Resources We Like

The Tightwad Gazette is a great book for saving money.  Amy Dacyzyn does better research than the Consumer's Digest in my opinion.   I like to read extreme views so I can back off to my comfort level.  My motto is, if you are going to spend time learning, you should learn from the best.  As far as living sustainably is concerned and providing your own housing debt free, you can't beat Twelve by Twelve (the country version of skills to provide a home and food) or Possum Living (the city version of skills).  It's all about choices.  For organizational skills, Sidetracked Home Executives is the one book that I actually enjoyed reading out of all the organizational books from the library (the others are dry reading, cough, cough, but this one I couldn't wait to turn the page).  When making your index cards, however, make sure you make them not according to how often it says in the book, but how often YOUR house actually needs that particular thing cleaned.  I found that once I learned this type of organizational skill, it extended to all parts of my life and not just cleaning.  Ten Acres Enough, You Can Farm and The Accidental Farmers actually speak to starting a farm, with outside the box thinking.  The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery is the one resource book you will not want to do without, especially if for some reason we lose computer power and Youtube.  You can probably find all of these books at the library.  When I find a book that I LOVE, however, I buy it for my bookshelf.  These books are ones I own.

List Serve:

growingsmallfarms@lists.ncsu.edu 

Farm Tours:

Beginning Farmer Tour - http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org

Interfaith Food Shuttle Farm Tours:  http://foodshuttle.org/

Links

http://www.permies.com/
Love this permaculture site about all things that are kinder to the environment.  Permaculture views everything as being connected, and rightfully so.  It is so important to keep life in balance.

http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library.html#bate
We like this site because it has numerous books and resources for small farms in their entirety online.  A great collection, too!

www.motherearthnews.com
Mother Earth News has been our favorite magazine for a very long time.  The information on self-sufficiency and all it includes is found in this magazine from alternate energy sources, to farming, to cooking, to construction techniques.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/
We know that Backwoods Home will be a new favorite magazine, as we have been admiring articles on its website for a long time.  It is written along the lines of Mother Earth News with its knowledge on being self sufficient, with more “off the grid” articles.

http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s  Vision says it all:  Our Vision:  A regional food system that is good for the farmer, the consumer and the land. CFSA is a membership-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of more than 2,300 farmers, gardeners, consumers and businesses in North and South Carolina. These members are committed to sustainable agriculture and the development of locally-based, organic food systems.