The Frugal Homesteader

Equip your homesteading dreams with all the affordable DIY innovations, tips, and stories you need to successfully get you started growing your own food, connecting yourself and your kids with nature, and consuming less while producing more! A fun, inspirational, and educational guide to help you save money while living off the land.

“Practical advice . . . from the farm field to foraging in the forest . . . a must-have for anyone looking to transition from homeowner to homesteader.”—Scott Mann, host of The Permaculture Podcast Build your homesteading dreams with all the affordable DIY innovations, tips, and stories you need to successfully launch you on a path to self-sufficiency. Raise and grow your own food, connect with nature, and consume less while producing more! The Frugal Homesteader is a fun, inspirational, and educational guide filled with a lifetime of learning that comes along with becoming a homesteader. Following dozens of successful families who have been motivated to make do, make new, and make more while saving money and living off the land, this book covers such topics as: Outfitting your garden Equipping your barn and outbuildings Protecting and providing for your animals Harvesting rainwater Heating with wood Foraging Producing more of what you need to thrive in harder times. Whether you’re just starting out and looking for new, sustainable, and affordable ideas, approaches, and techniques, or you’re a small-scale farmer in regenerative agriculture, The Frugal Homesteader is the DIY manual to help you succeed. “This book is worth its weight in gold . . . an account of direct lived experience: jam-packed with tips and tricks from doing the homestead life each and every day.”—Ben Falk, homesteader and author of The Resilient Farm and Homestead “This is a rich bounty of ideas that will be equally usefully to old hands and shiny new start-ups alike, whether on rural acreage or urban lot.”—Jenni Blackmore, author of The Food Lover’s Garden

The immensely popular blogger behind Little House Living provides a timeless and “heartwarming guide to modern homesteading” (BookPage) that will inspire you to live your life simply and frugally—perfect for fans of The Pioneer Woman and The Hands-On Home. Shortly after getting married, Merissa Alink and her husband found themselves with nothing in their pantry but a package of spaghetti and some breadcrumbs. Their life had seemingly hit rock bottom, and it was only after a touching act of charity that they were able to get back on their feet again. Inspired by this gesture of kindness as well as the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, Merissa was determined to live an entirely made-from-scratch life, and as a result, she rescued her household budget—saving thousands of dollars a year. Now, she reveals the powerful and moving lessons she’s learned after years of homesteading, homemaking, and cooking from scratch. Filled with charm, practical advice, and gorgeous full-color photographs, Merissa shares everything from tips on budgeting to natural, easy-to-make recipes for taco seasoning mix, sunscreen, lemon poppy hand scrub, furniture polish, and much more. Inviting and charming, Little House Living is the epitome of heartland warmth and prairie inspiration.

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.

Your go-to guide for everything from cultivation to wine-making with one of humanity's oldest plant friends Spanning history and geography, The Elderberry Book takes you on an adventure, deepening your appreciation of a plant that has played a crucial role across the world for thousands of years. Through this fun, inspirational, and educational resource, discover: Elderberry's amazing history Cultivating and foraging, from the balcony to the backyard Various traditional food and medicine preparations Simple wine-making techniques Traditional crafts and tools. This is the definitive guide to the many uses of elderberry. No matter where you are, one of humankind's oldest plant friends can provide you with anything from syrup, to wine, to dyes, to so much more! Once a staple in homes across the world, and found along every highland, highway, and hedgerow, the forgotten elderberry is making a comeback. Its popularity as medicine is surging, its choice as an edible landscaping plant is growing, and its use for wine-making and crafts is being rediscovered.

The "look before you leap" guide to the joys and pitfalls of the rural good life. Dreams of self-sufficiency, independence, and tranquility continue to pull in a new generation of modern homesteaders. While growing your own food and being in charge of your life is the source of much satisfaction, there are many challenges to living away from modern conveniences. Written by an experienced modern homesteader who successfully made the leap, So You Want to Be a Modern Homesteader? offers an in-depth examination of what you need to consider before moving "back to the land." Drawing from a deep well of experience, this essential guide covers: Romance versus the reality of rural living Finding the right property Building versus bootstrapping Practical "must-have" skills Earning an income and farming on a budget Creating community Seasonal living Children and schooling Social media, the internet and rural life. Whether you are dreaming of moving to the country for peace and an escape from the daily grind, to provide a different lifestyle for your children, or you're already long-established in the country, this complete and realistic guide is the essential resource to help you achieve success as a modern homesteader.

Nothing causes more headaches, backaches, and heartaches for gardeners than weeds: these many-petaled, many-seeded, and many-rooted fiends. Stealing sunlight, water, and nutrients, they leave our gardens looking grim and growing poorly - unless you go on the offensive. Yet can weeds be defeated without poisons and tillers? John Moody argues yes - and he has the proof in his own gardens. In this important new book, you'll learn how to beat weeds forever without compromising. The chemical army is losing. Resistant weeds are spreading. Soil health is suffering. Drift and overspray destroys thousands of adjoining farms, homesteads, and properties each growing season. It is a broken system with bitter results.Step away from the herbicide and discover how to keep your gardens beautiful and weed free as WINNING THE WAR ON WEEDS teaches you how to defeat every gardener's worst enemy.

The "look before you leap" guide to the joys and pitfalls of the rural good life. Dreams of self-sufficiency, independence, and tranquility continue to pull in a new generation of modern homesteaders. While growing your own food and being in charge of your life is the source of much satisfaction, there are many challenges to living away from modern conveniences. Written by an experienced modern homesteader who successfully made the leap, So You Want to Be a Modern Homesteader? offers an in-depth examination of what you need to consider before moving "back to the land." Drawing from a deep well of experience, this essential guide covers: Romance versus the reality of rural living Finding the right property Building versus bootstrapping Practical "must-have" skills Earning an income and farming on a budget Creating community Seasonal living Children and schooling Social media, the internet and rural life. Whether you are dreaming of moving to the country for peace and an escape from the daily grind, to provide a different lifestyle for your children, or you're already long-established in the country, this complete and realistic guide is the essential resource to help you achieve success as a modern homesteader.