It was the summer before my junior year. Being 15 years old is a formative and tenuous experience in and of itself, but to add insult to injury, my mom had just been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer.
I was an only child, left mostly in the dark about the realities of my mom’s condition, and for the first time in my life I was deemed mature enough to manage my own time rather than be enrolled in 14 summer camps to fill every waking moment until school began again.
I can’t say that I used my newfound freedom to do anything too exciting -teenage shenanigans were never in my nature. Instead, I looked for anything to pass the time. I had enrolled in AP Language and Composition, which came with a summer reading list. I chose the first book on the list: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
I’m not sure I had ever actually read a summer reading book up until that point – parts of them, sure, and synopses online… but never cover to cover.
I figured the same would be true with the five or so books I had to read off of that list, but Kingsolver’s book captured me immediately. Over the course of the summer, I spent many mornings reading and rereading portions before heading out to my dad’s garden to weed, plant, or harvest.
The other assigned books were left unread, but I’ve thought about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle regularly – and it has led me to read many other books over the years as I continued to dream about a farm of my own.
I’m closing on my new land in June. As I inch closer to the ‘starting line’ for my own homestead, I have been revisiting some of the books that have kept me motivated over the years. Below are the books (and authors) that I would enthusiastically recommend to any future homesteader.
1. The Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing
This is the ultimate book for any current or future homesteader. Helen and Scott are considered the pioneers of the “Back to the Land” movement for good reason. In their book, they frequently portray an attitude that boils down to: ‘It needed to get done, so I went ahead and did it. What else would I do?’
The Nearings built a life based on love for the Earth, each other, and for community. They rejected consumerism and instead found joy in what they could do with their hands – and what they could do with their words, given that they were both gifted writers. Environmentally, they practiced what they preached by adopting vegetarian diets, making do with what they already had, and opening their home to community members who needed a hot meal or a bit of work.
Their accomplishments ranged from growing incredible gardens to building their own tools and constructing houses out of stone in the traditional New England way – something I can’t even fathom, but should probably explore further. My impending purchase is a New England farm littered with stones that would make the Nearings salivate.
Reading this book helped set the course for the rest of my life. As I approach the finish line for the goal of buying my own land, I am re-reading it with a new perspective, and finding myself both intimidated and in awe of what they accomplished in their lives.
The Nearings are certain to challenge your views on many aspects of and approaches to homesteading, but they will also give you a renewed sense of purpose. And if you happen to have a Tractor Supply or garden supply store within easy driving distance – you’ll have a newfound appreciation for how easy we have it as homesteaders in the 21st century.
2. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
This book makes the list for reasons already stated, but given its impact on my life, you might be surprised that it’s only coming in at #2.
Kingsolver does a wonderful job of forcing you to consider the (likely) hundreds or thousands of miles travelled by fossil-fuel-powered vehicles to give you the opportunity to eat most of the food in your pantry.
However, there is a reason this book comes in at number two for me, a step behind the Nearings’. To explain why, I must share arguably my most controversial homesteading opinion:
In Chapter 14, Kingsolver indicates that vegetarianism is unnatural, and she seems to express that to be a vegetarian is something inhuman and strange. “To believe we can live without taking life is delusional,” she says in support of her idea that eating meat is a moral endeavor.
While I agree that life necessitates taking other life, I believe this statement better supports a vegetarian stance. My background is in biology – I hold a Master’s degree in the subject and my days teaching. The many fascinations of biology are a large part of why I’m drawn to homesteading – any homesteader is also a biologist by necessity, whether they realize it or not!
The way that energy flows through an ecosystem is a fundamental biological principle. Energy transfer between trophic levels is incredibly inefficient; only about 10% of the energy from one level is available to the next. This means that a significant amount of energy is “lost” as heat and in the basic processes of life within each organism.
Consider a rabbit: it expends a great deal of energy on growth, movement, reproduction, and escaping predators. Only a fraction of that energy is converted into edible muscle and fat.
Applying this concept to agriculture, whether large-scale or small, reveals a stark reality: it takes a minimum of 10 plant calories to produce 1 animal calorie for human consumption.
While many plant calories are inedible and undigestible for a human, the fact remains that we could choose to cultivate human-edible plants on the majority of the land currently used for livestock feed. To transition to 100% grass-fed meat would require a huge reduction in America’s (and the world’s) meat consumption and and increase in the amount of land dedicated to grazing.
The truth is, I think we all would be better to be vegetarian, or as close to it as we can stand. As Dan Buettner beautifully summarized in The Blue Zones, research consistently supports the idea that a whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet is the healthiest (and most environmentally friendly) diet a human can eat.
I understand that vegetarianism may not align with everyone’s worldview. Furthermore, it is undoubtedly different, both environmentally and ethically, to raise meat animals on a subsistence homestead than it is to eat meat from the factory farming agricultural system. I could write about this at length, but I will save it for another post; this is about books, after all!
What surprised me about Kingsolver’s stance was that, given her usual scientific acumen, the tone of her passage on vegetarianism came across as dismissive, almost as if she considered it an inherently flawed or intellectually inferior choice. That said, it is important to acknowledge that her book was published in 2007. Given her environmentalism and intellectual curiosity, she has likely evolved in her views since then.
