My absolute favorite magazine is Countryside & Small Stock Journal. I recently purchased Back Home which is another great magazine.

My favorite book on homesteading is Storey's Basic Country Skills by John and Martha Storey.

Another book I've read lots if Back to Basics by Reader's Digest.

What are your favorites?

An uncle of mine used to be the editor of Country Guide some 20 years ago before he retired. I don't know what the magazine is like now but it was a nice one back then. They had good patterns, recipes and advice for farmers and ranchers on stock, feed, and farming techniques.

Come to think, it was around 30 years ago. Time flies. :icon_lol:

I read anything & everything which I can lay my hands on about homesteading, simple living, self-sufficiency etc. :pumpking:
We subscribe to 2 Kiwi mags "Lifestyle Farmer" and "Growing Today". Both excellent publications. I also buy the Australian mags "Earth Garden" and "Grass Roots" from time to time. I read several organic publications from the library and I love the English country magazines. Oh....and I used to read "Mother Earth News" before it became a ridiculous price over here (now about NZ$16....that's US$11.20).
I'm currently enjoying Carla Emery's "Country Living Encyclopaedia"....but I wish the print was a bit bigger!

I haven't had the chance to read any magazines yet.

I love Storey's Basic Country Skills and look forward to (hopefully) getting to actually put it to use in the near future.


Two books that I've read that I just adore are Hard Times In Paradise: An American Family's Struggle to Carve Out a Homestead in California's Redwood Mountains by David & Micki Colfax - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446514896/qid=1078842907/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1492542-8608930?v=glance&s=books

and

Arctic Homestead: The True Story of One Family's Survival and Courage in the Alaskan Wilds by Norma Cobb - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312283792/qid=1078843014/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1492542-8608930?v=glance&s=books

I don't really have anything I read that is really homesteading per say. I do enjoy the fictional novels about life on homestead. Sorta like diaries of times past. I also enjoy reading gardening and back to nature type books. Mel has several farming type books that I also look at from time to time. Sorry I can't think of titles right now.

I used to subscribe to a couple magazines and I've read a lot of books that I can't remember all the titles too, lol. I still find a book at the library once in a while or a yard sale or a used book store (I have an old book about raising chickens that I really like). I'll read just about anything I find about homesteading, farm life, country living.

Dana, I've sent you a copy the latest Grass Roots magazine that Maggie wrote about in her post. I read that every time it's published. Maggie, I also read Earth Garden and I have a standing order for British Country Living, which I love. I've been getting that for about 7 years now.
CJ, I've read the Australian version of the Readers Digest Back to Basics. it's a great book that I'd recommend to everyone. The one I read was a library copy.
Currently, I'm reading a book about raising healthy free range chickens and also one on soap making.
The one book that I bought which I loved - had to buy it on the UK Amazon, was The River Cottage Cookbook. It won several awards when it was released a couple of years ago. The author, Hugh Fearnly-Wittingstall (LOL), is a homesteader (a downsizer he calls himself) and the cookbook talks about his philosophy about shopping, supporting local communities, killing animals, growing your own veg, fishing and a wide range of how to ... whatever. He talks about chickens, pigs, Dexter cattle - the little ones, bartering + lots of recipes for the things he's grown and raised. Look in your library for this book, it's worth the read. He also did three BBC TV series about his time spent at River Cottage.

The River Cottage programmes were good. He's a bit of a character!
I almost never watch TV, but was fortunate to notice them in the paper and made a point of watching. (Anything homestead, country-related does it! LOL)
Bethany, British Country Living is a gorgeous magazine and I used to buy it all the time. In my frugal drive I have started to get it from the Library....not quite so up-to-date, still thoroughly enjoyable and...free! I always get lots of great ideas from it.

I read mostly local farm newspapers. They usually have the conditions for our area and where to go for help. I also subscribe to several gardening magazines and belong to the National Gardening Club.

I love to read real life storys about people who have made it on their homesteads and how they did it. I read a lot of "Gladous Taylor" books about life in New England. She bought an old farmstead there and did quite a job of restoring the old farm house and gardening.

Susie in MN

Maggie and Bethany, it sounds like you ladies have a few wonderful magazines to read.

Here in Canada, the prices have gone up so much. I pick what I can at the library, but the choice is very limited.

Isn't it great though, what we can read on homesteading, simplicity and self-sufficiency. More books are starting to come out in regards to this.

Anyone read Extreme Simplicity? I have it on hold at the library, can't wait to get my hands on it.

I've found that the best newspapers and flyers come from my local feed store. They have the local news about farms in the area, gardening advise, reciepes and local events for farmers and homesteader. And, they're free.

If you have a feed store near you, I'd suggest that you go to them. They're a wealth of what's happening in your area.

Susie in MN

Maggie, due to the latest developments in our family I think that i too will have to give up buying mags. Unfortunately, they don't have Country Living at our library - but they have grass roots, earth garden, warm earth etc. I might have to hint for a subscription to country living for christmas because I doubt I could give it up!

Bethany, I don't know about your library, but ours is very good at getting what I ask for! I asked if they had Carla Emery's "Encyclopaedia of Country Living" and they said no, but they'd buy it! Rang me in a few weeks to say it was in for me to borrow! They have also subscribed to a few mags I have asked about, so maybe you could try that tactic ( and get all your friends & family to ask too! Might convince them there's a real demand! LOL)
I have had to be a bit strict on myself about mags as I would spend all my $$ quite happily on country-related ones! In fact our house has them "hidden" in strange places, so that DH will not realise there are so many! :icon2:

Bethany, I agree in that most libraries are very helpful and if you make a few suggestions, they will often try to accomodate a few of them. It does get costly when purchasing magazines.

I haven't seen Extreme Simplicity. I'll ask for that at the library. That will be my test for them. At the moment I'm reading Country Wisdom. I found a recipe for Honey Snaps in there! I'm definately going to make them, as they're my favourite biscuit. If anyone wants the recipe, I'll post it.