ebook img

Practical Self Sufficiency PDF

306 Pages·2010·70.062 MB·English
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Practical Self Sufficiency

B E E N E R G Y E F F I C I E N T G R O W Y O U R O W N U S E S O L A R P O W E R K E E P B E E S E S G DICK & JAMES STRAWBRIDGE A D V E E H W A A T Y PRACTICAL E A R L SELF B U T I S L E D V R A A C H O M E H P T O S E T V R T E O S I E SUFFICIENCY L E R T P B U D I O L D O F A N D L E I W A R R T H O F O E V G E A N R O F M THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO A K E Y R A E M W R SUSTAINABLE LIVING I N O D W T A U R E B K I A N M E M A K E C H E E S E K E E P C H I C K E N S A N D G E E S E G R O W M U S H R O O M S B R E W B E E R LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, DELHI Senior Editor Alastair Laing Senior Art Editor Sara Robin Managing Editor Esther Ripley Managing Art Editor Alison Donovan Editors Sharon Amos, Emma Callery Designers Tina Vaughan, Kathy Gammon, Vanessa Hamilton, Vicky Read Illustrator Andy Crisp Photographer Peter Anderson Production Editor Ben Marcus Production Controller Man Fai Lau Picture Researcher Jenny Faithfull Publisher Mary-Clare Jerram Art Director Peter Luff First published in Great Britain in 2010 by Dorling Kindersley Limited 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL A Penguin Company 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Copyright © 2010 Dorling Kindersley Limited Text copyright © 2010 Dick and James Strawbridge, Jera Enterprises Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright owner. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978 1 4053 4441 8 Colour reproduction by Alta Images, London Printed and bound by Hung Hing, China IMPORTANT NOTICE Neither the authors nor the publishers take any responsibility for any injury or damage resulting from the use of techniques shown or described in this book. The reader is advised to seek appropriate expert advice before undertaking electrical work. For all construction work the reader is advised to wear protective clothing and follow instructions carefully throughout. Advice on natural remedies in this book is not intended as a substitute for medical advice and use of them is entirely at the reader’s own risk. Discover more at www.dk.com DICK & JAMES STRAWBRIDGE PRACTICAL SELF SUFFICIENCY THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE LIVING Contents Authors’ introduction 6 Chapter 2: Energy and Waste Understanding electricity 56 New Way to Renewable energy options 58 Self-Sufficiency Using solar PV panels 60 What are the basics Using solar thermal for life? 12 systems 62 Self-sufficiency Harnessing wind energy 64 vs sustainability 14 Harnessing water energy 68 How much land Building a waterwheel 72 do you need? 16 Using a hydraulic The cycle of the seasons 18 ram pump 74 Urban opportunities 20 Conserving water 76 The urban plot 22 Using sand filters and Suburban expansion 24 reed beds 80 The suburban plot 26 Using biofuels 82 Rural adventure 28 Using an anaerobic The smallholding 30 digester 88 Reusing and recycling 90 THE HOME Chapter 1: In the House THE PLOT Taking stock 36 Chapter 3: Productivity Conserving energy at home 38 Approaches to growing 98 Using passive solar gain 40 Growing with hydroponics 102 Improving home Achieving a productive plot 104 infrastructure 42 Set up a greenhouse Building an earth shelter 48 irrigation system 110 Building with straw bales 50 Growing under cover 112 Setting up a workshop 52 Build a cold frame 116 Making a greenhouse heat sink 118 Gardening in harmony Managing a wood 182 Curing meat and fish 246 with nature 120 Making charcoal 184 Smoking your own food 248 Growing in urban spaces 124 Make a cold smoker 250 Build a raised bed Chapter 6: Animal Husbandry Make an earth oven 252 and make a wormery 126 Keeping chickens 188 Brewing beer and mead 254 Taking on an allotment 128 Build a chicken ark 192 Making wine 256 Setting up a Keeping turkeys 196 Making cider 260 well-equipped shed 130 Keeping ducks and geese 198 Keeping pigs 200 Chapter 8: Natural Remedies Chapter 4: What to Grow Keeping sheep and goats 204 Herbal tinctures 264 Sowing and planting 134 Keeping cattle 208 Revitalizing infusions 266 Plan the growing year 136 Keeping bees 212 Immunity-boosting syrups 268 Vegetables to grow 140 Game, fish, and vermin 214 Healing beauty 269 Fruit and nuts to grow 148 Greener cleaners 270 Pruning, training, TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE and grafting 154 Chapter 9: Craft Skills Chapter 7: In the Kitchen Herbs to grow 156 Working with wood 274 Eco-kitchens 222 Create a herb spiral 158 Working with willow 278 Preserving the harvest 224 Grow your own mushrooms 160 Make a willow basket 280 Making cream, butter, Foraging for wild plants 162 Green woodworking 282 and yogurt 226 Storing the harvest 164 Working with metal 284 Making your own cheese 228 Problem solving 166 Mending 286 Baking bread 232 Making pickles and Chapter 5: Working chutneys 236 Large Areas Resources 290 Making jam and jelly 238 Observing, planning, Index 294 Bottling fruit and and designing 170 Acknowledgements 304 vegetables 240 Creating boundaries 172 Drying fruit, herbs, and Fodder crops to grow 176 vegetables 242 Storing crops on a Make a solar dryer 244 larger scale 180 AUTHORS’ INTRODUCTION We are lucky enough to live on a smallholding in a beautiful part of Cornwall in our own valley and half a mile from the sea. Our move to Newhouse Farm was documented in the BBC TV series It’s Not Easy Being Green, but it was not inspired by television; it was a family decision that was the culmination of years of experimenting and dreaming about the good life. We have always had an interest in self-sufficiency. Some of Dick’s earliest memories are of helping his father in the garden, or collecting mushrooms with his mother; quality time that produced the tasty vegetables he remembers from his childhood. While James has always been involved with nature and the garden, going for walks collecting berries or digging over the gardens of the many houses we’ve lived in. Now we both write and work in television. There is still a mortgage to pay so we have to spend time away from Newhouse Farm, but returning is always calming and makes us smile; it reminds us why we have our smallholding. This book is aimed at everyone who has a desire to be a bit more self-sufficient or to live life more sustainably. There is absolutely no reason not to start today. It doesn’t matter where you are living there is something in this book for you. You can reduce your energy bills, make cheese in any kitchen, grow herbs and tomatoes on any windowsill, and learn more about sustainable living and apply it to your situation. This book is a collection of the information that we have been amassing for years. We don’t expect you to jump in and do it all at once, but no matter what stage in your life you are at, we are sure there will be something in here for you. Don’t forget to have fun – if you are not smiling you are doing it wrong!

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.