As a thank you to all of you who continue to show up here, I think a giveaway of today's new books is in order. It's you folks, and the community of readers worldwide committed to learning more about "Homemade Living" topics that made these books possible in the first place. I'm feeling generous, so I'll be giving 3 (!!!) lucky readers copies of both "Home Dairy" and "Keeping Bees." To enter, simply leave a comment telling me what sort of Homemade Living adventures, exploits, shenanigans, and dreams you've got going on in your neck of the woods. And, much as I love all you international friends of small measure, I'm afraid I'll have to limit this contest to those living domestically.
The giveaway contest will run through next Tuesday, March 8th at midnight EST. After that, I'll randomly choose 3 entries. I'll need to be able to reach you if you're the winner, so if your comment doesn't link back to a blog, please leave me your e-mail address when commenting.
Have fun! And thanks for the love, of the books, blog, and beyond!
229 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 229 of 229Just bought lots of seeds yesterday, so spring planting can begin.
I'm also starting a batch of home made wine today. Wish me luck, since it's my first try.
One of this year's goals is to learn to make cheese. We both love it, so it would be such a great skill to have.
The work you do is wonderful! I can't wait to get my hands into the beekeeping edition. I'm planning on planting a garden this summer in my tiny city yard. I also will be starting some worm compost. Saving the world one little step at a time.
mcintosh.alice@gmail.com
We are planting a .25 acre garden this year to hopefully restart a more self sufficient lifestyle that was lost some time ago on my boyfriend's 100 year old family farm. Thanks for the opportunity to add two books to our reference library.
It is still snowy and cold here but I am starting plans for a small container garden. I have been trying to find my favorite recipes for whole wheat bread and other processed food substitutes which has been fun! Thanks for the chance to win! I can't wait to read them either way!
The awakening to "old-fashioned" living is so stunning to me. Women and men alike are returning to the land - and to community. So BEAUTIFUL. (what I'm into: permaculture gardening, humanure, canning/fermenting/pickling, goat dairy, off-grid living, and new! TimeBanking!.. a new way to make a living without currency.) Keep it up, good people! (http://swaggerihardlyknewher.blogspot.com/)
My boyfriend and I have been thinking a lot more about future growing projects, as so far, we have only made small forays into homemade living shenanigans :) Growing basil indoors and starting lemongrass were some past mini projects. We've also made one batch of homemade caramels that are dangerously addictive! In the future, we'd like to have some fruit trees, and having bees around will be critical to success.
Just starting our foray into the world of bees. Our italian bees are buzzing, the russians have not fared too well in these North Carolina mountains. Turns out, we're not too far apart. I'm in south Asheville and would LOVE a Bee book!!!
This is a fantastic giveaway! One day, my honey and I would like to raise honey bees, chickens, and grow our own garden. For the meantime, as we live in a condo, we'll grow our food in every square inch we have of outside space and dream and plan our chicken and bee keeping future!
Amanda (greenandthrifty@gmail.com)
I am always interested in learning something new, passing on information/knowledge to 4-H'ers, and sharing with other neighbors. Would love to have copies of any of your books.
We're hopefully putting in an offer on a "country" house this week, so my mind is so big for all the dreams we want to do with the 1.1 acres we've chosen. Chickens, bees, and rabbits are a go. I'd love to add these beautiful books to our library!
Emma
City Roots, Country Life
Cheeeeese! I would LOVE to start making my own cheese at home. How cool would that be? Everyone will want to come over all the time! "What cheese you got ripening in the cheese cave?" they'd ask. "Not-cho cheese," I'd reply. This would be a dream come true.
Hi, I'd love to learn from this book!
I would love the dairy book so I can make dairy products from my goat milk. And one day I will have bees!
I just discovered your blog today! I can't get enough of homestead living. I own 13 acres in rural Michigan and have a 1-acre vegetable garden that I work in April thru October. Goats and chickens are on my "want" list. But I enjoy trying new canning recipes and cooking from scratch, too. One of my goals is goat cheese, so I am anxious to read your new book. Can't wait to read your past postings! Pick Me! Pick Me!
