Welcome to the Farm: How-to Wisdom from the Elliott Homestead

The latest book from Elliott, a homesteader, blogger, and author of two prior cookbooks, is a how-to manual for folks who wonder if life on the farm is for them. Elliott, a champion of the homesteading movement, appreciates the simpler way of life—and longs for a return to traditions she saw on her own grandfather’s farm. Elliott shares her enthusiasm for life on the farm with her husband and four homeschooled children, and readers get a day-to-day look at what is necessary to keep a farm ticking along. The book is filled with useful tips on how to save seeds, how to make herbal teas, and how to decide if dairy farming is the right choice for you. Some suggestions she offers are too simplistic, even for a basic book, such as a recommendation on how to use the summer’s bounty of tomatoes: “Tuck sliced tomatoes into a sandwich.” One look at the list of “basic equipment” needed to slaughter a pig (“.22 rifle, sharp knife, rope, 55-gallon drum, bone saw”) may sort the daydreamers from those meant to be farmers. The book includes some recipes with more general appeal, such as recipes for homemade chorizo, honey meringues (with honey from your own hive if you’re lucky), and fruit wine. This is a book for the armchair wannabe farmer and for those seriously considering homesteading. (Apr.)