Living Off The Grid

This is the book I’ve been looking for! As many readers may know, I started this blog to document my journey as I seek to live a life off the grid. We’re currently looking for the right off grid property, but aren’t waiting to get started on living “the good life”. I’ve installed solar panels on our home have started a homesteading group, read every book I can get my hands on, volunteered at farms, turned my backyard into a garden, canned, made my own cheese, yogurt, bread… and we’re getting chickens next month and bees this summer.

So although my website is called Living Off Grid, we’re currently grid-tied and practicing the art of “urban homesteading“. After being introduced to the Homegrown Evolution website, I went to Amazon and purchased their book The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City

I was expecting the usual, having already devoured every book I’ve ever come across about homesteading. What I got was better than expected. I was expecting the same old stuff about why composting is important; the difference between meat birds and laying hens, jerseys and dexters, nubains and alpines… and all of the rest of the things you know about (in theory) as a wannabe homesteader.

While much of that was touched on in the book, there was much more “meat” to be had in the form of actual DIY projects. I’ve built my own compost bins out of used skids, but have yet to make my own multi-level worm composting bin. Today I made one, thanks to the instructions found in The Urban Homesteader.

I had already built raised beds and have been impatiently awaiting the time when I can plant outdoors this year, but today (thanks again to the book) I installed a hoop-style greenhouse over my boxes using 1 inch PVC pipe anchors in each corner and 1/2 inch PVC pipe ribs bent over and stuck into the anchors. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner? Next project, I’m thinking of doing a self-watering planter using a couple of Home Depot buckets (as seen in the book). Once my beans get going, I’ll use some sticks to build a bean teepee (as seen in… you guessed it).

This book is a real asset. It is something that you can act on NOW, rather than many of the other homesteading books, which have content that you can dream about for the future.

The only bad part? It’s too short. I wanted more.

A++ for The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City.

I wasn’t paid for this review or asked to write it. I really do like the book that much. If you want to live a simpler life but happen to live in the city/suburbs, you will too.