Country Crafts and Skills: More Than 100 Easy Projects [Paperback]

Monte Burch (Author), Burch Joan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003

Ever have the urge to raise your own chickens, grind your own flour, or start your own compost pile? If any of these ideas are appealing, this is the book for you.
The success of PBS's Frontier House television series suggests that more and more people are intrigued by the "homesteader" experience and the idea of doing things themselves, even if they live on a small plot of land in a suburban neighborhood. OLD-TIME COUNTRY CRAFTS AND SKILLS presents the practical information necessary to become more self-reliant at home, start a new hobby, or even learn a skill that may provide a secondary income.

The Burches' crafts and skills include:
· Beekeeping
· Raising sheep and goats
· Starting seeds
· Composting
· Felling trees
· Building split-rail fences
· Making soap and candles
· Drying foods
· Laying stone
· Making butter and cottage cheese
· Reading the weather
· And much more

From raising livestock to woodcrafting, from the garden to the kitchen, the Burches' fresh and easy-to-follow approach to country wisdom is sure to win over even the most die-hard city dweller.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Time-honored practices for a more self-reliant and satisfying lifestyle.
Ever have the urge to raise your own chickens, grind your own flour, or start your own compost pile? If any of these ideas sound appealing, this is the book for you.
The success of PBS's Frontier House television series suggests that a growing number of people are intrigued by the "homesteader" experience and the idea of doing things themselves, whether they own a big spread in the wilderness or live on a small plot of land in the suburbs. Country Crafts and Skills presents the practical information necessary to become more self-reliant at home, pick up a new hobby, or even learn a skill that may provide a secondary income.
The Burchs' crafts and skills include: beekeeping; raising sheep and goats; starting seeds; composting; felling trees; building split-rail fences; making soap and candles; drying and preserving foods; laying stone; making butter and cheese; reading the weather; and so much more.
From raising livestock to woodcrafting, from the garden to the kitchen, Monte and Joan Burch have a fresh and easy-to-follow approach to country wisdom that is sure to win over even the most die-hard city dweller.

About the Author

MONTE BURCH has been writing about the outdoors for four decades, and is the author of thousands of magazine articles and more than fifty books--including Field Dressing and Butchering Upland Birds, Waterfowl, and Wild Turkeys (page 185); Field Dressing and Butchering Deer (page 185); Field Dressing and Butchering Rabbits, Squirrels, and Other Small Game (page 185); and Solving Squirrel Problems (page 19).

JOAN BURCH, born a city girl, first joined her husband on his family's farm, even performing butchering chores. She and Monte have lived the country life together for over thirty years. They live in Humansville, Missouri.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585748730
• ISBN-13: 978-1585748730
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,923,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, January 4, 2004

By 

Christiaan Zegstroo (Arlington, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Country Crafts and Skills: More Than 100 Easy Projects (Paperback)

What a disappointment this book was after using some of Monte Burch's other books. I haven't counted to see if there are 100 projects, but the ones I've looked at are almost all too facile to be of any use. The only real use this book has is as income enhancement for the Burch's. Save your money and get Carla Emery's encyclopedia.