From Powells.com
Staff Pick
Just as a small plot of land can yield a bountiful harvest, this unassuming little book packs quite a punch. Jasko's friendly, informative, and unfussy instructions cover all the basics of growing, preparing, and preserving your own food, while Biggs's charming line drawings challenge you not to crack a smile in the process. You don't need a green thumb or a culinary degree to enjoy farm-to-table goodness — this book should do the trick. Recommended By Tove H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Robyn Jasko and Jennifer Biggs'
Homesweet Homegrown is a simple DIY guide to growing, storing, and making your own food, no matter where you live. Jasko and Biggs are committed to turning you into a healthy, happy farmer even if you live in a big city high-rise. Built around eight comprehensive sections (Know, Start, Grow, Plant, Plan, Make, Eat, and Store), this wonderful 128-page guide walks you through all the steps of successfully nurturing a crop of delicious, healthy vegetables. Everyone from the base beginner to the seasoned farmhand will find something for them in these pages. (The recipe section alone is enough to keep you comin' back to this gem for years!) Narrated in a friendly, helpful tone by Jasko and buoyed by Biggs's great illustrations, this book is the definition of awesomely useful. Super, super, SUPER inspiring. Grow your own everything!
Review
"This warmly written, sweetly illustrated little book is as exhaustive as it is friendly. Robyn covers absolutely everything you need to prepare yourself for a life of cheap, fresh, delicious food." Raleigh Briggs, author, Make Your Place
Review
"The best book for learning the skilled resilience of old-school living in the modern world! Homesweet Homegrown teaches the lost art and science of crafting a hand-made life." —Alexandra Jamieson, author, Vegan Cooking For Dummies and Living Vegan For Dummies
Review
"Homesweet Homegrown is a clever and refreshing harvest of farm-to-table methods. With vim and balsamic vinegar, Robyn Jasko has written a pocket guide for the well-rounded 21st century yeoman." Tim Stark, proprietor, Eckerton Hill Farm and author, Heirloom: Notes From An Accidental Tomato Farmer
Review
"Robyn makes planting and growing your own food so dead-simple, friendly and unassuming that even this black-thumbed gardener is encouraged to think she "Can, Can, Can." With instructions for making DIY planters and irrigation, designs for upcycling old furniture into gardening stations, recipes for creating homemade organic plant sprays, charts listing dollars-and-cents breakdowns of homegrown versus store-bought produce, and page-by-page growing guides by fruit or vegetable, this book is literally worth its weight in gold—or, rather, golden beets. Not to mention the satisfaction and bragging rights." Melissa Massello, founder/editor of Shoestring Magazine
Review
"From seed starting to home canning and everything in-between Homesweet Homegrown by Robyn Jasko is the perfect guide for new gardeners who want to grow and eat everything from their own gardens. Plus, it's great for seasoned green thumbs in search of a handy reference that covers a myriad of topics!" Jere & Emilee Gettle, Founders of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company
Review
"Homesweet Homegrown is an extremely helpful handbook that reads like a primer of lessons learned from garden-tending grandparents—insightful, informative, and maybe most importantly, honest. (Not to mention, just reading the recipes toward the back of the book made my mouth water in anticipation of the upcoming harvest.) With this by your side and a bit of good weather, youll be enjoying the fruits of your labor soon enough." Alexa Fornoff, Assistant Editor, Readymade Magazine
Synopsis
This succinct handbook is packed with practical information that will inspire and enable those who want to grow their own food and venture down the path of food independence. From choosing and starting seeds to preserving the harvest, cost effective and time-saving projects are set forth in detail. Instructions for making DIY planters and irrigation systems, designs for upcycling old furniture into gardening stations, recipes for homemade organic plant sprays, charts listing dollars-and-cents breakdowns of homegrown versus store-bought produce, and growing guides for fruits or vegetables are just a few of the projects that will inspire neophyte and experienced gardeners to dig deep into sustainable living.
About the Author
Robyn Jasko is a writer and cofounder of Grow Indie, an organization and website that supports sustainable lifestyles, homesteading, eating well, and living local.
Jennifer Biggs is a weaver, fiber artist, and illustrator. They both live in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.