“Made From Scratch”: A Homesteaders Must-Have

With all the things to do around this homestead, reading has definitely taken a back burner this past year. However, I am proud to say, that after a handful of stolen moments here and there, I finally finished Jenna Woginrich’s inspiring do-it-yourself memoir called “Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life.” I have to say that not only do I wish this book had been around much earlier in my life, but I think I would be doing you all a disservice by not telling you to go out and read it. Her message is to follow your farming dreams, in whatever little steps you can, and let those small accomplishments toward self-sufficiency feel huge and feed you as you go. You don’t need a picturesque, sprawling farm to get started with the do-it-yourself lifestyle. You might only have an apartment with a patio and a few peas growing in a windowsill. It’s all about those little steps along the way. Along with this encouragement, comes some very practical advice to get started in the right direction, like how to keep bees, raise chickens, bake bread, sew some clothes, make your own mountain music, and make the best cup of coffee ever.

I have been following Jenna’s blog, Coldantler Farm for about a year now, and it is nothing short of amazing.
What sets Jenna apart from most modern homesteaders I know of, is that she is just a young, single working woman doing this on her own, on top of her 9-5 day job. She works all day at an office, and goes home to her old farmhouse to tend a flock of sheep, raise chickens and geese, feed her pig, and train her sheep dog. She tells stories of baking bread, knitting with yarn spun from her own wool, making delicious pies, and making old-time mountain music on the banjo, guitar, fiddle and dulcimer. She recently started a fiber CSA on her farm where folks were able to buy shares of the wool she produced this year from her sheep. This woman is my homesteading hero.

In this part memoir/part how-to modern homesteading book, Jenna lays it out honestly. She shares the joys and heartaches of backyard homesteading in your rental, trial and error of raising portable livestock, trying to grow your dream garden, moving your homestead across the country in a station wagon, and living this lifestyle because you love it and couldn’t do it any other way. She shares some of her mistakes that other greenhorns starting out may learn from, and presents it all with wit and humor. There is also another book of hers recently published about raising chickens called Chick Days, which sounds equally wonderful and worth reading. I say go out and get your hands on these books ASAP!