Traditional Crafts and Skills from the Country: From the garden to the kitchen, and from raising chickens to woodworking, a fresh and easy-to-follow approach to country wisdom

Time-honored practices for a more self-reliant and satisfying lifestyle. Ever have the urge to raise your own chickens, grind your own flour, or start your own compost pile? If any of these ideas sound appealing, this is the book for you. A growing number of people are intrigued by the "homesteader" experience and the idea of doing things themselves, whether they own a big spread in the wilderness or live on a small plot of land in the suburbs. Traditional Crafts and Skills from the Country presents the practical information necessary to become more self-reliant at home, pick up a new hobby, or even learn a skill that may provide a secondary income. The authors' crafts and skills include: beekeeping; raising sheep and goats; starting seeds; composting; felling trees; building split-rail fences; making soap and candles; drying and preserving foods; laying stone; making butter and cheese; reading the weather; and much more. From raising livestock to woodcrafting, from the garden to the kitchen, Monte and Joan Burch have a fresh and easy-to-follow approach to country wisdom that is sure to win over even the most die-hard city dweller. A handbook for returning to "basics" includes instructions for beekeeping, raising farm animals, starting seeds, composting, fence building, laying stone, making butter, drying foods, and much, much more Have you ever thought about raising chickens, keeping bees, grinding your own flour, or starting your own compost pile? If so, then this is the book for you!