The Self Sufficient Backyard by Ron & Johanna Melchiore

Hi, has anyone read this book? A few things caught my eye: (1) seems to cover lot of topics (2) emphasis on small acreage (3) gardening with a bad back (4) they live in Saskatchewan, i.e. a cold place. (5) they've done this for 40 years.

There's a fair amount of description of its contents on their website https://selfsufficient-backyard.com/my-book/. It even includes a near-passive all-year greenhouse!

The book is a little on the pricey side ($37 + S/H) so any thoughts on this or earlier work by the authors will be highly appreciated.

I am bringing this back to the top to see if anyone, by chance, has read this book and what he/she thinks of it. I am thinking of getting it for someone for their birthday, but want to be sure the price is worth it.

My Quick Review:

First, I don't think there is any way to be truly "self-sufficient". Invariably, we all need inputs at some point of our lives/projects/etc. I am not sure I know of a better word or phrase however. Maybe resiliency works. Regardless of the descriptor(s), this book could be of great help to a lot of folks.

I just received this book as a gift yesterday. I had been wanting to get it but, well ...other priorities. The website shows for the money ($37 + $8.99 shipping = $45.99) you get digital and physical copies, plus three more digital books (https://selfsufficient-backyard.com/my-book/). You can just go the digital route only and forgo the shipping cost.

It troubles me that apparently only California residents can opt out of having their information sold, known, and/or deleted (https://selfsufficient-backyard.com/ccpa/). With that in mind, I didn't contact them and ask for permission to use a few shots of the book (copyright) to illustrate any of the points in the review and am not adding any herein.  Hit the book's site above to see some pics.

BTW, they have started a new homestead in Nova Scotia now.

Anyway. It's 265 pages, 8.5x11" and they use short intros intros in order to cover a lot of ground.

It is well organized and the range of topics is large. The cover graphic is an attention-getter. They use it frequently as a bit of both a legend as jumping off point to go into the various topics. There is a detailed table of contents and you could read the book cover to cover or just immediately flip back and forth into the topics of immediate interest. The cover graphic is often used in the various chapters as both a legend and a path marker for the text that follows.

I often focus on the caveats when people talk about projects. They help keep me focused and also allow putting some attention into prep and planning so that I don't resort to cussing later. The book does a good job mentioning these considerations and their solutions. Keep in mind, entire books are written about some of the topics contained in The Self Sufficient Backyard. But I think this book is actually a good primer and diary from "them that's doin'". You're basically buying part of 40 years of this couple's experience of creating three homesteads. In doing so, they also make notes about abilities and easing workloads while aging. Whether you're in the position of easing that workload now, or have an eye to the future and are presently laying the groundwork for easing that workload, this book could prove useful. It has been for me so far. Enjoy.

On the "is the $37 worth it" question, my short answer is: yes if you want a broad primer written by people who actually lived it, no if you're expecting a step-by-step blueprint that turns a suburban lot into a farm.

What you get is roughly 265 pages covering a wide spread of homestead topics - water, food storage, gardening, animals, off-grid power, simple structures - drawn from Ron and Johanna's experience building three homesteads, including years in remote northern bush country. The value is in the judgement calls and the "here's what actually broke" detail, which you rarely get from a generic prepper title.

Where it's strongest, in my reading, is cold-climate and northern homesteading, and the aging-friendly angle - designing systems two people can still run as they get older, rather than systems that assume endless young labour. Where it's weakest is depth: with that many subjects in that many pages, most chapters are an orientation, not a manual. You'll still need dedicated books for anything you get serious about, and a fair bit of it isn't backyard-scale at all despite the title.

Being upfront: I do affiliate marketing elsewhere on the web, so weigh my opinion accordingly. My longer notes and comparisons live at https://linewermi.wordpress.com/ - and if your library can get it, borrow before buying.