
Foxfire 2
Eliot Wigginton · 1973
The second Foxfire volume, with more traditional Appalachian skills from spinning to wagon making.
beginnerAppalachia
Foxfire 3
Eliot Wigginton · 1975
The third Foxfire volume, covering animal care, hide tanning, and more mountain skills.
beginnerAppalachia
The Foxfire Book
Eliot Wigginton · 1972
Appalachian students recorded their elders' skills: hog dressing, log cabins, soap making, and more. The first of a long series.
beginnerAppalachiaJust in Case
Kathy Harrison · 2008
Kathy Harrison's family-centered guide to being ready for emergencies, with practical lists and a calm tone.
beginner
Mini Farming
Brett L. Markham · 2010
How to produce most of a family's food on a quarter acre.
beginner
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
John Seymour · 2009
John Seymour's illustrated classic on running a small self-sufficient holding, from gardening and livestock to crafts.
beginnerLarge reference
The Home Water Supply
Stu Campbell · 1983
An older Storey guide to wells, springs, pumps, and plumbing for rural homes. The basics of water systems haven't changed much.
intermediate
The Humanure Handbook
Joseph C. Jenkins · 2019
Safe composting of human waste. If the sewer stops, sanitation becomes urgent, and this book covers it in depth.
intermediate
The Resilient Farm and Homestead
Ben Falk · 2013
Ben Falk's detailed account of designing a resilient Vermont homestead, from water systems to food forests.
advanced