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 Now
and again we find the most incredible books that remind
us that our actions really do make a difference. From "how
to's" to "let's do's," books have the power
to encourage us to change, adopt new habits, try something
different, and believe it can happen. So next time you find
yourself with a peaceful afternoon, borrow a book from the
library or visit a local bookstore... it might be exactly
what you need.
These Green Book suggestions
are a good start but if you have a favorite Green Book you
want to share, send us an email
and tell us all about it! And if you find a couple of Green
Books that need a good home, consider donating them to the
HC3 Conservation Library at our office. Happy reading!
Support Our Local
Bookstore - The
Next Page
Did you know that for every $100 spent in an independent
business, an average of $73 stays in the community, compared
to only $43 for a national chain or Internet purchase? Everyone
benefits when you keep it in the neighborhood. For your
next Green Reads, visit The
Next Page Bookstore on Main Street in Frisco.
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Made from Scratch: Discovering the
Pleasures of a Handmade Life
by Jenna Woginrich
Starting off as a
young, single woman with a desk job and a city apartment,
Jenna Woginrich set out to build a more self-sufficient
lifestyle by learning homesteading skills. After moving
across the country to a rented farmhouse in northern
Idaho, she learned to raise chickens, keep bees, and
grow her own food. This is the story of her joyful,
dramatic, and sometimes sorrowful journey toward self-reliance.
From the satisfying work of starting a new garden
and installing honeybees, to the bliss of gathering
fresh eggs, "Made from Scratch" shares the
deep satisfaction that comes with providing for oneself.
Woginrich weaves into her narrative easy-to-follow
instructions for making your own clothes, teaching
yourself to play a musical instrument, and much more.
In any setting - urban, suburban, or rural - with
any level of experience, it's possible to take small
steps toward self-reliance. Windowbox vegetable gardens,
a batch of homemade strawberry jam, a handknit sweater,
or a small flock of backyard chickens all satisfy
the craving to homestead. |
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Plan
Bee
by Susan Brackney
Not to be confused with the new Disney flick
Plan Bee, this book is the adult version of "Everything
You Ever Wanted to Know About the Hardest-Working
Creatures on the Planet." Whether you're thinking
of becoming a beekeeper yourself or you'd rather just
admire honeybees from a distance, this whimsical guide
to all things bee is filled with fascinating facts,
inspiring insights, expert recipes, and all sorts
of offbeat projects like candle and soap making. What
I love about this book is the humor. Unlike a Biology
textbook, this book is fun to read (and fast). Learn
who's who in the hive—how to spot drones, the
queen, and her servants; the latest on Colony Collapse
Disorder and other threats to the honeybee; the ins
and outs of making and using honey, pollen, and beeswax;
tasty honey recipes and more. |
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The
Backyard Homestead
Edited by Carleen Madigan
With
just a quarter acre of land, you can feed a family
of four with fresh, organic food year-round. This
comprehensive guide to self-sufficiency gives you
all the information you need to grow and preserve
a variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, and
grains; raise chickens for eggs and meat; raise cows,
sheep, and goats for meat or milk; raise pigs and
rabbits; and keep honey bees. Simple instructions
make it easy to enjoy canned, frozen, dried, and pickled
produce all winter; use your own grains to make bread,
pasta, and beer; turn fresh milk into delicious homemade
yogurt, butter, and cheese; make your own wine, cordials,
and herbal teas; and much, much more. It truly is
possible to eat entirely from your backyard. |
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Everything
I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local
Food Front
by Joel Salatin
Drawing upon 40 years’ experience as an ecological
farmer and marketer, Joel Salatin explains with humor
and passion why Americans do not have the freedom
to choose the food they purchase and eat. From child
labor regulations to food inspection, bureaucrats
provide themselves sole discretion over what food
is available in the local marketplace. Their system
favors industrial, global corporate food systems and
discourages community-based food commerce, resulting
in homogenized selection, mediocre quality, and exposure
to non-organic farming practices. Salatin’s
expert insight explains why local food is expensive
and difficult to find and will illuminate for the
reader a deeper understanding of the industrial food
complex. |
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Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese
by Brad Kessler
Goat Song tells about what it's like to live intimately with animals who directly feed you. As Kessler begins to live the life of a herder -- learning how to care for and breed and birth goats -- he encounters the pastoral roots of so many aspects of Western culture. Kessler reflects on the history and literature of herding, and how our diet, our alphabet, our religions, poetry, and economy all grew out of a pastoralist milieu among hoofed animals. Goat Song is both a spiritual quest and a compelling and beautiful chronicle of living by nature's rules. |
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Cooking Like a Goddess: Bringing Seasonal Magic into the Kitchen
by Cait Johnson
More than a magical cookbook, Cooking Like a Goddess offers a basic course in kitchen magic--setting up a kitchen altar, cooking with the seasons, kitchen rituals, and so on. A beautiful book with vegetarian recipes for the four seasons and a wealth of ideas for making your kitchen the heart of the home. |
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From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce
by Madison Area CSA Coalition
This is the must have seasonal cookbook! From Asparagus to Zucchini was originally created to help CSA members make the most of the wide variety of produce they received from their farms each week. It's now an indispensable tool for CSA members, farmers, market enthusiasts, and gardeners everywhere. Each section includes nutritional, historical, and storage information as well as cooking tips and specific recipes - over 420 original recipes in all. It includes essays that adress the "larger picture" of sustainable agriculture by describing how food choices fit into our economy, environment, and communities.
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