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Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management [Paperback]

Maurice G. Kains , J. E. Oldfield
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)

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Book Description

1973
This classic of the back-to-the-land movement is packed with solid, timeless information. Written by a renowned horticulturist, it has taught generations how to make their land self-sufficient, with explanations of organic farming techniques and reliable advice on other topics, including irrigation, livestock, crops, greenhouses, fertilizers, much more. 95 figures.

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Five Acres and Independence: A Handbook for Small Farm Management + Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
Price for both: $22.72

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 397 pages
  • Publisher: Dover Publications; Revised & enlarged edition (1973)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0486209741
  • ISBN-13: 978-0486209746
  • Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
(43)
3.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
179 of 185 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide to the realities of a small farm. August 26, 1999
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I have a 1946 edition of this book which my father used as a reference in supplying our family all of our food from 1948 until 1962 and a large portion of our food thereafter. I have referred to it on a regular basis since 1972. While the precise numbers for costs and quantity of production are dated, the basic principles for successful small farming are clearly elucidated. You can update the costs and quantities yourself. Some of the information on animal breeds should be updated by additional research. But the priciples are all here. The chapters on "City vs. Country Life" and "Tried and True Ways to Fail" are essential reading if you have never been involved in agriculture previously. I have many reference books, and this is one of the best...with a tattered cover and yellowed pages!
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189 of 197 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars I'd love to see a new edition October 18, 2001
Format:Paperback
This book was one of my father's favorites, even though he never took up farming. For those considering a rural lifestyle, perhapse even self-suffiency, this has to be the starting point. However, it is the pre-war, 1940 edition. I literally cringed when I read about lining the cistern with sheet lead, or using mercuric chloride to sterilize wounds on fruit trees (it's a wonder our ancestors lived long enough to have children). I'm sure this book has a lot of good advice, but if this city boy ever moves to the farm my father never had I'll try to check all facts with a second or third source. Is there anyone who's qualified to write the 21st Century edition?
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89 of 90 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I found the info on cropping and farming to be excellent. It was very in depth and accurate, and pretty easy for a novice to follow along. I have some problems with some of the author's advice regarding livestock, however. For instance, he recommends Belgian Hares for raising for meat. This is quite possibly the WORST rabbit for food production, being strictly a show breed notorious for it's nervous disposition that inhibits weight gain, breeding, and quite often leads to the rabbit breaking it's own legs within it's cage from panic attacks. His section on chickens is pretty good though. The production figures he offers are evidence of the time period in which it was written, however, being nearly half what is often attainable by homesteaders of today. Overall this was a good book, especially with regards to raising fruit trees, veggies, and pasture crops, but I would recommend that other books were purchased in addition to it if one needs help learning about livestock.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Book About Working the Land
Five Acres and Independence is a book about making a living in the country. This book is very matter-of-fact and was written during the final years of the Great Depression (the... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Carl Robinson
3.0 out of 5 stars dated; can be laborious to read
It's OK. I was expecting a lot from this book. A friend of mine lauded it so highly, seemed like I was doing a disservice to my family trying to run a little hoop house garden... Read more
Published 1 month ago by remote camper
5.0 out of 5 stars most indepth overview of the old ways of doing things
Allowing for the age of the information presented, (this was originally written in 1935) this is the broadest overview and most complete of small scale farming or homesteading you... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Keith Skaggs
5.0 out of 5 stars All Time Classic
My neighbors gave me their 1930s edition in 1979 when this city boy moved onto his own farm. This book will not prepare you for a career in 21st century agribusiness growing... Read more
Published 3 months ago by edward
5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone seems to be worried about "hard Times"....
If you are really are concerned about having to go into subsistence farming or gardening and how to plan your garden or small farm crops this book is for you. Read more
Published 4 months ago by lefty sharpshooter
3.0 out of 5 stars Textbookish....dry
Good info, but too textbook-ish for me. It is a true classic tho in the information given. Perhaps a bit outdated, but if you are looking at survival in the future, it may help... Read more
Published 5 months ago by teknafob
2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting title, but don't like the author's attitude.
I was almost sure that I would enjoy reading this book, as I am very interested in sustainable agriculture, but the author's attitude is so horrible, it couldn't hold my attention... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jeffrey R. Cummings
5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Land Movement Textbook
I've had this book, (reprint) for quite some time. It goes back beyond the populist Land Movement of the Seventies and would seem dated except that it provides good common sense... Read more
Published 7 months ago by R. F. McCormack
2.0 out of 5 stars Too many goods books to waste your time
I'm noticing lots of titles similar to this lately, and thought an older copy would be interesting. I was wrong. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Pete
5.0 out of 5 stars A definite win!
You'll realize right away that it's a little dated, but that's fine because you'll also realize that ultimately, what was true then is still true today when it comes to living the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Failtelorn
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