Aftermath- A review

I don't read a lot of fiction, but when given the opportunity to do this review in conjunction with a giveaway I jumped at the chance. This story is written by a fellow homestead and preparedness blogger.

If you would like to watch my video review of this book you can do so below.

Ever wondered what the world might look like if everything connected to the internet were to fail? I had never thought about how fragile the grid and really almost everything else is when it comes to the internet. All it would really take is a super computer virus and our way of life could change dramatically. Now add a major catastrophe occurring in several major metropolitan areas.

This book follows the hero Jimmy as he realizes that his entire world has just changed because of a super computer virus. Jimmy is a blue collar guy and a military veteran. Jimmy runs into several challenges while trying to make is way to his bug out location. Once there he thinks he is just going to try to make it on his own. His outlook on this changes dramatically. I enjoy seeing Jimmy evolve and change in his new world and I think you will too.

How do you think you would respond? Do you think you could make it as a lone wolf? How would the rebuilding of society begin? How would the governments of the world respond?

I like the fact that the book makes it clear that in a society changing event foraging and gardening are going to just be a given. No one can build a future on their own. The best a lone wolf can hope for is to survive. Building a community then quickly having a sense of home and family. I think that part of this book is the most realistic I have read. Good people will come together for their mutual benefit.

This book is a work of fiction, but you can use fiction to help learn about yourself and how you might respond. 

Even if you are not into post apocalyptic fiction, you could still enjoy this book. Not very graphic when it comes to violence which is good if you want to use this book to start a conversation with younger teens. A little action, adventure, and even just a bit of clean romance thrown in to round it all out. This book talks about building community and dealing with challenges that could occur. Very little profanity and no sex or nudity. That is a big deal to me. This would be an excellent book to share with older children as a discussion starter.

Now to the giveaway. Just leave a comment on this blog and a winner will be selected on February 9th 2015. I will be giving someone a gift on my birthday. How much more simple could we make it? I hope you win.

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Chicken Hot Topics a review

We are nearing the end of the year. It is difficult for me to grasp as this year seemed to have gone by so quickly. Thus is however the time of year when I start thinking about what I would like to add to my little homestead next year.

Any time I decide I am going to add something that I don't know much about I like to do research. This is the time of year I do most of my research. I like to know as much as I can about something new.

I don't know if you have ever noticed, some books avoid anything that could be considered controversial. I first noticed this trend in dog breed books.

There are several things in keeping chickens that are controversial. To some that will sound odd, but join a chicken group or two and you will quickly find that there are folks that will get nasty over some of these topics. Containment, bedding, and feed are just some of the topics that can start a spirited debate. Did you know you could use sand as a base for your litter in your coop. I had never thought about it before.

Chicken Hot Topics

This book doesn't shy away from the more disputed ideas concerning raising chickens.

This book will give you what you need to get started raising chickens from space requirements, litter, all the way to dispatching of the older birds. Chicken Hot Topics: Controversial Husbandry Practices is a book that if you are just getting into chickens I think you should check out.

Build Smart

In  Chicken Hot Topics: Controversial Husbandry Practices Jess covers what I call the never enough syndrome. I think everyone should start small, but what is small to some is huge to others. I remember talking to one person that was asking a lot of questions about raising chickens, which I think is great. I ask them how many chickens they were thinking about getting. Their response was that they wanted to start small like 50 birds. Holy Cow! For us on our property 50 birds would be huge, but to them 50 birds were where they wanted to start. Just imagine though if they had started with 5 birds and rapidly increased to 50. Some people would build several coops along the way.

Other Things Covered

Jess covers commercial feed, free ranging, organic, and even soy free feeds, the pros and cons of each. She does a good job of going into each. I learned things reading her book.

I really like the fact that Jess covers internal and external parasites in Chicken Hot Topics: Controversial Husbandry Practices. She covers veterinary and alternative treatment methods for each some of the methods covered I have used others I had not heard of.

She covers the debate over clipping chickens wings and states if you decide to clip them to seek instruction on the proper way to do so. Guess what? I have a video on how to do so properly you can watch it Here.

Here is a list of the chapters in this book:

Chapter 1: The Space Requirements for Keeping Chickens Healthy 

Chapter 2: Alternative Bedding – Including Traditional Bedding, Sand & Rice Hulls 

Chapter 3: Specialty Diets – Soy Free, Vegetarian, Home-Mixed and More 

Chapter 4: Do Egg Shell Supplements Lead to Egg Eating? 

