Sustainable Living

The Homestead Basic Series is a collection of works that answer the often-asked questions of individuals trying to start living more self-sufficiently. Each book in this set holds solid information geared toward beginning hobbyist.

Our current path leads to a dead end—but it’s not too late to change course. The first step toward reducing your carbon footprint starts here.

The climate crisis is making us all unwell. And it’s not just the climate crisis… The term ‘eco-anxiety’ has been popularised as a way to talk about the negative impact of the climate emergency on our wellbeing. In It’s Not Just You, activist Tori Tsui reframes eco-anxiety as the urgent mental health crisis it clearly is. Drawing on the wisdom of environmental advocates from around the globe, Tori looks to those on the frontlines of eco-activism to demonstrate that the current climate-related mental health struggle goes beyond the climate itself.

If the power grid fails, it’s not just your lights that go out. It’s your water supply. It’s your heating and cooling system. It’s all your usual ways of cooking food or doing the laundry. Without the grid, life as we know it changes in an instant.

When he first envisioned becoming a farmer, author Emmet Van Driesche never imagined his main crop would be Christmas trees, nor that such a tree farm could be more of a managed forest than the conventional grid of perfectly sheared trees. Carving Out a Living on the Land tells the story of how Van Driesche navigated changing life circumstances, took advantage of unexpected opportunities, and leveraged new and old skills to piece together an economically viable living, while at the same time respecting the land’s complex ecological relationships.

Lead in lipstick? 1,4-Dioxane in baby soap? Coal tar in shampoo? How is this possible? Simple. The $35 billion cosmetics industry is so powerful they've kept themselves unregulated for decades. Not Just a Pretty Face chronicles the quest that led a group of health and environmental activists to the world's largest cosmetics companies to ask some tough questions....

Discover how to cultivate a thriving garden - even if you have no space or experience. Convinced you've got two brown thumbs? Absolutely certain that gardening is a skill you're either born with or you’re not? Think again. Gardening usually conjures up images of sprawling backyards and hours of weeding, tending and harvesting - a hobby that's only available to those who have the time and space to spare. In today's world, that couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, it’s easier and more accessible to get started with gardening than it’s ever been before.

Self-published authors are coming to realize that a stable career is about a backlist of titles and keeping that backlist selling. But how do you do this? Invariably, advice given by other authors includes holding promotions and lowering the price of the first book in series, or even making it free. However, few people mention one of the most powerful ways to keep your backlist selling: the author mailing list.

You intend to self-publish or have published a book or two. You’re not selling very well and wonder why not. You feel you should be doing something, but the thought of “marketing” gives you nightmares. You don’t want to become one of these people shouting “buy my book” on Twitter. But you would still love to start selling some books and pay some or even all of your bills with your writing income.

Do you have a small backyard space that is brimming with potential? Have you always wanted to grow your own food and save up money in the process? Are you looking to take a simpler, more self-sufficient path in life? You’re in luck! If you’re looking to create a highly productive, sustainable space that provides homegrown fruits, vegetables, honey, eggs, milk, and meat...then Sustainable Backyard Homesteading for Beginners by D.G. Smith is for you!

Eco-friendly living made simple. As a lifestyle guide and an introduction to sustainable living, Sustainable Badass shows you why and how to minimize your consumption while effortlessly making your habits greener.

In this book, Eve O. Schaub, humorist and stunt memoirist extraordinaire, tackles her most difficult challenge to date: garbage. Convincing her husband and two daughters to go along with her, Schaub attempts the seemingly impossible: living in the modern world without creating any trash at all—for an entire year and, as it turns out, during a pandemic.

You don’t need to be an experienced gardener to produce your own food. It all starts with a single step, and you’re about to take it right now. With the right guidance by your side, you can design a thriving vegetable garden unique to your own needs, and create a raised bed growing environment your whole neighborhood will envy. Ready to become the master of a beautiful and productive garden?

Does the idea of never having to pay utility, rent or mortgage bills ever again sound like a dream come true? Welcome to the world of tiny houses, an innovative living solution for those who don’t want to live their lives in debt to own a home! What started as a way to shelter people after natural disasters became a world popular housing trend, with millions praising the benefits of living in a small but highly functional house. If you want to join this ever-expanding club of debt-free house owners, this book will guide you on the path to your own, tiny piece of heaven on Earth!

The tiny house movement is an emerging trend in architecture and home design. It has been present in the real estate market for years but has only now grown to become the latest craze in the architectural world. Many people have decided that less is actually more, and even more are beginning to downsize their living to create a more suitable and affordable lifestyle. Living in a tiny house - a house that is only 400 square feet or less - will enable you to own a house while being free from any form of debt or mortgage.

Would you be able to survive for any length of time without modern amenities? If so, how would you do it? What tools and skills are required and how do you put it all together into a working survival plan? From Hollywood dramatizations to real-life catastrophes that seem to occur on a daily basis, there is no shortage of potential emergencies that could leave society in shambles.

Become a farmer without leaving your backyard! Have you ever dreamed of growing your own food? Between the fresh air, the exercise, and the savings on rising grocery prices, there are so many great reasons to garden. But you can go one big step further when you start your own mini-farm. With backyard farming, you use the land you already have to grow your own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Some people even raise livestock at home! A mini-farm is easy to start and doesn’t have to be expensive. You’ll eat healthier, help the environment, and relieve stress.

The Backyard Homestead Guide for Self-Sufficiency is the only comprehensive guide you need for homesteading to help you grow and preserve food right in your backyard while raising animals for meat, eggs, and dairy. You will also learn how you can save money while making money at the same time! Anyone can learn from this easy-to-follow guide no matter your finances, location, or experience with homesteading. Whether you’re just establishing or improving a homestead for sustainable living, using this will help you avoid making expensive rookie mistakes also.

Are you transitioning to off-grid boondocking, know you need a solar system, but you're scared as heck to get started? Building a mobile off-grid solar system can be intimidating to most beginners. Trust me, I used a portable generator for the first couple of years of van life. But understanding the basic principles of off-the-grid solar power can probably save your life if you start connecting wires before you understand what they all do.

Have you often pondered on what it would be like to have chickens in your backyard, fantasizing about the endless supply of eggs you would have available for your family whenever in need? Do you know of people who raise backyard chickens and admire their work, yet wonder if it’s something you would be able to do just as well as them? Did you use to live or work on a farm and miss the constant contact with animals, but don’t know how to implement this into your daily routine?