I live in a third floor condo in Chicago. Over the past few years I have been doing more edibles in my containers than perennials or annuals. This year I am starting most everything from seed for the first time. I have a small grow light now and am trying winter sowing.
I also make my own healing salve, lotion bar, lip balms, toner, and soaps for myself and as gifts. I grow some of my herbs for use there.
If I had land, bees and chickens might well be in the mix. I do want to learn to preserve my harvest - pickling and canning. And making dairy products intrigues me now, especially yogurt and cheese.
I am at: mvpgardens@yahoo.com
Great site and thanks for this offer.
Mary Pendergast
We have several fruit trees planted but need to find new varieties that bloom later as our fruit gets frozen nearly every year. After several challenging family dramas, we are anxious to once again focus on our homestead plans and projects. Already have chickens and goats but have never had bees....help is appreciated!
I've got bees (saw you at BCBC tonight), worms, a small garden, a young heirloom apple orchard (varieties for hard cider), and three water buffalo which we hope to use for home dairy. I've got your chicken book (in anticipation of someday fixing up the old coop) so was thrilled to see that you've got books on bees and dairy, too.
I will be keeping goats and bees and would love to learn all that I can. Thank you for the great giveaway!
I love what you do... looked to you for inspiration when we got chickens last spring.. (that is how I found you) I have made some yogurt... and am trying to be better at production vs consumption...
thanks for the contest.
Yay! I'm not too late to comment/enter!
Phew, where do I begin? Well I had dreamed of keeping chickens and a garden since before we left Brooklyn. Both of those projects were in the works when I met Ashley, and I'm being modest when I say she was my inspiration for learning how to can & preserve last year, and now keep bees! As those last two goals begin to materialize, we often reflect on the bigger picture, with the ultimate goal being as self-sufficient and off-the-grid (one day) as possible. Baby steps...
It was fun to sit in the Buncombe County Bee-Keepers meeting last night with the author! Wish I had the bee book last year when I began the same journey. Good job!
After consulting your "Keeping Chickens" book many times, I ordered chicks last fall and my ladies just started to lay a month ago. It's been such a fun experience that I'm excited to try my hand at cheesemaking and maybe even beekeeping.
Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration in all things homemade!
kjsutton623[at]gmail[dot]com
I have a small grassfed herd of beef cattle and we are really struggling with heavy snows, blizzards and barn disasters this winter.
Our main barn burned down December 18th and then our cow barn collapsed February 6th.
35 barns collapsed that day in Vermont because of rain that later turned to ice.
I adore my cows and they have lots of stories to tell.
Thanks for having the book give away. I want to learn more about making cheese. Come visit the herd when you have a chance: www.tailgait.blogspot.com
Ashley, I love your blogs. I recently posted my first blog on a local newspaper's site about Living Whole...yes it was inspired by a common love ours "Whole Living" magazine. This first post is about my edible gardening but my family goal toward self sufficieny encompasses so much more.
http://www.yourobserver.com/blog/Living-Whole/Harvests-for-my-Home-and-Heart/11-225
I bought your book on canning last year and continue to make some pretty awesome pickles and plan to venture into other recipes soon. I also have dabbled in dairy but would love to get more instruction. We are still working toward chickens but our city just made it legal so we hope to have some by end of year. Bees have also been an interest of mine although a little intimadating. Other goals this year for me are organic and homemade beauty products and we plan to start a family this year so I am sure I will be heavy into healthy baby stuff too. This is my personal blog.
http://homeharvests.blogspot.com/
Just received our order of seeds in the mail (yippee!), also plug spawn to grow reishi, shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Also canned my first batch of pickled asparagus last week (yum!) which was, of course, followed by an amazingly delicious pot of cream of asparagus soup! Other than that, just gazing at my lovely hellebores that are in full bloom :)
I so want to start keeping bees and get better at the cheese stuff. Your books are so fun thanks for writing them.
Just what I need to get started! thank you! would love to win these
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