Homesteading - the act of repairing your own home, growing your own food, living using sustainable methods - is growing in popularity as more and more people choose to save money, know where their food comes from, and live in ways that do as little damage to the environment as possible. As it has been said, everything old is new again, and northern California has plenty of people who have turned to homesteading as a way of life.
California Homesteading is a blog written by Amanda, who lives with her family in the Mattole Valley of northern California. She says her blog is "A mix of family journal, natural history log, garden notes, thoughts on living off-the-grid, and descriptions of varied homestead projects at our rural, northern California land."
Farmer Dave and his family run the Family Gardens website and have been homesteading for over 30 years in a 'remote valley in the mountains of northern California.' This family, which now includes grandchildren, produces about 80% of their own food.
Marin Homestead, written by Tammy from San Rafael, has the tagline 'Homesteading in Marin Co., CA (sorta).' While this family isn't living completely off the grid, they are making steps to achieve their dreams of becoming self-sufficient someday.
Do you have dreams of someday doing more than using egg shells to make Christmas ornaments and fertilize your rose bushes? Do you wear vintage clothes and restyle items in your closet? Do you long for your own flock of chickens to provide your needs for eggs and poultry? You aren't alone. The San Francisco Recycling Examiner has the same dreams and was recently looking at homestead books on Amazon. Here are the ones on her to-read list.
The Quest of the Simple Life by William J. Dawson (tredition, 2011) Originally published in 1907, it's the record of a London clerk who is miserable and longs for a better and healthier life for himself and his family.
Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live Off the Land by Kurt Timmermeister (W. W. Norton & Company, 2012) Seattle restaurant manager buys four acres and learns about what's important.
The New American Homestead: Sustainable, Self-Sufficient Living in the Country or in the City by John H. Tullock (Howell Book House, 2012) Homesteading whether you are just getting started or have been at it awhile and no matter where you live.
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