Living off the land for the modern age
July 24, 2018 1:53 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for blogs, podcasts, etc. that cover topics related to "outdoorsmanship."
I'm trying to get outside and collect more of my own food. I'm very inexperienced at a lot of these different skills (gardening being an exception, I guess). I'd like to find some resources that discuss the "nuts and bolts" of doing these things, as well as diving in to the philosophical/introspective from time to time. I've been finding that a lot of bigger publications (Field and Stream, On The Water) either have a tone that I don't really like or are aimed at folks with way more experience than me.
I want to know more about hunting, (saltwater) fishing, foraging, gardening, as well as related homesteading topics like canning and preserving. I have no interest in gear reviews or slobbering over the latest pricey equipment. I like discussions that look at these topic through the lens of conservation. Stuff that focuses on my geographic area (New England) would be great.
I've read most of Hank Shaw's website; it's a shame he doesn't update more frequently. More of that, basically.
I'm trying to get outside and collect more of my own food. I'm very inexperienced at a lot of these different skills (gardening being an exception, I guess). I'd like to find some resources that discuss the "nuts and bolts" of doing these things, as well as diving in to the philosophical/introspective from time to time. I've been finding that a lot of bigger publications (Field and Stream, On The Water) either have a tone that I don't really like or are aimed at folks with way more experience than me.
I want to know more about hunting, (saltwater) fishing, foraging, gardening, as well as related homesteading topics like canning and preserving. I have no interest in gear reviews or slobbering over the latest pricey equipment. I like discussions that look at these topic through the lens of conservation. Stuff that focuses on my geographic area (New England) would be great.
I've read most of Hank Shaw's website; it's a shame he doesn't update more frequently. More of that, basically.
Have the seen the popular Primitive Technology and My Self Reliance youtube videos? Many hours of learning await.....
posted by lstanley at 2:26 PM on July 24, 2018
posted by lstanley at 2:26 PM on July 24, 2018
I really enjoy Low Tech Magazine. And I just NOW discovered No Tech Magazine which has a DIY section!
posted by clockwork at 3:13 PM on July 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by clockwork at 3:13 PM on July 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've read a bit of a book my partner has checked out by John Kallas related to foraging and have been enjoying what I've read.
posted by aniola at 3:40 PM on July 24, 2018
posted by aniola at 3:40 PM on July 24, 2018
For canning I would use a book like the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving or on line recipes from various state extension agencies as blogs and some recent books ignore pretty important safety rules.
Sandor Katz' The Art of Fermentation is also useful for preserving food. We have delicious pickles and sauerkraut "brewing" at the moment. And brewing is another way to preserve harvests.
We do some food drying but in this New England climate we rely on an electric dehydrator for everything except most herbs.
And last, I suggest one or two foraging field guides but I can't name any specifically because my daughter absconded with them.
posted by Botanizer at 3:52 PM on July 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Sandor Katz' The Art of Fermentation is also useful for preserving food. We have delicious pickles and sauerkraut "brewing" at the moment. And brewing is another way to preserve harvests.
We do some food drying but in this New England climate we rely on an electric dehydrator for everything except most herbs.
And last, I suggest one or two foraging field guides but I can't name any specifically because my daughter absconded with them.
posted by Botanizer at 3:52 PM on July 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Countryside Network's daily blog posts might be of interest. Have you checked out your extension service's online offerings? Do you know any local beekeeping groups? Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture? Canning: the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Under the "etc." portion of your request:
* The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook has been a help to me
* Have you read the old Foxfire books?
* Have you thought about doing a Basic Hunter Education course?
* I don't know if you make bread, but learning how to keep a sourdough starter alive is a skill
* Haven't watched it yet, but here's Eliot Coleman, who gardens is a cold climate
* Mother Earth News has a YouTube channel? Neat!
* The various Storey imprint books, especially on raising animals, have been very, very helpful.
