Householders Guide to the Universe

Nowadays, “go local,” “organic food,” and “sustainability” are on the tip of everyone's tongue. Harriet Fasenfest's A Householder's Guide to the Universe takes up the banner of progressive homemaking and urban farming as a way to confront the political, social, and environmental issues facing the world. While offering plenty of useful advice on how to do common household chores sustainably, Fasenfest goes deeper to discuss the philosophy of "householding." The book is organized in monthly installments according to season, and the author invites readers into her own home, garden, and kitchen to consider concrete tools for change. Streetwise and poetic, fierce and romantic, the book is more than just a blueprint for escaping the current economic and environmental logjam — its also a readable and pithy analysis of how we got there.

"Harriet Fasenfast is a skilled urban homesteader with a lot to share. I love the way she weaves together practical gardening tips and food preservation techniques with relevant personal stories and philosophical reflections. A Householder's Guide to the Universe is charming and inviting, sure to be a source of inspiration to anyone aspiring to get closer to the source and produce their own food." Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved

"Part manifesto, part confessional, yet totally practical and attainable, Fasenfest's inviting, impassioned guide delineates precise ways homeowners can develop the skill sets necessary for self-sufficiency." Booklist

"Helpful charts, a scattering of recipes, and personal stories make this hybrid how-to/memoir an enjoyable and informative read for aspiring urban homesteaders as well as those who would rather household vicariously." Library Journal

In A Householder's Guide to the Universe, Harriet Fasenfest invites the reader into her home, garden, and kitchen. With brightness, joy, and humor, she shares advice and offers practical solutions organized according to season and presented in monthly installments--lessons she's learned in how to shop, garden, preserve and cook food, and more, all of which pave the way for a life rooted in self-reliance, sustainability, and simplicity. It's a book about making your house your home, finding certainty and comfort in an uncertain world, embracing the present and living where you are while preparing for a beautiful future.

Fasenfest takes up the banner of progressive homemaking and urban farming as a way to confront the political, social, and environmental issues facing the world. She invites readers into her own home and offers plenty of useful advice on how to do common household chores sustainably.

In an era when go local, organic food, and sustainability are one the tip of everyone's tongues, Harriet Fasenfest's A Householder's Guide to the Universe takes up the banner of progressive homemaking and urban farming as a way to confront the political, social, and environmental issues facing our world today.

Harriet Fasenfast is an avid gardener, food preserver, homemaker, and lover of the soil. At fifty-six, Harriet officially fled main street (and her restaurants) for the greener pastures of the backyard, where she teaches classes on householding. Born and raised in the Bronx, she currently lives in Portland, Oregon.