Cheesemaking was my doorway into fermentation in the early 90s. I am awe struck every time I make cheese, all the shapes, textures, and flavors.

Milk is meant to be cheese.

The world of fermentation is diverse and vast. I love that the world of books on fermentation has exploded!

This is one of my favorite cheeses to make at home and it is included in Sandor Katz’s book Fermentation Journeys.

During presentations or workshops I mention books or articles that don’t fit into one of the other tidy resource pages—so I put them here. Let me know if there is something that I mentioned that you are looking for but alas have not found.

There are tons of gardening books—some more useful than others. These are some of the evergreen titles that I refer to regularly and recommend often. I recommend borrowing or checking out from the library to determine if you find a particular book helpful.

Of the many books on home canning, these are my go-to references with solid, reliable information and good recipes.

I encourage folks to not dismiss the classic Ball canning books and USDA recipes as the classic recipes have reliable and tasty results.

Keeping chickens ain’t exactly cheap if all you want and need is a dozen eggs a week. If you want a creature that is a vital part of your garden or homestead, chickens can be a good addition.

In addition to eggs, a well managed laying flock also provides meat, gelatin, fat, broth, and manure for the garden.

Tidiness is about items and cleanliness is about dust, dirt, and grime.

A tidy homestead is unencumbered with excess items that are not used, it is smooth and efficient, and over time easily sheds the unneeded/unwanted so others can put those items to use.

Fixing and mending clothing (and other items) is a way to show care of the world and all the resources it takes to create those items and saves money. It also makes our clothes uniquely our own.