Part memoir, part reference, The Encyclopedia of Country Living is a labor of love written and rewritten for over 30 years by Carla Emery. The subtitle on the front cover states:
Includes how to cultivate a garden, buy land, bake bread, raise farm animals, make sausage, can peaches, milk a goat, grow herbs, churn butter, build a chicken coop, catch a pig, cook on a wood stove, and much, much more.
They couldn’t be more right. Chapters include:
- Oddments: Move to the country. Buy land. Sew a quilt. Live self-sufficiently.
- Introduction to Plants: Plan a garden Save seeds Improve soil Raise earthworms. Grow mushrooms. Vegetarian eating.
- Grasses, Grains, and Canes: Mow, shock, thresh, winnow. Grind oats. Dry corn. Make bread, pasta, fruit cake.
- Vegetables: Garden to table.
- Herbs and Spices: Cultivate, dry, freeze, store. Make sachets and cosmetics. About wild foods.
- Tree Vine, Bush, and Bramble: Prune a tree. Raise nuts. Press apple cider. Grow fruits. Tap sugar maples.
- Food Preservation: Freezing, canning, drying, root cellar storage.
- Introduction to Animals: How to buy, house, feed, doctor and butcher animals, wild or tame.
- Poultry: Raise chickens, turkeys, guineas, ducks.
- Goats, Cows, and Home Dairying: Milking, making cheese.
- Bee, Rabbit, Sheep, and Pig
There are over 2000 recipes, from herbal sachets to raspberry shrub to canning just about anything. You could try a recipe per day and be at it for years.
The Garden Vegetable section includes planting, harvesting, preservation, cooking and sometimes seed saving. (I had no idea there were so many ways to eat radishes.)
The Food Preservation section has a lot of great recipes – that’s where I got my favorite spaghetti sauce recipe for canning. There are also old fashioned techniques such as preserving with vinegar, salt and fat.
The animal sections give a broad overview of what’s required for critter raising, as well as what to do with the critters when it’s time for harvest, whether it be eggs, milk, meat, fat, hide or anything else you could think of using.
Don’t try to read this in one sitting! It’s not that kind of book. At close to a thousand pages, it’s simple overwhelming. Better to snuggle up with a section and peruse at leisure, or simply look up the specific information you need.
Are there better books for specific topics? Yes, but this is the most comprehensive homesteading book I’ve seen that gives enough details to be useful.
I really like this book. It’s like taking a peek into Carla’s life as her homesteading skills evolved. She makes you feel like you’re talking to an old friend. I remember being saddened when I heard she passed away back in 2005. She will be greatly missed, but she left one heck of a legacy.
This post has been added to Simple Lives Thursday #87 at GNOWGFLINS.
16 Responses to “If You Only Get One Homesteading Book – This Should Be It”
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I’ve heard of this book before…and it always comes highly recommended. When you are looking up a particular topic, do you feel that the explanations are sufficient? This is definitely on my list of books to buy someday
Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 
Heather – it really depends upon the topic and your level of knowledge. Everything I’ve tried has been pretty straightforward easy to understand, but I haven’t delved into the animal parts too much. I think the majority of people would find it helpful and easy to use. I tend to consult several sources when I’ve got a really big project, but I think this would get you through almost anything on it’s own.
I agree. I have had mine for more than a decade and I refer to it often. Have a great week.
I agree, I love this book. I first purchased this book when I moved to a country property about 12 years ago, and it helped with so many things like gardening and chickens. I love reading it, I agree you do feel like you know Carla when you are done reading it. Must have for anyone who loves the idea homesteading!
We have this book too. Our local farm supply store carries a selection of books, must be a vendor pack because they often change. This was one of them and it covers just about everything!
I have a ragged, tattered copy of this book that I bought from Carla a few years before she died, back when she was doing the “circuit”. While it can’t possibly go into all of the details on everything, it sure does a good job of covering a huge variety of topics. I wouldn’t part with mine for the world!
Yes, this is my all time favourite homesteading book. I was so sad a few years ago to hear that Carla had passed away.
I agree wholeheartedly! It’s a great book and one of my favorites. Another really terrific book that I use a lot is “The Basics and More Cookbook ” by
Elsie Hoover. So much info on everything you can think of: canning, freezing, preserving, breads, soups, salads, meats and TVP, old pioneer recipes, and stand-bys, etc.etc.etc. Even a recipe for MIRACLE WHIP!
i love this book too and tell everyone about it lol
I have had this book for 13 years and I love it. I was sad when I heard that Carla had passed away. This is absolutely *the* guide to homesteading.
I need sooo much help in some of these areas, but it really looks like the option of us living in the country is not going to happen – like animals and all that goes w/ them. I also won’t be growing a fruit tree, I don’t think. So my question is – is this still a “keeper” book for us? I think the areas I need the most help in are gardening and preserving (canning) but I think I am doing pretty well w/ drying. I think this looks great but I prefer not buying books to just add to my clutter. Thank you!
Hmmm…there is so much information in the book that I would lean towards “yes”, even in an urban setting. Each section is self-contained, so if you only need information on XYZ, you just go to the relevant bit. If you find it overwhelming to page through a large volume, let me know which specific topics you’d like to know more about, and I can tell you which books I’ve read on the subject that I like the most.
That’s the book that I’ve lost track of~! What an amazing woman and fantastic book. I learned so much from reading it~we had a lamb strangle himself, so we butchered him and I tanned the hide,,,she taught us so much about small farming…thanks so much for featuring it on your website~
I don’t think there’s much about homesteading that she doesn’t at least touch on in the book. It’s an amazing testimony to her life and experience.
Hi – thanks for this recommendation. I have just purchased it online and eagerly waiting for it to arrive. It will be interesting to see how it suits us here in Australia. My husband and I are wannabe homesteaders currently living in a suburban house with our veggies, chickens, rabbits and our hearts are screaming to be free. I am loving reading through your site. Best of luck for 2013 – may this be a good year for everyone.
Many homesteading activities are universal, so I think you’ll get your money’s worth. All the best to you and your family in the upcoming year.