Chapter 5: Solutions to Egg Eating 

Chapter 6: Natural & Commercial Solutions to Internal Parasites 

Chapter 7: Natural & Commercial Solutions to External Parasites + Egg Withdrawal 

Chapter 8: The Ethics of Wing Clipping 

Chapter 9: Breaking a Broody Hen Responsibly 

Chapter 10: The Safety of Adding Supplemental Lighting to Increase Production 

Chapter 11: Heating the Chicken Coop During the Winter 

Chapter 12: Humane Euthanasia Methods 

Chapter 13: Choosing to Dispatching Aged Birds 

As you can see that is a pretty good list, but wait there's more. (Insert infomercial voice here)

My favorite part of the book isn't even listed as a chapter. It is the resources. She has a glossary, herbals for chickens (huge deal for me), a long list of poisonous plants for chickens, and even a section on medical doses and conversions. The resources are worth the price of the book for me. I hope you will check out Chicken Hot Topics: Controversial Husbandry Practices.

All of the links I provided are to the eBook version from Amazon and are affiliate links. If you would like a print edition you can purchase one from Jess's site 104 Homestead. (Not an affiliate link)

If you would like to know more about Jess and her homestead, I was lucky enough to interview her here on this blog you can check it out Here.

Adding chickens can be a great step in achieving your
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes.

Want to try a different and new social media? Check out tsu, I am just learning, but supposedly you get paid for sharing your content. You have to join through someone who is already there. So I you would like check it out here. 

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Jake and Miller's Big Adventure a review

A Review

At what age should you start teaching children about being prepared? Is it ever too early? How do you go about teaching self reliance and preparedness without instilling fear? How would you approach the subject?

I have found that stories are the best way to teach a lesson without bringing fear into the discussion. We should be teaching our children confidence in the face of adversity and skills to be able to overcome whatever they face.

There are children's books on almost every subject, but until recently I have never seen any written about preparedness or self reliance. Then I found Jake and Miller's Big Adventure by Bernie Carr.

This is a great little book. It is wonderfully illustrated and very well written. An excellent books for ages say 2 to 7. Once a child starts school they will begin to move on to other stories.

Does this book "teach" any skills? No, that is our job, but it does help the child to realize there will be a time when they will have to be responsible for themselves. Jake (the little boy) is the confident leader and Miller the frightened child. I really like that the little boy is the confident one. 

I really liked the book, but it was not written for me, it was written for children. Challenge: my youngest is 14. I had to go on a search for children to have it read to so I could tell you what a child thinks. I talked with a couple of sets of parents that I knew would be willing to read this book to their children. All of the children under 5 loved the book, as the children got older their interest began to slide a bit, which is to be expected. All of the parents loved the book.

If I could change anything I wanted about the book, I would only change one thing. I would take A Prepper's Book for Kids out of the title. The reason I say this is because I am concerned that the author has limited the sales potential of the wonderful little book. A Self Reliant Book for Kids would actually serve as a better title.

This book will begin to start the conversation of being responsible. It is not going to teach your child how to purify water or use a bow drill to start a fire, again that is our job.

If you have small children or grandchildren consider adding this book to their bedtime routine.

Help instill Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes in your children.

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

The Art of Gardening: Building Your Soil a Book Review

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As we are getting closer to fall many of you will be finishing with gardening for the year. If not you are thinking about fall and winter gardens. If you are not going to have a fall or winter garden then now is the time to start building your soil for the best garden you ever thought you could have next year.

Do you have questions about mulching your garden? Composting? Whether or not to till? Seed saving? Plant management? What to plant? If you said yes yo any of these I have the book for you. Susan Vinskofski has put a lot of time and thought into this eBook. The book is well laid out and beautifully illustrated. Illustrations are by Deb Hamby.

Have you heard of lasagna gardening? No I am not talking about growing noodles or even growing all of the ingredients for lasagna. It is a mulching and growing method for raised beds that is covered in depth in this book.

How about Back to Eden gardening? This is covered as well. Not only is it covered in theory, but materials and construction. Susan tells you why you should not till and how to have minimal weeding in your garden.

Susan covers the basics of composting and what types of mulch to use. Did you know there were mulches that are not suggested for a garden?

