I thought I’d throw together a list of resources we have found useful here at our ochre way. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but just some of the tools I reference if not daily, then weekly.

Books

Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway

Probably the best brief introduction to home based permaculture there is. It’s an easy read, with lots of pictures, charts, and plant lists. A great to place to start if you’re looking to begin using permaculture techniques to design your property.

 

Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats


Dr. Pitcairn really knows his stuff, and his book is bursting with information on raising your pets naturally without toxic chemicals. The chapters on nutrition and home made pet food are worth the price of the book by themselves. Its been our main resource with deciding how to formulate our homemade dog food, and is without a doubt the best book out there to help dog and cat owners navigate their own adventures in organic and natural pet care.

Edible Forest Gardens (2 volume set)


This set from Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier is the ultimate reference for permaculture design for food forests and forest garden systems. This great resource covers everything from ecological theory to plant spacing, guilds, and breakdowns of mature forest gardens. The plant tables in the appendix are unbelievable with information on bloom times, edibility, medicinal qualities, root structure, and so much more for hundreds of species. An invaluable tool for anyone planning a food forest.

Online

The Survival Podcast

Jack Spirko’s podcast on permaculture, homesteading, and liberty is something I listen to everyday in the car to and from work. with over 1200 episodes, he has covered topics from hunting squirrels to cooking with herbs. He regularly interviews some of permaculture’s most influential people, like Geoff Lawton and Paul Wheaton. Not only is the show a great resource, but the TSP forum is a great place to learn and discuss homesteading and other topics as well.

Permies.com

Brought to us by Paul Wheaton, permies.com is the best permaculture forum on the internet. This is the place I check first if I want a brief summary on anything related to permaculture or homesteading. A great resource.

 

These are just a few of the resources I would recommend to someone trying to start a homestead, or who one day would like to start homesteading. Stay tuned for more!