Regardless of your dietary choices, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, offers valuable insights into food production and consumption. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to reduce their environmental footprint, whether they plan to raise animals on their homestead or not.
3. One Man’s Wilderness by Richard Proenneke & Sam Keith
Though separated by thousands of miles, Dick Proenneke and the Nearings were kindred spirits, embodying the spirit of self-reliance and deep connection to the land. One Man’s Wilderness is a poetic and concise account of Proenneke’s time building a small log cabin in the Alaskan wilderness.
This is another example of someone who thought about doing something and then turned their dreams into reality. This generation of Back to the Landers were action-oriented and driven; their ‘talk’ came only later, often in the form of insightful and eloquent reflection.
Proenneke not only chronicles the physical construction of his cabin but also paints a vivid picture of his surroundings, with a palpable respect and appreciation for the weather, wildlife, and simply joys of living in the bush. He also acknowledges the challenges and hardships in his solitary pursuit with refreshing honesty.
My favorite anecdote from Proenneke’s journals had to do with his approach to the tools he used. He had two choices: he could hike to his cabin site with his tools on his back, or he could get things airlifted in. The hike in was physically challenging and took most of a day.
While he did have some provisions airlifted in over his time in the bush, he chose an ingenious solution for his tools: he removed the heavy handles to cut down on weight, hiked in with only the steel heads of his basic tools (axe, sledge, chisels, hand drill), and handcrafted new handles after arrival.
Once you’ve read the book, be sure to check out “Alone in the Wilderness”, on DVD. Proenneke actually managed to film some of the process, and it’s a beautiful complement to his written work. I was lucky to grab a hard copy at a garage sale for a dollar, but it might be streamable somewhere on the internet.
4. Our Sustainable Table (Essays) edited by Robert Clark
I stumbled upon this lovely collection of essays in a thrift store and the name Wendell Berry caught my eye. I’ve always wanted to read more of his work, but have been stubbornly bent on finding copies secondhand (which as of yet has not happened – although I trust the thrift gods will smile upon me someday!)
Each of these short stories is a snapshot that will give you a stronger appreciation for your time in the garden (or for your pantry and freezer of preserved food, if as for me it is winter where you live.)
Berry’s essay, The Pleasure of Eating, was as lovely as I could have hoped. However, the entry that has stayed with me the most vividly in the many years since I read this collection was the The Gleaners by Will Weaver. Gleaning is the practice of collecting leftover crops from fields after the main harvest – gathering the produce that is misshapen, too small, or otherwise considered unsuitable for commercial sale.
To make use of society’s discards has always been a particularly satisfying pursuit, in my opinion. The Gleaners is as much about this practice as it is about the societal stigmas associated with those who pursue it.
This whole collection is a comfort to those who wish to forge an alternate path, and a reminder that they are not alone in their pursuit. It may not teach you to farm, but it will help to assure you that you are on the right path.
5. Plenty by Alisa Smith & J.B. MacKinnon
Plenty and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are similar in many ways, such that I immediately assumed Plenty had been inspired by Kingsolver’s work. I was surprised that both were published in the same year, meaning they likely didn’t know the others’ work existed at the time of their parallel experiments!
Smith and MacKinnon created the 100-Mile-Diet, an approach that seeks to limit food consumption to only that which has been produced within 100 miles. Not only does this have environmental benefits, but the authors also found that it helped build their sense of community; they wrote quite a bit about finding and making connections with local growers and farmers.
It has been a while since I read this book, and I recall a somewhat more somber tone than Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I found this to be refreshing. Smith and MacKinnon’s year-long experiment was much more challenging than they originally anticipated, and they were very honest about the difficulties they faced.
This was a worthwhile alternative perspective on local eating, packed with (admittedly slightly dated) facts about our food system that will confirm the importance of growing your own food and supporting local farmers.
6. Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
I often find Stewart’s books in thrift stores. I can’t help but buy the ones I don’t already have for my shelf, although I haven’t spent much time reading her work. Truthfully, her writing style, though beautiful, is a bit archaic – so reading her work is not a leisurely experience for me.
Stewart was a true pioneer – the OG independent homesteader woman – who homesteaded in Wyoming with her husband during the late 1800s and early 1900s. While her husband was undoubtedly involved, she often tackled tasks traditionally considered ‘men’s work’ on the farm.
While women of the time (and before, and since) likely often challenged traditional gender roles as they forged a life on the frontier, Stewart’s experiences are remarkable for their thorough and eloquent documentation. Her writings offer a rare glimpse into the realities of life on the frontier, providing insights into the strength, resilience, and resourcefulness of women who carved out their own place in the world.
If you make a habit of reading Stewart’s work, you may find that you run out of excuses when faced with a job that seems difficult. “I can’t do that” or “that’s too hard” weren’t in the vernacular. And because this collection is letters, it can be fun to flip open to a random page and read a few letters before heading out for your day’s chores.
While I have other recommendations for books that helped to hone my gardening, canning, and foraging skills, these are the books that gave me a bit of solace after a long day of working in the city – even at times when my homesteading future felt exceedingly far away.
They helped me refine my vision and goals, and made me feel less alone at times when I was surrounded by people who were not called in a similar direction.
Do you have any book recommendations for me? I would LOVE to hear them! Let me know in the comments or find me on socials!
Talk soon,
KC
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