Backyard Homestead

This summer we went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for my birthday.  While we were there, we saw in their gift shop this book.  The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! We were intrigued so we picked up a copy.  This book is great for newbies like us.  It provides a general overview on how to make the most of your yard from growing fruits and vegetables to raising livestock.  Since livestock is out of the question for us, (except for a few chickens) it's still an interesting read, because the book provides tips on planning your garden, capitalizing on growing more in less space.  It also discusses nut trees, fruit trees and bushes, how to prune, and basic info on preservation.  Canning, making wine and cider, and drying food.  The book doesn't go into in-depth detail on process, however, I can see us using this as a good reference or guide book.  The book says that from a 1/4 acre of land you can harvest 1,400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of fruit, 2,000 pounds of vegetables, and 75 pounds of nuts.  I'm not sure about the growing wheat, and we don't have chickens yet, but the 60 pounds of fruit and the 2,000 pounds of vegetables is definitely a good goal for us.  My ultimate dream would be to raise enough vegetables and fruit on our 1/3 of an acre to sustain us all year, so this is a challenge I would love to undertake.  I saw that Amazon is selling this book for $12.89 right now, which is 30% off retail price, it would make a nice holiday gift! Click here.