There is a small discussion on the difference between open-pollinated, hybrid, and GMO seeds. Why you might choose one over the others and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

I really like the fact that she tells us how to save seeds from an heirloom tomato. She includes step-by-step instructions on how to test a seeds viability and how to determine germination rate.

Should you start seed indoors? If so when? Maybe you should buy plants. How about direct sowing if seeds? All of these are discussed with links to charts that will help you determine when to do what based on your agricultural zone.

Susan covers a good range of both cool weather as well as warn weather veggies. She even includes recipes for mist of the veggies covered.

Thus is a very good book for the beginner and the intermediate gardener and would be invaluable to the experienced traditional gardener who is considering alternative growing methods.

If you would like more information about this book you can follow this Link.

I hope you are working toward your

Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Weekly Book Bonanza Whole Wheat Bread Making

I just love the smell of home baked bread. I have made fresh bread several times in a bread machine. I love the flavor, texture, and of course the smell. I tried to make wheat bread a couple of times, but it never came out right. You could eat it fresh but after only a few minutes it would setup almost like concrete. Not very appetizing.

I gave up on whole wheat bread for a long time. I received the book Whole Wheat Bread Making by Donna Miller.

One of the things I really like about this little book is that it is written so you can make bread even if you don't have a bread machine or fancy equipment. This little book is written with instructions on how to make whole wheat bread either with a bread machine or just some simple tools and your oven. That is important to me. 

Donna tells us about using a grain mill. A grain mill ensures that your flour is the freshest possible. Fresh flour gives you a lighter and more nutritious bread. But Donna doesn't just cover using fresh milled flour, she also covers using flour that you can buy from the grocery store. 

Donna spends a good amount of time covering all of the needed ingredients to make whole wheat bread. She explains why some ingredients are superior to others. She also makes suggestions as to the best quality ingredients. 

I also like the fact that Donna takes time to explain the proper way to measure ingredients. I had never thought that there was a wrong way to measure ingredients. This alone may have been a reason my previous attempts at baking wheat bread were failures. 

Donna covers kneading techniques, what to expect during the rising process, what types of baking pans to use, free form baking (not using a pan), adding ingredients like herbs, eggs, or other liquids. And even includes an option to take free online classes withe the purchase of this book to help ensure success. 

After reading this book I will have to try my hand at making wheat bread again. I am looking forward to it.

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I wish you Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes.

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Prepper's Complete Guide to Disaster Readiness

We would like to congratulate Christine Gascoine the winner of last weeks book. If you would like to pick up a copy of the Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide: Food, Shelter, Security, Off-the-Grid Power and More Life-Saving Strategies for Self-Sufficient Living you can do so by clicking on the title and purchasing it through Amazon.

Once again I have not read this book. I will have a personal review on the book for next week. Here is a review of this book from a friend  of mine. I hope you win thus book.

The Prepper's Complete Guide to Disaster Readiness by Jim Cobb is like a primer for readiness for the novice and a foundational reminder for the veteran prepper.  There is virtually not a stone left unturned in this book but still it doesn't go too deep off track in one way or another as to distract from the goal.  Disaster Readiness can be a wide reaching topic but the author, Jim Cobb has done a wonderful job of streamlining it and compartmentalizing it without making it seem overwhelming.

From laying the groundwork of "Why to prepare" to finalizing some ideas of "Where to go" in a disaster, The Prepper's Complete Guide to Disaster Readiness will take you on a logical and easy to follow journey, yet still open up your eyes to some things you may not have thought of before.  Topics are wide, but so is the security of readiness, but unlike life itself, The Prepper's Complete Guide to Disaster Readiness  is neatly compartmentalized in the approach so you can find your area that need improving and refer to it regularly. 

Jim discusses this topic on levels that range from relationships (Children, Pets and Elderly) to supplies and skills.  I highly recommend The Prepper's Complete Guide to Disaster Readiness  for the novice and the seasoned veteran of preparedness alike.

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Affiliate Link Disclosure: The post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation for links, endorsements, testimonials, or recommendations for any products mentioned on this blog. Any time you use one of our links for Amazon, if you purchase something The Rural Economist receives a small commission and it doesn't cost you any more. Even if you do not purchase the items I list. In this way you will help support us trying to teach people about self reliance and homesteading. Thanks for your consideration.

Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide Giveaway

Okay by now I figure you have realized that I am a pretty honest fellow. The below review of this book is not mine. It was written by a fellow blogger who gave me permission to repost. I haven't had the opportunity to read this one. If this is sounds like a book you are interested in the giveaway entries are below. If you are not into the prepper thing don't worry there are some homestead titles on the way.

This weeks giveaway is just a hodgepodge of ways to enter. There are some Facebook likes, some email subscriptions, some pinterest, and mine you just add my personal page to your circles on Gplus. If you would like to know what is going on around home, on the blog, and the YouTube channel consider subscribing to the email list. The form is below.

Week #4 of the Book Bonanza Giveaway offers the chance to win   “Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide.”

This is a great book written by best selling author, Jim Cobb who has authored several of the top selling preparedness books that have hit the market in the last few years.

Most people think that preparing for an emergency is a short lived plan.  However, in “Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide: Food, Shelter, Security, Off-the-Grid Power and More Life-Saving Strategies for Self-Sufficient Living”  you'll see that short-term is not the case.  What if... things did not get back to 'normal'?  What if... the new normal was a way of life so foreign to us that we were caught unaware?  This book helps to address that with some thought provoking fiction and backs it up with more real life scenarios and planning.

The usual topics of Water, Food, Shelter etc don't stop with the 72-hour stock up but rather dive deeper and longer term into the future of sustainability.  Have you ever thought of surviving boredom?  What about what you'll do if you can buy new cloths?

There is an entire way of life that our ancestors used to live that did not rely on the systems, conveniences and gadgets that now tend to dominate life as we know it.  “Prepper's Long-Term Survival Guide”  helps us to think and plan for that historical Deja Vu that may be in our future.

Below is the entry for for this giveaway.  Enter for your chance to win this very thought provoking and empowering guide.

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If you do not have the free Kindle reading app, you can get it HERE. This is not a free trial. This is the eBook reading app for Amazon.

Weekly Book Giveaway #3

I just received this book for review this past week. I have not had time to write my review so I have included a review from a fellow blogger. I have read the book and you can expect a review from me soon, but here is a chance for you to win a copy. Without further delay here is the review from a friend.

Far too often the little ones become either scared and confused or left behind while adult family members lead the charge to prepare for an uncertain future. Jake and Miller's Big Adventure: A Prepper's Book for Kids is not only encouraging to help the children want to participate but also helps the parents and grandparents a like to embrace the adventure in prepping!

This comforting story is written from the perspective of both the slightly skittish dog, Miller and Jake, his owner who leads the way and prepares for every adventure!  As they prep, their imaginations take them far, but that's okay because this helps them to better prepare.  From bug spray to water, Jake and Miller are prepared for just about everything! And don't forget that important can opener.

Jake and Miller's Big Adventure: A Prepper's Book for Kids is a short book that is easy for elementary school age children to read, but it's also short enough to be a great read-a-loud at bed time or nap time.  We feel pretty sure this might even become a great show-and-tell book for school! How cool is that?  Your kids can help inspire others!

The author, Bernie Carr ( who also authored the national bestseller: The Prepper's Pocket Guide: 101 Easy Things You Can Do to Ready Your Home for a Disaster) spends time on things that kids really would consider when they set out on an adventure.  And even though the characters may 'prepare for the worst' - Jake's outlook is always hopeful and it helps to calm some of his dog's fears.

After all, isn't this what we want to do with our children, calm their fears, equip them to be well prepared and all the while, not forget that this can be a fun journey!

Enter the giveaway below - this is an Pinteresting Week for our giveaway so get your copy/paste fingers ready! :)

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Join us next week for another great book review and giveaway!
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Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes to you.

You can subscribe to The Rural Economist by email by simply filling out the form at the top right of the page. Your information will never be sold or given to anyone else. You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook follow on The Rural Economist on Gplus. Or you can even follow The Rural Economist on Pintrest. We now have a YouTube channel and are doing a series on wild edible and medicinal plants. Hope on over and check them out, oh and don't forget to subscribe.

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Weekly Book Bonanza: Week 2 The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook - First Edition

This book is on my absolute must have list. So much so that I wish I could enter this giveaway. But I cannot. I wish you all good luck. If you do not win, this is one book that I strongly encourage you to consider getting.

Week #2 or the Giveaway Extravaganza Weekly Book Bonanza is The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook - First Edition.  Keep your Loved Ones Healthy in Every Disaster, from Wildfires to a Complete Societal Collapse.

