The Essential Guide to Self-Sufficient Living: Vegetable Gardening, Canning and Fermenting, Keeping Chickens, and More

Abigail R. Gehring is the author or editor of more than a dozen books including Back to Basics, Homesteading, and The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Living. She’s practiced living self-sufficiently since her childhood in Vermont, being home-schooled, home-canning jams and jellies, and enjoying natural crafts. She lives with her husband, two kids, and Siberian husky in an 1800s farmstead in southern Vermont.

"The thing about homesteading and self-sufficient living is you never stop learning. Even after decades of farming and living a close to self-sufficient life, we still benefit from different methods. I love seeing a new book on this topic because I always end up finding a new helpful tip or maybe a dozen! The Essential Guide to Self-Sufficient Living did not disappoint. I particularly found the "growing things" section helpful with the tips on pest control. While this book could be the only book you need on living a more sustainable life, it will also compliment any other volumes you already have on hand. From growing veggies to keeping bees, and keeping chickens to home canning, you will love having this book on your shelf." —Janet Garman, author of 50 Do-It-Yourself Projects for Keeping Chickens and Timber Creek Farm blog