The Resilient Farm and Homestead: An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach

This is book is just fantastic, its so well written, so thoughtful, so clear. Full of knowledge and written from the heart its a true pleasure to have been able to read this and that someone so knowledgeable and passionate has chosen to share that with the world. I haven't learnt so much and been so enlightened by a book like this for a very long time. Definitely worth a read! Truly Fantastic.

great read. An all encompassing book about permculture. Definitely one of the best books to start.Well done Ben Falk!

Wow. Where do I start with this amazing book? First of all, I purchased my copy of 'The Resilient Farm & Homestead' 2 years ago this July. I definitely collect permaculture/homesteading/off grid/small scale farming/gardening/sustainability books. Currently I have an entire shelving unit dedicated to them, and yet this work stands out among them all as one of my favourites. Though not a thin volume, this book isn't as thick as some of my other works (think Vol. 1 & 2 of Edible Forest Gardens) and yet Ben Falk manages to completely pack relevant information on every page. This author is not just a designer, there are years of experience here. This book is about setting up and maintaining a farm and homestead in a world of uncertain world events, be they political, climatic, etc. The knowledge is practical and essential for the homesteader and anyone else interested in living a sustainable lifestyle. Falk covers homestead design (including permaculture elements), homestead setup, climate, animals, as well as crops that are not just for filling your stomach but contribute to your health as well. Basically, if you are on a homestead, this book is very helpful in gearing you towards self sufficiency as well as providing inspiration. If a homestead is still a dream in your future, this book lays out what you need to do and know, helping you plan it out. I found the info within this work to be extremely well organized and laid out, and I think this is one reason why this work stands out among the flood of books currently being published on this topic. I found the appendices in the back to be a goldmine- I refer to them constantly to keep my mind focused and keep everything straight (you self sufficiency buddies know what I'm talkin about!). In short, grab this book. It's worth every penny!

The title really says it all. For those unfamiliar with the concept, permaculture, as defined in this work, is "applied disturbance ecology". The fundamental idea being that working with the land allows an optimized native ecosystem which is productive, supports life, and requires minimal maintenance. The term was first proposed by Bill Mollison and Dave Holmgren and first published in book form in , and more extensively fleshed out in , but these are the kinds of works which beg for explanation. They are full of practical advice, plans and drawings for homestead design, water usage, and crop selection, but for all their visionary qualities, Mollison and Holmgren are not as organized or easy to follow as many would like. Additionally, the practical examples, with before and after pictures, and case studies demonstrating effectiveness are minimal in those works. This, I think, is the reason for the explosion of works like Shephard's , and Hemenway's . This work is very much in the same tradition, but I liked it better than either of those.The first chapter is a "why permaculture?" discussion. It hits the high points of Mollison's idea, and though it doesn't say much you won't find elsewhere, it is clearly written and provides a solid foundation to the rest of the book. The second chapter discusses the design process, how to go about planning the transformation of a plot of land into a permacultured homestead. In this, it summarizes prior works, but does so every bit as extensively as the one dedicated work I've read on the subject: . You do not need that book if you have this one. Chapter three is a summary of earth works and water planning, and while not as extensive as Yeoman's , it explains well enough that you could forgo that in the short term. It does not discuss contour plowing as extensively as Mark Shephard or Yeoman does. But it will give you the basic ideas behind the process. Chapter four discusses recycling of fertility, composting, and the how to use the cycle of decay and regeneration to benefit every living thing on your homestead. Chapter five discusses food crops, which centers around perennial crops and how to integrate grazing animals, poultry, and plant life to generate yields greater than the sum of the parts. Here again the discussion and the examples are better than in , though some of the choices are tailored specifically to the northern temperate climate of Vermont. Enthusiasts in other climes will need to look elsewhere for specific choices. Intriguingly, the staple crop Mr. Falk grows is rice, and there is some good discussion of why this crop. Certainly unique in American agriculture, which has been solidly dominated by wheat and corn, but probably not as useful to permaculturists in more arid areas. Chapter six discusses fuel, and why wood burning, coupled with energy efficient housing design, is the most ecologically sound choice for a homestead. He also discusses building design, including how to plan for passive water conservation and use. Chapter seven is a "putting it all together" discussion. These chapters are followed with appendixes of tool lists, checklists, and design outlines.Overall, probably the best introduction to the topic, in a practical sense with examples, that I have read. While the details are specific to his location, it could not be otherwise, and for homesteaders in that climate, it will be even more useful. For those in the Midwest, the practical examples in will be better, but that work is not as clear, nor as good on topics outside crop selection and planting as this one is. Additionally, while details of some aspects of sustainable living are glossed over here, it does not purport to be a self-contained manual to every aspect. For those interested in this topic for the first time, I would recommend this work, followed by as a starting point. You probably don't need much else if you have imagination, helpful neighbors, some understanding of local ecology, and a desire to experiment. For those already widely read on the subject, this is a solid addition to a permaculture library, demonstrating the feasibility and success of these principles in well photographed detail. Highly recommended.

This is fantastic! I found Ben Falk through Geoff Lawton's film series and did quite a bit of research before buying this book. I haven't had it long but I've had a good flick through and read the first couple of chapters. I'm already getting little unexpected shivers of pleasure from reading it and I'm tempted to copy out long chunks of it to post on my blog and encourage people to buy it!I loved the opening sentence: 'Regeneration involves seeing things as they could be, while resiliency requires dealing with things as they are.' This immediately spoke to me, and Ben goes on to explore this in a really practical way, teasing out these two inextricable but at the same time somewhat opposed ideals.I'm inspired by Ben's abundant physical and mental health, and his observation that this has improved greatly due to his active lifestyle on the land combined with the quality food he produces and eats from it.Nut trees are certainly going to figure more largely in my planting plans after reading what he has to say about them and the role they played in the guided development of the food forests of the NE of America before the European settlers came - and the return on investment they give for ours and future generations.I'm writing from the UK at the moment, but my land is in NE Poland and has a much longer and colder winter - like in Ben's part of Vermont - so I'm particularly happy to be reading lessons from someone with similar climate conditions. I do think a lot of what he has to say will be applicable to many in the UK and other places too.Not every word he has to say is as inspiring as the bits I've singled out, and some of his points are a bit laboured, but the book is certainly worthy of five stars so far. It's also worthy of note that this is a much more measured and less political account than some of the other books I've enjoyed by the likes of Masanobu Fukuoka, Joel Salatin and Sepp Holzer, but it is still pacey and engaging.A very good read, recommended.