Booklist Review

Contemporary homesteading encompasses a wide range of DIY activities, including the four covered here: raising chickens, canning and preserving, making dairy products, and beekeeping (growing edible plants is not included). The not-entirely-positive origins of the term homesteading are briefly acknowledged, but the book primarily focuses on specific instructions for how to accomplish a wide variety of tasks. The author quit her day job and made homesteading her full-time lifestyle but aims here to provide manageable things that those with other obligations can work into their routine. Several chapters are devoted to raising chickens for egg production and cover the gamut from planning and preparation to managing avian illnesses. Step-by-step instructions with color photos are included in the canning and preserving section along with recipes. The dairy chapters assume the reader will obtain milk directly (no instructions for raising backyard cows or goats) and includes butters, yogurts, cheeses, and more. Beginning beekeepers will appreciate the background information as well as practical instructional guides. Overall, a detail-laden volume ideal for hobbyists and serious DIYers.--Heidemann, Anne Copyright 2010 Booklist