Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance

Brief Description: This is the book for anyone who wants to become more self-reliant, from suburbanites with 1/4 of an acre to country homesteaders with several. The information is easily understood and readily applicable. More than 150 of Storey's expert authors in gardening, building, animal raising, and homesteading share their specialized knowledge and experience in this ultimate guide to living a more independent, satisfying life. Readers will find step-by-step, illustrated instructions for every aspect of country living including: Finding country land Buying, building, and renovating a home Developing water sources and systems Understanding wiring, plumbing, and heating Using alternative heating and energy sources Vegetable, flower, and herb gardening Traditional cooking skills such as baking bread and making maple syrup Preparing and preserving meat, fruits, and vegetables Building and maintaining barns, sheds, and outbuildings Caring for common farm and ranch animals, and petsReview Quotes: This big, comprehensive book that covers everything from land to animals; from vegetables to country cooking. The book encompasses more than 40 years of writing and includes the expertise of many experienced authors. It s like having a whole community of seasoned gardeners, farmers and homesetaders living next door to you. Star Beacon "Jacket Description/Back: REDISCOVER THE BASIC SKILLS OF COUNTRY LIFE! Whether it's making ice cream or sharpening an ax, cleaning a chimney or growing raspberries, you'll learn how to do it in this treasury of time-honored country wisdom. Illustrated step-by-step instructions will show you how to milk a cow, tap a maple tree, clean a fish, lead a horse, and build the best chicken coop. You'll find out how to heat your house with wood or by the sun and how to de-skunk a country dog. You'll learn the proper way to put in a water system, rewire an old house, stack a cord of wood, and grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Yearning for a more self-reliant life? You'll find the answers in Storey's Basic Country Skills. Table of Contents: YOUR PLACE IN THE COUNTRY Your Country Home Outdoor Spaces The Water Supply Plumbing Heating Your Home Electricity Basic Home Improvements The Home Interior YOUR GARDEN, YARD & ORCHARD The Vegetable Garden The Herb Garden The Flower Garden Water and Rock Gardens Improving Your Soil Garden Pests and Diseases Birds and Butterflies Lawn Care Berries and Fruits Arbors and Trellises Greenhouses Sheds and More COUNTRY COOKING & STOCKING UP Classic Country Recipes Fresh From the Dairy Meat, Fish and Game Preserving the Harvest The Country Pantry YOUR BARN, STABLE & FIELDS Farm and Ranch Animals Barns and Fences Country Pets Small-Scale Farming Tools and Techniques ILLUSTRATION CREDITS BOOKS RESOURCES INDEX HARDINESS ZONE MAPPublisher Marketing: This is the book for anyone who wants to become more self-reliant, from suburbanites with 1/4 of an acre to country homesteaders with several. The information is easily understood and readily applicable. More than 150 of Storey's expert authors in gardening, building, animal raising, and homesteading share their specialized knowledge and experience in this ultimate guide to living a more independent, satisfying life. Readers will find step-by-step, illustrated instructions for every aspect of country living including: Finding country land Buying, building, and renovating a home Developing water sources and systems Understanding wiring, plumbing, and heating Using alternative heating and energy sources Vegetable, flower, and herb gardening Traditional cooking skills such as baking bread and making maple syrup Preparing and preserving meat, fruits, and vegetables Building and maintaining barns, sheds, and outbuildings Caring for common farm and ranch animals, and pets Review Citations:

Beyond the Cover Author Interv 12/01/1999 pg. 5 (EAN 9781580172028, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Storey, John John Storey founded Storey Communications, Inc. with his wife Martha in 1983. He has three children and eight grandchildren. He lives in western Massachusetts and farm in Westport, New York. Contributor Bio:  Storey, Martha Martha Storey lent her party-planning advice to Keeping Entertaining Simple. She has mastered the art of relaxed hostessing, whether giving small dinner parties for close friends or large corporate picnics, and she shares her secrets and inspiring ideas with readers. Country-living publisher for more than 17 years, Martha also draws on her country roots to bring you the time-honored classics of the American country kitchen in her book, Treasured Country Recipes from Martha Storey and Friends. Martha founded Storey Communications, Inc. with her husband John in 1983. She has three children and eight grandchildren. She lives in western Massachusetts and farm in Westport, New York. Contributor Bio:  Burns, Deborah Author Deborah Burns spent her childhood years in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, but by the time she was in her 20's she had a desire to see the world. For the next ten years of her life Deborah was able to fulfill that dream, visiting many countries and working in various fields. Besides traveling through the West Indies and Europe, Deb worked in canneries in Alaska and traveled through South America where she was hired to dive for diamonds in an underground river in the Venezuelan bush. She worked as a reporter in India and helped start a still-thriving newspaper in Ireland, the country she considers her second home. Her many experiences have led to the excellent advice found in her book, Tips for the Savvy Traveler. Deborah came back to the United States with her husband to have the first of her two children. She has written a few history books, including Shaker Cities of Peace Love, and Union: A History of the Hancock Bishopric, and is now an acquisitions editor at Storey Communications, Inc. Deborah now shares her love of traveling with her family.