I read your request as mostly for online materials, but I can't stress enough how wonderful it has been to build a little ag-life library from local book sale offerings.
My MeFi-mail is open if you have questions about specific projects. I do a lot of vegetable gardening, seed starting, poultry-raising and butchering, fence-building, and etc. I'll be watching this post with interest as I have to assemble a resource list on this very topic; thanks!
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:06 PM on July 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Under the "etc." portion of your request:
* The Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener's Handbook has been a help to me
* Have you read the old Foxfire books?
* Have you thought about doing a Basic Hunter Education course?
* I don't know if you make bread, but learning how to keep a sourdough starter alive is a skill
* Haven't watched it yet, but here's Eliot Coleman, who gardens is a cold climate
* Mother Earth News has a YouTube channel? Neat!
* The various Storey imprint books, especially on raising animals, have been very, very helpful.
I read your request as mostly for online materials, but I can't stress enough how wonderful it has been to build a little ag-life library from local book sale offerings.
My MeFi-mail is open if you have questions about specific projects. I do a lot of vegetable gardening, seed starting, poultry-raising and butchering, fence-building, and etc. I'll be watching this post with interest as I have to assemble a resource list on this very topic; thanks!
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:06 PM on July 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Whole Earth Catalog is sort of the ur-this, isn't it?
posted by Alterscape at 7:41 PM on July 24, 2018
posted by Alterscape at 7:41 PM on July 24, 2018
My favorite foraging guidebooks are The Forager's Harvest and Nature's Garden by Samuel Thayer. They are very relevant to New England, and provide useful history and commentary on a wide range of wild edibles.
posted by BeHereNow at 8:16 PM on July 24, 2018
posted by BeHereNow at 8:16 PM on July 24, 2018
You might find info and kindred spirits at the Maine Primitive School.
They have weekly foraging walks on Thursday evenings, $20, in Augusta (may be a bit of a drive for you, they also have weekend courses for more). See all their offerings under the Courses section. Be sure to check out the about and who we are, lots of interesting folks.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:59 AM on July 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
They have weekly foraging walks on Thursday evenings, $20, in Augusta (may be a bit of a drive for you, they also have weekend courses for more). See all their offerings under the Courses section. Be sure to check out the about and who we are, lots of interesting folks.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:59 AM on July 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Interesting resources so far, thanks. I've already taken (several) hunter ed courses, and we have copies of Katz's fermentation book and the Ball book.
I'm not really interested in primitive living. I'm at the point where we do most of our own cooking from scratch, grow some of our own vegetables, and butcher (purchased) animals. I want to expand that to collecting/growing more of my own plants and catching more of my own fish and game. We live in an urban environment and enjoy the creature comforts of the modern age, so I'm interested in similar people talking about their experiences doing these kinds of things.
posted by backseatpilot at 7:59 AM on July 25, 2018
I'm not really interested in primitive living. I'm at the point where we do most of our own cooking from scratch, grow some of our own vegetables, and butcher (purchased) animals. I want to expand that to collecting/growing more of my own plants and catching more of my own fish and game. We live in an urban environment and enjoy the creature comforts of the modern age, so I'm interested in similar people talking about their experiences doing these kinds of things.
posted by backseatpilot at 7:59 AM on July 25, 2018
Greenhorns: The Next Generation of American Farmers: 50 Dispatches from the New Farmers' Movement might suit.
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:51 AM on July 25, 2018
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:51 AM on July 25, 2018
There's a bunch of local people doing foraging tours; I know I've seen them listed in the Arlington and Brookline Community Ed listings from time to time.
Fresh Pond reservation does herb tours and urban gardening workshops.
This is a neat map of publicly accessible food plants, although it's sort of hit-or-miss.
posted by nonane at 9:00 AM on July 25, 2018
Fresh Pond reservation does herb tours and urban gardening workshops.
This is a neat map of publicly accessible food plants, although it's sort of hit-or-miss.
posted by nonane at 9:00 AM on July 25, 2018
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