While it’s not easy to get away from the homestead, a well-earned vacation deserves a great book to take along. Although you could grab the latest fiction novel, there are plenty of light-hearted and inspiring homestead and gardening books to get you excited to return back to daily life on the homestead. Without further ado, here are our favorite homesteader beach reads.
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Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Barbara Kingsolver
Be prepared to laugh and get re-inspired to pursue local and homegrown food. With her trademark wit, Barbara Kingsolver blends memoir on her family’s attempt at eating hyper local food for a year with a narrative nonfiction look at the modern food system. Entertaining read of their first-hand experience of moving from the suburbs to trying to become self-sustaining on an Appalachian homestead.
Freeze Fresh – Crystal Schmidt
While melting in the sun, the last thing you want to think about is canning or cooking in a hot kitchen. So chill out with this book on how to freeze over 50 fruits and vegetables. Author Crystal Schmidt shares how to best prepare each food for the freezer for maximum flavor along with 100+ freezable recipes to help you make the most of your garden’s bounty this summer.
Letter to a Young Farmer – Gene Logsdon
Part memoir, part a lifetime of wisdom being imparting to the next generation. This collection of essays are addressed to those of us looking to return to the countryside and embrace the “small farmer” lifestyle. His witty humor and storytelling make this an entertaining and inspiring read as you continue down the road towards building a sustainable and meaningful life on the homestead.
How to Speak Chicken – Melissa Caughey
This light-hearted book that will make you want to spend even more time with your chickens when you get home from vacation. Author Melissa Caughey combines her observations, scientific findings, and interviews with other chicken-lovers to share how chickens communicate and interact with the world around them. Did you know your chickens probably have named you?
Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener – Joseph Tychonievich
We’ve all heard that saving seeds is a great way to start adapting varieties to your area, but how exactly do you do that? This book is a great primer for those wanting to learn not only how to save seeds from their garden, but also want a simple explanation on how to cross plants and the basics of plant genetics. Includes case studies on both common flowers and vegetable plants.
Hope you enjoy one or more of these books! Comment below if you have any homesteader beach reads you’d like to share with us!