Written by Joseph Alton, M.D. & Amy Alton A.R.N.P. (aka: Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy of DoomandBloom.net) with the precision of those in the medical field yet in terms any laymen can readily understand, this book covers a wide array of topics! It is an easy read and well formatted for finding what you need to learn.  Every family should have at best a foundation for emergency medical situations.  This book goes beyond the foundation but lays stable ground work on which to build as well.

It is well laid out to compartmentalize issues as you learn how you might be able to treat them.  Sections include:  'Principles of Medical Preparedness', 'Becoming a Medical Resource','Hygiene, Sanitation and Environment', 'Infections', 'Environmental Factors', 'Injuries and Reactions', ' Chronic Medical Problems' and 'Other Important Medical Issues' such as nosebleeds, stockpiling medication, etc.

Each section within The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook - First Edition  has multiple sub-sections to help you become better equipped to handle the incidents that can occur during disaster.  From Cellulitis to Snake bites, Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy address so many things in this 419 page book. Many of the things of which you may not have been aware!    The book also includes a Glossary (which can be very helpful to a novice or those unfamiliar with medical terms) and other Medical References.While here is a Second Edition:The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way  the one we are giving away, is the building blocks to address almost every given emergency and should not be overlooked for the newer version.

This Giveaway is for a first edition copy (The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook - First Edition ) which retails on Amazon for about $30.00 before shipping.  Wouldn't it be a great addition to your preparedness library?  You bet it would!  So enter below.

Come back and Tweet daily to increase your chances of winning too!

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Weekly Book Bonanza! Week 1

Welcome to week one of the book Bonanza giveaway. Yes we will be participating in a a giveaway each week for 18 weeks. Good Luck.

It's a Disaster...and what are YOU gonna do about it? has been used in First Responder Training across the country!  How much better could your family be prepared than to have at hand the very same book that so many First Responders use!

The book doesn't read like a novel nor is it difficult to 'get through.'  In fact, it lends itself to reading in short segments of time based upon your need, area of potential disaster or interest.  Even if you are in the midst of a crisis, the way this book is set up - it's so easy to find what you need in just seconds that it is a far better field guide than most other emergency manuals I've read.

From Family to Business preparedness or Natural to man-made disasters It's a Disaster...and what are YOU gonna do about it? really covers the widest base of events I've ever seen in one book.  Not only does it cover the event - it gives you the wherewithal to handle living through them!  The step-by-step bullet points that help you stay on track for so many possible events help you feel ready with almost endless contingency plans.

As the author's state on their website It's a Disaster...and what are YOU gonna do about it?  truly "helps families and businesses "be aware, be prepared, and have a plan" for most types of emergencies and disasters (including Terrorism).  The 266-page paperback provides quick-reference instructional bullets in 2-color format. It is not written to alarm people, rather it suggests tips on what to think about and do before, during and after specific types of scenarios, as well as how to administer basic first aid."

I hope you'll enter this Weekly Book Bonanza Giveaway #1 for your opportunity to win it and add it to your bug out bag, emergency bin or back pack.

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Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Duct Tape 911 a book review X 2

A Book Review X 2

I love when my wife and I work together on anything. I especially like it when she embraces something that is important to me. When my book came in the mail she called me. I am sure she was wondering what it was. When I told her she was excited and told me she wanted to read it as well.

So you are going to get two reviews for the price of one. I believe in ladies first so with that.

Nicole RRT Review

The Duct Tape 911 book by Dr. James Hubbard is truly an amazing little book. With its easy to follow instructions and illustrations, I feel quite confident that even an older child could accomplish patching up someone, including themselves! For the most part all of the chapters are easily accessible though it would be neat to have them tabbed for quick reference.

I like how it’s the right size. It does not contain an excessive amount of information that you could get lost in. It’s simple in a way that is efficient just like the tape it talks about. Step by step instructions help make it fool proof, and anymore whether layman or professional can take something from it.

From accidents, to pesky blisters, and emergency situations, this book covers the basics that can really rescue you in a jam. It has very much broadened my knowledge of the vast uses of this little miracle adhesive. An example to point out is in Chapter 23-CPR Mouth Barrier .Being a Respiratory Therapist, I really was enthusiastic about this one! During CPR, Dr. Hubbard explains that you can use the tape to place over the victim’s mouth for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It could save a life. I would like to add a warning that the victim may vomit, which could still seep through the opening.

