Ten Acres Enough: Small-Farm Self-Sufficiency Through High-Quality Produce. A Back-to-the-Land Adventure from 1864

I have read a lot of smallholding or small farming books lately. I have been looking for one that is just right. A little bit of city life before moving to the country. A little bit of trial and error. Some funny stories and some worked examples of how it actually worked.This is an old title. The language is quite 'ye olde' style but it has a charm that also hooks you. If you are interested in farming then you will find yourself really looking forward to the end of each season to find out how it went. The descriptions of technique and the financial accounting of farming results might be a little old for the figures to be relevant but the methods are great. You also find yourself admiring this family for their diligence and willingness to 'have a go'. This book will only increase your desire to sell your city apartment and buy 10 acres of weed infested land to do the same yourself, so be warned!I have read this one a few times now and would recommend it to you if you fall into these groups:1. You are a smalholder or farmer and need some inspiration,2. You dream of the country life and are doing some research,3. You are just dreaming about a country life, and4. You have an interest in how we actually feed ourselves in cities (or how we did back when cities started to grow quite large).Enjoy it, I did.Respectfully,PetePS A modern version would be quite good but it would need to be well written and show quite a lot of detail to be as appealing as this title. Some of the sections in John Seymour's 'New Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency' present similar views to this title.

It will not be possible to state the reading value of this book, but I'll try. It came in the mail via Amazon, and I've been reading it over and over. The editing is superb. The brief footnotes clarify all the questions that 150 years can raise; the parenthetical translations explain how money in the 1850's translate to modern dollars and expense, or income. In short, this book is a brilliant rendering of a work I first encountered in an excerpt in Mother Earth News, and its arrival in the mail was the beginning of an epiphany.But what would I know? I've only been writing about gardens for publication for 30 years, the winner of two national awards for talking about gardens. Edmund Morris wrote a book that is still valuable in 2011. The editor, Robert Plamondon, has updated it brilliantly. Wish I could have found this edition in 1972.The book design will delight you. Often, a blank page precedes each chapter, giving the reader a place to write notes. Seems like a small thing, until you start writing about what you have read.This is a book with real quality, and could be given as a gift to any gardener you know. Or to anyone who lives in the country. Norton Creek Press has given the world a gift, in the "Revived Edition." It's a fine job. No, it's better than that. This book could change your life, and maybe save it. Edmund Morris fled the city, just in time.

While not as poetic as Waldon, it is certainly more positive and practical. Really nice read and with Robert Plamondon's notes, nicely brought to the current day. My wife and I hope to retire soon and put some of this to use.

I read reviews on the best books for self suffient farming. This book puts everything into perspective. I am glad I invested in it. It has help us know how much we can grow on our land and how much it will cost, and the output of the food. Just the historical facts are cool. The old timers knowledge is invaluable!

I bought the book because I thought it would be written in 2011 type advice. I was disappointed. It essentially just converts the money into 2008 dollars, but the rest of it is essentially from the 1800s. It is still a good read, but not what I thought it would be.

This is the book that first convinced us to buy a small farm. Hubby still quotes from it 20 years later. Written decades ago, so technology and distribution of produce has completely changed, but his passion for self-sufficiency is contagious.

great read. Really got me thinking about how I think about my farm. Written in the late 1800s very pertinent for today. read the description for a teaser.

A GOOD BOOK ,GO TO SHOW YOU WHAT YOU CAN ACCOPHISH IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT, WOULD RECOMMEND THE BOOK TO ANYONE WHO IS THINK ABOUT LIFE CHANGE