cover image Homesteading in the 21st Century: How One Family Created a More Sustainable, Self-Sufficient, and Satisfying Life

Homesteading in the 21st Century: How One Family Created a More Sustainable, Self-Sufficient, and Satisfying Life

George Nash and Jane Waterman. Taunton, $24.95 (416p) ISBN 978-1-60085-296-1

Husband and wife team George Nash (Renovating Old Houses) and Jane Waterman have supported themselves through a self-sufficient lifestyle for decades, passing their days renovating old farmhouses and chicken coops, raising animals and attaining a type of self-sufficiency rarely seen these days. Here, they share their years of wisdom, both the victories and the failures, in detail. Lest readers get too enamored by the romance of starting a day with coffee laced with cream from a dairy cow tethered just yards as the sun slowly rises and a rooster crows, Nash and Waterman quickly put things in perspective, addressing homesteading from literally the ground up. Readers will learn the importance of choosing their site wisely before breaking ground, not to mention thinking through less-glamorous topics such as income, wells and sewage and even making sure your partner is on board before embarking on what could be a very costly mistake in a number of ways if begun on a whim. Nash and Waterman's advice will likely be a godsend, as they offer tips on everything from log-loading logistics, the pros and cons of various water heaters, and attaining the optimal soil. While the couple offer condensed recommendations for urban homesteading this is not a book for novices. Still, those interested in living off the grid would do well to read this in-depth and informative guide. (May)