Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
đź“š Books That Built My Homestead Heart
16
items These are the books that made me believe I could do this whole wild, dirt-under-the-nails, grow-it-yourself life. Some are practical guides, some are deeply soul-stirring, and some are just here to remind us that slow, seasonal living is enough. Whet...
Â
The one that started it all. Literal gold for beginners. I still pull this off the shelf to figure out garden spacing or what to do with extra zucchini.
The Backyard Homestead: Grow Your Own Food
Â
For the history nerds — this 1859 manual is wild and fascinating. Tells you how to survive on the trail, and somehow, inspires grit.
The Prairie Traveler: Overland Expeditions
Â
Potatoes, ducks, and surviving hard times? Yes, please. It’s quirky, technical, and empowering — like a mentor in book form.
The Resilient Gardener: Food Production
Â
More than how-to — this one dives deep into why. Rooted, thoughtful, and full of the kind of wisdom that sticks.
The Nourishing Homestead: A Back-to-the-Land Family
Â
The OG “grow your own” memoir. Funny, grounded, and beautifully written. It made me plant tomatoes the first time.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life Barbara ...
Â
This is a great beginners book for beekeeping  - The BeeKeepers Bible is also great.
Beekeeping for Dummies by Blackiston et al.
Â
Everything by Backyard Homestead is amazing. Â Tells you exactly what you need to know, without a lot of fluff.
Backyard Homestead Guide to Farm Animals
Â
She’s sharp, witty, and wonderfully no-nonsense. Like a food-growing grandma who will gently roast your excuses.
This Organic Life: Suburban Homesteader
Â
Perfect if you're just starting out and want to raise chickens or bake bread without feeling overwhelmed. Super relatable.
Made from Scratch: Pleasures of Handmade
Â
It’s gentle, funny, and inspiring. Less about doing everything and more about slowing down with intention.
A Year of Living Simply: Joys of Simplicity
Â
For fruit tree dreams! Thoughtful and thorough without being intimidating. My copy is dirt-smudged and much-loved.
The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits & Berries
Â
If you’re curious about permaculture but the word feels overwhelming — start here. Super beginner-friendly.
Gaia's Garden: Home-Scale Permaculture
Â
From making your own cleaners to homemade bitters, this one’s the kitchen witch meets homemaker manual I didn’t know I needed.
The Hands-On Home: A Seasonal Guide to Cooking ...
Â
A classic. Feels like your grandpa sat down to teach you everything in one big, illustrated book.
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It
Â
The go to guide for everything chickens. (They also have ducks and other animals, so get all the guides your homestead needs.)
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, 3rd Ed
Â
From the heart of Appalachia, the OG homestead series, hard to find but amazing if you can collect them all.
Foxfire Set Volumes 1-9 Collection of ...