I am convinced that this handbook should be in everyone’s home as well as Bug Out Bags, glove boxes, and even right there with your First-Aid kit. Oh and don’t forget the Duct Tape!

Gregg The Rural Economist Review

If you were to ask 100 "make do" engineers what their top five must have items are the three that would appear in every list would be bailing wire, WD40, and of course duct tape. Ode to Duct Tape, that fixer of all things, that miracle of modern science. It is a wonderful thing. It has been used in literally thousands of ways. From making prom dresses to covering a window that was shattered. Strong, really sticky, and water resistant (did you see when Mythbusters made a boat out of duct tape?)

Do you really need any more reasons to like duct tape? Well guess what? Dr Hubbard The Survival Doctor has several more reasons. This book is very well put together. All of the needed warnings and suggestions are given, each duct tape use is explained in a step by step fashion and very well illustrated.

I really enjoyed reading this book and now have some things to practice doing with duct tape. I want a roll not only at home, but I want to add a roll to my backpack, my workshop, and keep a roll in every vehicle. If you like to camp or hike, if you have children or are into preparedness, YOU NEED THIS BOOK. Now if you will excuse me I need to go buy some more duct tape.

Working toward
Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

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Want to Learn to Pickle?

Pickling is one of the skills once you learn it you will use it over and over again. If you do not have someone who will teach you, you will want a clear concise tutorial. Enter A Primer on Pickling. This short little eBook covers everything you need to know to get started pickling.

A Primer on Pickling covers a little on the history of pickling to show how long this process has been used as a form of food preservation. Homestead Dreamer shows that pickling is still a viable and tasty form of food preservation for today.

Homestead Dreamer covers all of the equipment you will need for fresh pack pickling and includes four recipes for pickles. You do not even have to have a pressure canner for the pickles she covers.

If you are just getting started you cannot beat this little book for only $1.99. Check it out on Amazon. You can click the image above or it is even in The Rural Economists Amazon Store. You can access The Rural Economist Amazon store on mobile by clicking where it says home at the top and selecting the store or by selecting the astore to the right.

Hopefully this will help you have...

Rural Dreams and Homestead Wishes

You can subscribe to The Rural Economist by email by simply filling out the form at the top right of the page. Your information will never be sold or given to anyone else. You can like The Rural Economist on Facebook. Or you can even follow The Rural Economist on Pintrest.

Other equipment you might need. 

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The Urban Chicken a Review and a Giveaway

Hello everyone. I am really excited because on November 11th The Rural Economist will be celebrating its one year anniversary. We posted a few things before that time, but that is when I really got serious about sharing my projects, thoughts, successes, and failures. I am also excited because we will be offering our first giveaway. Heather at thehomesteadinghippy.com did an excellent job of putting together a very good book for someone who is thinking about getting chickens for the first time. 

Heather covers different laying breeds and the most popular meat chicken breed. She covers both chicken coops and chicken tractors with the pros and cons of each. She shows pictures of a chicken run that she made out of pvc (which makes me proud that I was not the only person who made their chicken housing out of that stuff).

Heather includes a recipe for homemade chicken feed and talks about the benefits of giving the chickens a chance to free range at least part of the day to help reduce feed costs. I really like being able to move my chickens around, though I will admit it has been a while since I have done so.

The chapter that impressed me the most was the chapter on How to Cut Up Your Chicken. Heather has included a step by step with very good quality photos. If you will follow Heather's instructions you will be cutting up your frying chickens like a pro in no time. (Do not get frustrated if the first couple of times does not turn out so well, that is normal.) 

Heather covers preserving your meat birds as well. She goes over the basics of freezing and canning the meat. She also includes several recipes.  Heather did an excellent job. This ebook is worth several times more than the $3.99 that she charges.

Now for the best part. Heather has given me permission to give away three copies of this eBook for The Rural Economist anniversary. There are three ways to have the opportunity to win this eBook. (1) Follow this blog by clicking the Join This Site button and leave a comment on this post. (2) Follow The Rural Economist on Facebook by clicking HERE. Then find the post about this eBook being given away and post my tagline. It is easy to figure out here is a hint it will be in italics. This eBook is a great recourse to help you....

Keep It Rural

Remember these ebooks will be given away by random draw on November 11th. I will announce the winners both on Facebook and here.

There is a contest running between homestead bloggers. If you like The Rural Economist you can vote for us here. Just find The Rural Economist and click "like" Thanks.