The Sustainable Homestead

This is such a useful book! I will read it a second time more slowly, but I couldn't stop flipping the neatly organized pages to see all the information gathered for this book. From composting to growing to raising livestock to canning, this book has everything needed to homestead. The photos are professional, the information flows from subject to subject, and it's very well done. I think this will be useful for a lot of new homesteaders.

Angela Ferraro-Fanning, a homesteader from the Garden State of NJ, offers a handy, well-organized, resource for anyone considering homesteading or living. Ferraro-Fanning encourages the reader to conduct research and suggests considerations before breaking ground. And with a recent abundance of farming TikTok videos and Instagram reels, not everyone should "by themselves chickens."

The books main drive is teaching a land management method known as permaculture. The author encourages companion planting to create an ecosystem. This practice encourages the use of a plants that bring in pollinators and predatory bugs which reduces the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides. Ferraro-Fanning's background in graphic design makes the book extremely accessible for beginners, especially with her info-graphic on choosing the right duck for your homestead.

While I'm currently living the condo life in suburban NJ, this book still offered great tips for container gardens. So while I'm not going to be bringing ducks on to my balcony, I can still create a sustainable space thanks to her tips. I also plan on choosing plants to attract praying mantis in an effort to battle the invasive lanternfly. Any reader with an interest in gardening, or living vicariously through the life of a homesteader will enjoy this book.

I hope that Angela Ferraro-Fanning will also come out with another book for sustainable living in the urban/suburban yards.

I’m so clueless when it comes to gardening and permaculture. I’ve checked out quite a few books over the years trying to get a grasp on working our little bit of land and I have never been able to get a solid grip on it. It has just felt like this is something every understands that is just not for me.
The Sustainable Homestead is changing all of that. The way the author breaks down permaculture in basic pillars and principles helped me to get a a grasp on the “why and how” of this elusive subject. I find this book to be a foundational handbook for growing the sustainable homestead of my dreams!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy so this baby gardener can take the right steps towards my dream garden!

The Sustainable Homestead is a well written practical guide to permaculture, farming and self-sufficiency by Angela Ferraro-Fanning. Due out 28th March 2023 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The book has a logical and accessible format with an understandable progression. The author starts with site selection (location location location) and moves on to soil, growing, incorporating animals, creating and maintaining pasture, compost, orchards, and the role of the homesteader. The book also includes a useful reference appendix, bibliography, and index. I really loved the well written no-nonsense foreword by Dr. Temple Grandin, who absolutely knows what she's talking about.

This won't be the *only* book needed to get from dreamer phase to small-farmer, but it is a very useful resource and will be a welcome addition to the smallholder's library. This would also make a good choice for public or possibly school library acquisition, as well as for community gardens and allotments. The photography throughout is superlative; clear and colorful.

Four and a half stars. The information contained in this volume is slanted toward readers in North America, but there are good takeaways for readers living elsewhere.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I really enjoyed this book! I love garden, nature, animals and country life so I’m always happy to read about it. This book has 8 chapters, each one going deep in information and tips that are very useful. The chapters are
1- Site assessment / 2- Soil / 3- Growing / 4- Incorporating Animals / 5- Designing a pasture / 6- Compost / 7- The sustainable orchard / 8- The role of the homesteader. The book has lots of photos, images and graphics to explain. It has information about types of garden design, choosing plants, how much food to grow per person, incorporating animals, choosing the bread, pasture rotation, and more. I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

This book is basically an instructional manual on how to have my dream life. I have always envisioned myself having a small home, a hobby farm, a garden and living off the land. The photos in this book are stunning and dreamy. They take the reader away to a beautiful serene atmosphere. The diagrams in the book are simple and informative. This makes it easy for the reader to comprehend and go forth with starting practices aforementioned.
I definitely feel like this book is a good place to look for guidance on creating a homestead. Might have to pick up a copy and display it on my bookshelf as a reminder of my desired future.

Definitely a winner in terms of composition and forethought, this book is very well put together and executed. I enjoyed the breakdown of reasoning behind her decision-making process, and I hope that I get the time to got back through for a more careful second reading.