February Reading List
| Oscar is here to help in case I get stuck on a big word, like cat or dog. |
Books:
SAS Survival Guide - This handy, pocket sized guide is perfect for stashing in your bug out bag or even in your purse, for those times when your stuck at the doctor’s office and all there is to read in the magazine rack is home decorating guides and Sports Illustrated (not that there is anything wrong with those, I just don’t like them). The chapters cover - Essentials, Climate and Terrain, Food, Camp Craft, Reading the Signs, Survival at Sea, Rescue, Health, and Disaster Strategies. The only complaint that I have about this book is that, to fit all that information in it, they had to make the print really small. If I’m ever in a survival situation and I have this book on hand, I sure hope I have a magnifying glass along too.
Peterson Field Guides - Edible Wild Plants (Eastern/ Central US) - Now this is the book that I want to have along if I ever need to survive in the wild in this part of the world. The descriptions are very detailed, the illustrations are perfect, and there is a section of color photographs that leave nothing to the imagination. There is even a section on poisonous plants that is very helpful.
Peterson Field Guides - Medicinal Plants and Herbs (Eastern/ Central US) - This book lists a huge variety of plants, with a color photograph, description, list of uses and warnings, when applicable, for each one. I have never been disappointed with any Peterson Field Guide I have used. This one meets that expectation for excellence, and then some.
Magazines:
Backwoods Home Magazine - Although the eye-catching cover of the March/ April issue is a burning vision of the Mayan calendar and the headline article is Fact and Fiction of Apocalyptic Scenarios, I found the article on growing potatoes (includes a good description of different varieties, how to plant and care for them, and some recipes) and the medicinal uses of garlic more helpful and interesting. I did find the article A Brief History of the End of the World entertaining and grounding. Other articles that I still want to read include Build a Small Cabin, Portable Solar Power, and Homestead Burnout.
Hobby Farms Chickens - I don’t subscribe to Hobby Farms magazine, although they have some great articles. but I saw the March/ April issue of their Chicken publication and picked it up the other day. I was interested in reading at least two of the articles so that justified the price of $5.99 (in my head, anyway). The article Herbal Essence gives some interesting information on using herbs and garlic for keeping your chickens healthy. I keep meaning to put garlic in the water container for my flock…maybe today. I also wanted to read the article In Addition to Chickens since I want to try turkeys this year and several other types of poultry are on my wish list for the future. The author gave an overview of which types of fowl do well together and what their needs are. A bunch of other articles were informative and fun to read. First Week Survival Guide was a good refresher on taking care of baby chicks. I have eggs in the incubator right now…so it can’t hurt to freshen up the ol’ brain cells in preparation for the hatch. Overall, this magazine is a fun read for those who have chickens or are interested in getting chickens. There are articles on free ranging, bantam breeds and putting plumbing in for you chicken coop, as well as some ads for poultry products with free giveaways for a few lucky entrants.
Mother Earth News - Right away I was impressed with the article Is There Poison in Our Food - Concerns About BPA. I’ve been concerned about BPA in the products we use for quite some time, but this really made me decide to work a bit harder to remove products that contain BPA in their packaging from our grocery list. We don’t buy a lot of canned goods, very little soda (just for guests) and I’ve switched to BPA free freezer containers…but I think we need to go even further to reduce our exposure. I highly recommend this article for anyone interested in their family’s health. I also feel that the article The Case for a Ban on Fracking is a a good thing for everyone to read. They have a great Guide to Self-Sufficient Living with advice from nine modern homesteaders…a good read for anyone interested in becoming more self sufficient. Other articles that I’m looking forward to are, Why I eat Wild Meat, Double-Duty DIY Solar Solution, Seed Starting Made Simple, and Small Space Gardening.
I’m hoping to pick up a few other things to read this month…but I spend a lot of time reading online and there are only so many hours in a day.
What are you reading? Do you have recommendations for good gardening, homesteading, or frugal living publications? I’d love to hear what other people find interesting!
This post featured on:
Wildcrafting Wednesdays on Mind Body and Soul at http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/27th-edition-of-wildcrafting-wednesday/
