Adventures on the road to real-world self-sufficiency

ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD TO REAL-WORLD SELF-SUFFICIENCY

"…exactly what the title suggests: an enthusiastic, user-friendly guide to ecologically sensitive homesteading, using permaculture principles, for those who don't happen to have the money and opportunity to buy five or ten acres of perfect farmland." JOHN MICHAEL GREER, author, Green Wizardry

"Sharing her hard-won lessons in permaculture with verve and intimate warmth, the author reveals the human side of building a new way of life: food, seeds, animals, weather and setbacks." PETER BANE, author, The Permaculture Handbook: Garden Farming for Town and Country

DON'T LIVE IN the ideal climate or have access to wonderful soil or plentiful water? Author Jenni Blackmore presents a highly personal and entertaining account of how permaculture can be practiced in adverse conditions, distilling the wisdom of 20 years of trial and error into a valuable teaching tool.

The perfect antidote to dense, high-level technical manuals, Permaculture for the Rest of Us presents the fundamental principles of permaculture in a humorous, accessible manner. Each chapter focuses on a specific method or technique, interspersing straightforward explanations with the author's own experiences.

Anyone can learn to live more sustainably in a less-than-perfect world. Ideal for urban dreamers, suburbanites and country-dwellers alike, this inspirational and instructional "encouragement manual" is a must-have travel guide for the journey to abundance.

"Jenni Blackmore skillfully weaves a thorough explanation of permaculture principles and practices into her own story of returning to the land… The result is a wealth of information, advice and inspiration." DARRELL FREY, author, Bioshelter Market Garden

JENNI BLACKMORE is a farmer, artist, writer and certified Permaculture Design Consultant who built her house on a rocky, windswept island off the coast of Nova Scotia almost 25 years ago and has been stumbling along the road to self-sufficient living ever since.

To help bring you the very best inspiration and information about greener, more sustainable lifestyles, Mother Earth News is recommending select New Society Publishers books to its readers. This book is one of them.

Many of us want to increase our self-sufficiency, but few have access to the ideal five sunny, gently sloping acres of rich, loamy, well-drained soil. Jenni Blackmore presents a highly entertaining, personal account of how permaculture can be practiced in adverse conditions, allowing anyone to learn to live more sustainably in a less-than-perfect world. With a rallying cry of "If we can do it, you can too," she distills the wisdom of twenty years of trial and error into a valuable teaching tool. The perfect antidote to dense, high-level technical manuals, Permaculture for the Rest of Us presents the fundamental principles of this sometimes confusing concept in a humorous, reader-friendly way. Each chapter focuses on a specific method or technique, interspersing straightforward explanations with the author's own experiences. Learn how to successfully retrofit even the smallest homestead using skills such as: No-till vs. till gardening, composting, and soil-building Natural pest control and integrating small livestock Basic greenhouse construction Harvesting, preservation, and more Ideal for urban dreamers, suburbanites and country-dwellers alike, this inspirational and instructional "encouragement manual" is packed with vibrant photographs documenting the author's journey from adversity to abundance. Jenni Blackmore is a farmer, artist, writer and certified Permaculture Design Consultant who built her house on a rocky, windswept island off the coast of Nova Scotia almost twenty-five years ago and has been stumbling along the road to self-sufficient living ever since. A successful micro-farmer, she produces most of her family's meat, eggs, fruit, and vegetables, in spite of often-challenging conditions.