books about ‘living without electricity’ and ‘surviving power outages’ in – Northwestern Europe and North America – page three –
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Many people who live in cities dream of ‘getting back to the land‘, growing their own fruits and vegtables, getting ‘off the grid’ by generating their own energy, and simply becoming as ‘self-sufficient’ as possible. But these dreams often don’t include the harsh realities of running an ideal ‘smallholding’, equally as simply because they have no real experience of living close to the land. There is a great deal of ‘daily’ hard work involved, and it’s not just the cat or the dog that needs to be looked after if you simply want to go on holiday – and you’re raising livestock …
In fact there’s nothing simple about it at all, and to do it successfully means total commitment. Techniques for successfully becoming ‘self-sufficient’ vary from climate zone to climate zone, and what works well in one place may be entirely the wrong thing to do in another. But it wasn’t all that long ago that everyone lived in conditions that many are yearning to get back to, and luckily there are many books written over the past 50 to 150 years that are still available for would-be smallholders …
The information in these old books will, without doubt, contain the ‘wisdom of the ancients’, as agricultural and animal husbandry knowledge is something that has, out of necessity for survival, been passed down throughout the generations since the first peoples who gave up the nomadic roaming of countless millennia began experiments with settled life …
Below are a small selection of books about basic ‘self-sufficiency’
that contain practical, down-to-earth, information and advice from the daily lives of small farmer’s, kitchen gardners, and smallholders that has not changed much in the past 50,000 years or more. These skills are tried-and-tested techniques that are still in everyday use by peoples who live closer to the land in many non-industrialised countries. For those seeking security in a world over-dependent on imported produce, the choice is one of hard work and self-sufficient peace of mind – or the uncertainties of ‘just-in-time’-supplied supermarkets totally dependent on a global transport network and a centralised power generation grid that is becoming increasingly vulnerable to a myriad threats …
simply click on the book covers to order those titles directly from
“Clean clothes and other fabrics are important for health, comfort, and economy. With the aid of automatic washers and dryers, Americans do 200 billion pounds of laundry every year. During an emergency (e.g., natural disaster, terrorism, or economic depression), electricity to operate appliances or the appliances themselves me be unavailable. Therefore, alternative methods of laundering may be necessary. The information in this book will allow individuals to make the best use of the means available to wash fabrics. Whatever the emergency, wise preparation will allow you to cope. (The book will also be a great benefit to people who live in rural areas with no electricity.)”
“Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits and Vegetables”
by
Mike Bubel, Nancy Bubel (Contributor), Pam Art (Editor)
EU English Edition
“From the Back Cover
Root cellaring, as many people remember but only a few people still practice, is a way of using the earth’s naturally cool, stable temperature to store perishable fruits and vegetables. Root cellaring, as Mike and Nancy Bubel explain here, is a no-cost, simple, low-technology, energy-saving way to keep the harvest fresh all year long. In Root Cellaring, the Bubels tell how to successfully use this natural storage approach. It’s the first book devoted entirely to the subject, and it covers the subject with a thoroughness that makes it the only book you’ll ever need on root cellaring.
“
“Independent Energy Guide: Electrical Power for Home, Boat and Recreational Vehicles”
byKevin Jeffrey
EU English Edition
“Plan the ideal independent power system for a home, boat or RV using a guide which promotes building power systems which streamline production and consume the least power. Simple living is one important facet of achieving independent energy goals: chapters tell how to create energy sources which work well.”
“Five Acres and Independence”by
Maurice G. Kains
EU English Edition
“I have a 1946 edition of this book which my father used as a reference in supplying our family all of our food from 1948 until 1962 and a large portion of our food thereafter. I have referred to it on a regular basis since 1972. While the precise numbers for costs and quantity of production are dated, the basic principles for successful small farming are clearly elucidated. You can update the costs and quantities yourself. Some of the information on animal breeds should be updated by additional research. But the priciples are all here. The chapters on “City vs. Country Life” and “Tried and True Ways to Fail” are essential reading if you have never been involved in agriculture previously. I have many reference books, and this is one of the best…with a tattered cover and yellowed pages!”
“Successful Small-Scale Farming: An Organic Approach”
by
Karl Schwenke
EU English Edition
“Successful Small-Scale Farming introduces anyone owning (or planning to own) a small farm to both the harsh realities and the real potential involved in making a full- or part-time living on the land. Karl Schwenke’s clear-eyed approach to the best farming methods covers a wide range of proven techniques and practical advice. With today’s increased concern for the quality of the food we eat and the health of our environment, Successful Small-Scale Farming offers a unique and invaluable perspective on the future of agriculture. Karl Schwenke’s message — that small-scale farms can be cleaner, smarter, and more efficient than corporate agribusiness — has never been so relevant as it is today.”
“Chickens in Your Backyard: A Beginner’s Guide”
byRick. Luttmann & Gail Luttmann
EU English Edition
“This is the one book I found most helpful when I started raising my flock of laying hens. I can run to this book when I have a question or concern, and the information is usually there. Thanks to this book, I have not only raised many a hen from 2 day old chick, but hatched out my own broods in an incubator. This is the book I recommend when I am helping others get started raising hens, and they have had equal success. The majority of the book is information on how to care for your birds, rather than focusing on the butchering of chickens. The one chapter on butchering is straight forward. It approaches the subject knowing the beginner butcher will be a bit squeemish and nervous, and takes that into account.”
“The Smallholder’s Manual”
byKatie Thear
EU English Edition
“Whether you are an established smallholder, or just starting to take the first tentative steps towards farming at your home, this book contains a wealth of useful information on all the key aspects of small-scale agriculture. The book covers the rural property – buying a small farm, preparing outbuildings and equipping it with machinery and tools; the land – the kitchen garden, protected cultivation, orchards and pasture; livestock – from bees, rabbits and chickens to goats, cattle and exotic species; and commercial considerations, regulations and organic farming.”
“Renewable Energy: Sources for Fuels and Electricity”
byThomsa B. Johansson, et al
EU English Edition
“Written and edited by the world’s leading experts, Renewable Energy is the most comprehensive reference work on alternative energy ever published. Overall performance, cost, market potential, and environmental impact are assessed for fuels and electricity derived from hydroelectric, wind, photovoltaics, solar-thermal, geothermal, ocean, and biomass energy sources. In addition, practical and specific recommendations for promoting the adoption of renewables on a broad scale and presented and analyzed.”
“Alternative Energy: Facts, Statistics and Issues”
byPaula Bernstein
US edition
“Rising gas and utility prices, to say nothing of growing concerns about global warming, are fueling increased interest in alternative energy. Finding comprehensive information on this popular topic can be tough. Written for the layperson, this book is a one-stop source of information about alternative energy forms, in a world that needs it more than ever. The opening history of energy use includes coverage of conventional energy (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric) and a time line dating from 1767 through 2000. The next section includes a balanced discussion of the economics of renewable energy, with separate chapters covering the major alternatives: solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, biomass, wind, ocean and tidal, fusion, geothermal, and hydrogen.”
“The Smallholder’s DIY”
byMichael Roberts (Illustrator), Sara Roadnight (Editor)
EU English Edition
“This manual contains detailed instructions for 22 projects from a simple feed scoop holder to housing and fencing for chickens, sheep and goats. There are plans for gates and hurdles; troughs and hayracks; brooders, nestboxes and dustbaths; and a sawbench, ratbox and goat milking bench. As any smallholder knows the cost of a lot of small scale equipment is absolutely horrendous. This book deals with many of those useful but hard to get items. Written primarily for smallholders, it contains no difficult woodwork techniques and even gives advice on where to buy wood and screws.”
