In 1884, when Laura, Manly, and their daughter Rose come from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, looking for a better life, Laura's outspoken articles against a local timberman cause some problems.

## Homesteading in Missouri Your Ultimate Guide to Self-Sufficiency Unlock the secrets of a thriving, self-sufficient lifestyle with "Homesteading in Missouri." Dive deep into everything you need to know about starting and sustaining your Missouri homestead. This comprehensive guide is meticulously crafted to help you turn your dream of a self-sufficient life into reality, from the very first steps to advanced homesteading techniques. ### Discover Why Missouri Shines for Homesteading Explore the unique advantages Missouri offers for homesteaders, from its fertile soil to the supportive legal framework. Gain a clear understanding of self-sufficiency and the crucial legal considerations and regulations that will guide your journey. ### Lay the Groundwork for Your Homestead Learn how to select the perfect site and plan your homestead layout. Budget effectively, and set up essential infrastructure such as water, electricity, and sewage systems with confidence. ### Grow Your Own Organic Produce Transform your land into a lush, productive garden. Understand Missouri soil types, plan your garden layout, and select the best seeds. Follow a detailed seasonal planting guide to ensure a bountiful harvest year-round. ### Raise and Care for Livestock and Poultry Master the essentials of livestock care, from selecting suitable animals to managing pastures. Build robust coops and runs for your poultry, and ensure their health with expert care tips. ### Produce Your Own Dairy and Meat Navigate the intricacies of raising dairy goats and cows, and discover the best practices for meat production. Learn butchering and processing techniques to maintain a sustainable food supply. ### Embrace Sustainable Practices Adopt eco-friendly methods such as composting, water conservation, and renewable energy. Enhance soil fertility and maximize your resources for long-term sustainability. ### Preserve and Forage Extend the life of your harvest through canning, jarring, freezing, and dehydrating. Forage sustainably and identify edible wild plants to supplement your diet. ### Craft Your Own Products and Hone Essential Skills Create homemade dairy products, natural cleaning supplies, and handcrafted items. Develop skills in carpentry, blacksmithing, and textile care to bolster your self-sufficiency. ### Build a Thriving Community Connect with other homesteaders, engage in barter and trade systems, and support local agriculture through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiatives. ### Family Involvement and Health Incorporate homeschooling into your homestead, teaching practical skills and fostering independence in children. Embrace natural health remedies and prepare for emergencies with holistic wellness practices. ### Financial Independence Manage your homestead finances, explore multiple revenue streams, and navigate the tax considerations specific to homesteaders. Embark on your journey to self-reliance with "Homesteading in Missouri." This guide is your gateway to a fulfilling, sustainable lifestyle, providing the knowledge and tools you need to thrive. Start your homesteading adventure today!

"Homesteading the Plains offers a bold new look at the history of homesteading, overturning what for decades has been the orthodox scholarly view. The authors begin by noting the striking disparity between the public's perception of homesteading as a cherished part of our national narrative and most scholars' harshly negative and dismissive treatment. Homesteading the Plains reexamines old data and draws from newly available digitized records to reassess the current interpretation's four principal tenets: homesteading was a minor factor in farm formation, with most Western farmers purchasing their land; most homesteaders failed to prove up their claims; the homesteading process was rife with corruption and fraud; and homesteading caused Indian land dispossession. Using data instead of anecdotes and focusing mainly on the nineteenth century, Homesteading the Plainsdemonstrates that the first three tenets are wrong and the fourth only partially true. In short, the public's perception of homesteading is perhaps more accurate than the one scholars have constructed. Homesteading the Plainsprovides the basis for an understanding of homesteading that is startlingly different from current scholarly orthodoxy. "--

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.

Put your wooded land to work! This comprehensive manual shows you how to use your woodlands to produce everything from wine and mushrooms to firewood and livestock feed. You’ll learn how to take stock of your woods; use axes, bow saws, chainsaws, and other key tools; create pasture and silvopasture for livestock; prune and coppice trees to make fuel, fodder, and furniture; build living fencing and shelters for animals; grow fruit trees and berries in a woodland orchard; make syrup from birch, walnut, or boxelder trees; and much more. Whether your property is entirely or only partly wooded, this is the guide you need to make the best use of it.

If you dream of living in a tiny house, or creating a getaway in the backwoods or your backyard, you’ll love this gorgeous collection of creative and inspiring ideas for tiny houses, cabins, forts, studios, and other microshelters. Created by a wide array of builders and designers around the United States and beyond, these 59 unique and innovative structures show you the limits of what is possible. Each is displayed in full-color photographs accompanied by commentary by the author. In addition, Diedricksen includes six sets of building plans by leading designers to help you get started on a microshelter of your own. You’ll also find guidelines on building with recycled and salvaged materials, plus techniques for making your small space comfortable and easy to inhabit.

“An in-depth and compelling account of diverse Americans living off the grid.” —Los Angeles Times The radical search for the simple life in today’s America. On a frigid April night, a classically trained opera singer, five months pregnant, and her husband, a former marine biologist, disembark an Amtrak train in La Plata, Missouri, assemble two bikes, and pedal off into the night, bound for a homestead they've purchased, sight unseen. Meanwhile, a horticulturist, heir to the Great Migration that brought masses of African Americans to Detroit, and her husband, a product of the white flight from it, have turned to urban farming to revitalize the blighted city they both love. And near Missoula, Montana, a couple who have been at the forefront of organic farming for decades navigate what it means to live and raise a family ethically. A work of immersive journalism steeped in a distinctively American social history and sparked by a personal quest, The Unsettlers traces the search for the simple life through the stories of these new pioneers and what inspired each of them to look for -- or create -- a better existence. Captivating and clear-eyed, it dares us to imagine what a sustainable, ethical, authentic future might actually look like.