Books for everyone
Ihave a couple of acres and my property is named “Chicken Coop Cottage”. Hugh FearnlyWhittingstall is my hero, he advocates for a life that I would love to achieve. Living a sustainable life being self-reliant and reducing waste. However I think that Hugh would be disappointed in me as all my chickens die a natural death, they do not end up in the pot, I am not a good cook, and I do not like beans or lentils!
I am always looking for ideas, hints and tips on the best way to achieve the dream. Most of the books I take home now are from our wonderful collection in the Home and Garden section. From full on self-sufficiency to tips on how to make your food go further there is something for everyone no matter where you are on the sustainability ladder.
Two of my all-time favourites are Self-Sufficiency and Back to basics both edited by Abigail R Gehring. Even though they are published in America your basic skills are the same everywhere. They cover everything from first settling on your land to guiding you through energy, livestock, gardening and cooking. But
even if you do not have land it contains great tips on cooking, preserving and crafts for the home.
Old time Country wisdom & Lore by Jerry Mack Johnson contains many traditional skills for simple living. You may think that the old ways are not suitable in today’s times, but you will be surprised by what you can adapt to, by learning to live more simply.
Many people think that you have to have acreage to do a lot of selfsufficiency but as Homegrown Happiness a Kiwi guide to living off the suburban land by Elien Lewis shows there is much that you can do in a smaller space. If you can grow your own veg that is great, but there are other options like farmers’ markets. There is one held every Friday in Feilding, and once a month Foxton has a market that is growing in leaps and bounds.
In this time of high living costs many of us try and get the best out of our budgets it is great to get some tips. Save make do, slash your grocery bill by living sustainably by Lyn Webster is a little book that really packs a punch in ways to save money while cutting down on packaging and other wastage.