What are your favorite resources for gardening/homesteading/home medicine info?

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 0
edited April 2018 in The Homestead: DIY
I belong to a huge Facebook Group called North Texas Vegetable Gardeners. I love this group because it's focused on gardening in my region. It's nice to have a large community of local people doing the same thing. Currently, the group has 28,000 members!

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited April 2018
    I really like BackyardChickens.com and the Backyard Chickens Facebook group (which has nearly 100,000 members). When I have questions about a sick chicken or etc., the Facebook group especially is a great resource.
  • Wendy Meredith
    Wendy Meredith Posts: 1
    edited April 2018
    Although I don’t FaceBook every day (who has time?), I enjoy a FB group Off
    (and On) Grid, Homestead, Prepping Women.  It’s probably a samller group but everyone has great ideas and tips from different countries.  Another I enjoy is the group Food in Jars for great ideas and new recipes on how to can much of what I produce.  Always a favorite for most of my life is the Mother Earth News mag.  IMO, one of the originators of the whole “save the earth, grow it yourself” thought mentality.  :)
  • permies949
    permies949 Posts: 1
    edited April 2018
    PermaEthos
    Permies
    The Survival Podcast
    Permaculture Apprentice
  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin
    edited April 2018
    Hi Permies949, thanks for reminding me about Jacks "Survival Podcast"

    I like the magazine Acres USA - while it is mostly geared towards small farmers, the in-depth articles on a particular crop are great.

    I also like both Permaculture Design, and Permacultrue Magazine.

    Oh, and I occaisionally dip into Geoff Lawton's "Friday Five" email list.

    For economics and finance I like the Simon Black newsletters.

     
  • fibrefarmer
    fibrefarmer Posts: 4
    edited April 2018
    My library is a tremendous source of inspiration.  They have the best books for the best price (free) but I have to give them back after a few weeks :(.  But still, it saves money and they let me borrow the books as many times as I need.  If they don't have the book, they can order a copy or borrow it from another library via interlibrary loan.

    Another vote for permies.com  Very friendly and helpful people there.  They were the ones who told me about The Grow Network.

    Permaculture magazine, always interesting articles.
  • Scott Sexton
    Scott Sexton Posts: 42 ✭✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy by Kerry Bone and Simon Mills is an excellent text, if you are looking for detailed, technical information on medicinal properties of plants. I also really enjoy Medicinal Herbalism by David Hoffman.

    If you want herbal formulas, anything by Rosemary Gladstar is a good bet.
  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin
    edited May 2018
    Just thought of this: Another resource I use fairly frequently is my local Extension office. The climate and wildlife here (SW Colorado) are so different from those where I used to live (SE Texas) that it has been really helpful to be able to speak to our Extension agent and fellow Master Gardeners in this area to learn how to tackle some of the differences. A lot of them are also a wealth of information on organic and permaculture practices that work in this area....
  • work
    work Posts: 24 ✭✭✭

    Currently reviewing all 14 pages of this group for Interesting suggestions... This looks like a great discussion. Thank you everybody 🤗

  • Karyn Pennington
    Karyn Pennington Posts: 71 ✭✭✭

    I love all of the Mother Earth News resources and belong to a BTE FB page. I follow Kami McBride and Dr. Jones (herbs) and Andrea Butje (EO's). And, of course, TGN! I also follow Luke from MI Gardener because he's local (ish) and while I don't always follow his methods, I learned a lot from him when I was first getting started a few years ago. I'm a suburban gardener/homesteader wannabe and 3 years ago I moved from a highly restrictive HOA to a home on a street with a fenced yard just over a third of an acre. It's plenty for me/us and I'm transforming most of the back yard into (BTE/woodchip) gardens and incorporating edibles into all of my front beds as well. For example, I use ever-bearing strawberries as ground cover, and have several herbs like lavender, rosemary, chives and I tuck garlic in any where it will fit, etc.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    My picks...nothing on FB, and in no particular order....

    First, old school. I strongly believe in honoring those who have gone before:

    Gardening (and more)...wisdom from my Grandfather's day. He was a real homesteader, getting land for "free," clearing his land, building a log barn & log cabin & bringing his family to his new homestead in a covered wagon of all things! He did it all (think pioneer & ultimate DIY), and whatever he did, he did well.

    I also get gardening wisdom from my my mom & an aunt who I keep saying has "magic dirt." 😂 There is absolutely nothing she can't grow that she has tried. She has an extensive library of herbal wisdom too (some good, some questionable), homebirth info and loads of experience in all the above. She also knows lots about cows & calves. You would love to read her if she was a book! 😊

    Second, online & authors:

    Mother Earth News - some great, some not so accurate, but always interesting

    Permies

    Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist- author, youtube

    K. P. Khalsa (internationalntegrative.com, kpkhalsa.com), herbalist- I'm not into the spiritual, meditative & yoga teachings (as my beliefs are much different), just the herbalism. He can easily separate these for those who want only certain knowledge. I respect that and wish to take more formal lessons from him one day.

    Doc Jones (homegrownherbalist.net) for the animal side of things...sometimes people related questions too.

    Dirk van Loon has written a great book called, "The Family Cow." I highly recommend it. Gail Damerow has written a few poultry resource books that are helpful for poultry keeping.

    Alberta Chickens Etc forum http://albertachickensetc.punbb-hosting.com/index.php - My go to for excellent extensive knowledge on (mainly) poultry of any type, farm animals, and more. There is easily searchable information there that I have found invaluable. The people there are like family. They are currently doing a new member drive and will accept anyone. It is the only online poultry forum dedicated to Canadians nationwide & the unique conditions & challenges we have in our country, so the majority of members are Canadian. I encourage everyone to check it out! 😀

    I have visited BYC (and another really great super large farm focused group) too, but I don't have time to participate in everything online. That is a part of why I am not on Facebook. A person has to choose...

    If you want to get into home birth information (this does fall under home medicine), I have a whole lot more favorites. I may not agree with all their beliefs either, but their herbalism & birth knowledge is solid.

  • work
    work Posts: 24 ✭✭✭

    @Karyn Pennington

    re your "I'm transforming most of the yard into (BTE/woodchip) gardens and incorporating edibles into all of my front beds as well. For example, I use ever-bearing strawberries as ground cover, and have several herbs like lavender, rosemary, chives and I tuck garlic in any where it will fit, etc." - Bravo! 🤗 Sounds just like me, Gardening is really a way of life. Always has been, & tho there are way More tasks than daylight, it's really a healthy game...

  • Blair
    Blair Posts: 46

    Pinterest, Mother Earth News ( I have the first hundred issues or so plus a DVD that covers 1970-2011, Books and of course TGN. :-)

  • herbantherapy
    herbantherapy Posts: 453 ✭✭✭✭

    @Blair thank you for mentioning TGN!

    While the discussion boards are super fun and resourceful, I love the videos and newsletters I get in my email that are jam packed with new info. And as a member there are resources and learning opportunities galore! #thankstgn