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I have compiled
the following list of useful and informative books for your
convenience. Each of the books on this page have been selected
for it's quality and is recommended by Fias Co Farm.
Fias
Co Farm is not selling these books directly.
The order link beside each book will take you our amazon.com
shopping cart where you can order your books. If you purchase
a book through our amazon.com shopping cart, we will receive
a small percentage, which will go to help finance this web site.
Note:
My personal comments about each book are written in purple. -Molly
Goat
Health & Husbandry Books
Goat
Husbandry
by David MacKenzie
Paperback - 334 pages
5th edition (February 1996)
This
is a classic- the "bible" of goatkeeping. First published
in 1957. It's now in it's 5th printing. This is a very thorough and
insightful book covering the whole gambit of goatkeeping, from the history
of goats to housing, feeding, breeding, health care and much more. This
book contains sound principles and more common sense and a sense of
humor not found in most other goat publications. His reading of goat
psychology is very useful in understanding herd dynamics.
"This
was the first goat book I purchased, and I really like it for the insight
it gives into goats. If you have goats or are planning on getting goats,
I concider this a must have."
Storey's Guide to Raising Dairy Goats: Breeds, Care, Dairying
(updated version of Raising Milk Goats the Modern Way)
by Jerome D. Belanger, Jerry Belanger
Paperback - 288 pages (November 8, 2000)
Storey is completely
updating all six Modern Way titles and re-introducing them as part of
their Guide to Raising series. This fully illustrated guide provides
the very latest practical information for dairy goat owners. All of
the essentials are covered here, including: Individual breeds - Feeding
and housing - Health care and disease prevention Breeding and kidding
- Milking and dairying
"We
have found this book very useful. Though I don't personally always agree
with all of Belanger's methods, I still find this a very handy book
to have on my shelves." -molly
The Goatkeeper's Veterinary Book
by Peter Dunn
Hardcover 3rd edition (July 1998)
Practical and easy
to use, this book is an essential aid to any goatkeeper.
"We
have found this book to be very useful. It is well written and understandable.
I highly recommend it. It will more than pay for itself with the first
goat life it saves."
A
Practical Guide to Small-Scale Goatkeeping
by Billie Luisi
Good information,
ideas, advice, and counsel on breeding, feeding, management and control,
birthing and kid-rearing. Recipes, cheesemaking, yogurtmaking.
"I
really like this book. It is out of print, but if you can find it, pick
it up for your collection."
This title is out
of print. Although it is no longer available from the publisher, amazon.com
will query their network of used bookstores for you. Query
now
Goat
Medicine
by Mary C. Smith, David M. Sherman
Hardcover (April 1994)
A very technical
reference for veterinary practitioners on the diagnosis and treatment
of individual goats as well as herd or flock goats. Reflects goat management
in tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones. Well-referenced.
"I
never purchased this book, due to it's price, though I have looked through
it and it contains a lot of good information. This is the book would
make an excellent gift for your vet."
Keeping
Livestock Healthy: A Veterinary Guide to Horses, Cattle, Pigs, Goats
& Sheep
by N. Bruce Haynes
Paperback - (December 1994) 352 pages
"We
have found this book useful. It's a good book if you have various kinds
of livestock. It does not contain too much on goats. If you just own
goats, get 'The Goatkeeper's Veterinary Book' instead."
Complete
Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable
by Juliette De Bairacli-Levy, Juliet De Bairacli Levy, Juliette De Bairacli Levy
Paperback - 471 pages 4th edition (June 1991)
This fascinating
book is a valuable guide for farmers and the general public concerned
about the overuse of nonnatural medicine, herbicides, and insecticides
in farm management and animal husbandry. The author, Juliette de Baïracli Levy, offers detailed directions for treating all farm animals with
natural methods, while stating her evidence that "mechanized"
farming methods have led to the demise of domesticated animals' overall
health. She asserts that poor and inadequate natural habitat, unnatural
feeding practices, and a reliance on medicine to fight individual symptoms
of disease without addressing the whole animal have weakened farm animals'
innate disease-fighting ability. Her argument for a return to reliance
on the natural and away from the synthetic and artificial rearing and
feeding methods of farm animals becomes more urgent and relevant given
the outbreaks of "mad cow disease" and other ailments caused
by these practices. This book, used in conjunction with proper consultation
with a veterinarian, can help animal owners and farmers move back to
natural and healthy farming practices. --Julia King
Natural
Health Care and Herbal Healing
Animals & Humans
Animals
Herbs
For Pets
by Mary L. Wilff-Tilford, Gregory L. Tilford, Mary Wulff-Tilford
Paperback - 384 pages (November 15, 2001)
The Tilfords' book
introduces readers to hundreds of plant medicines that can be used in
the daily care of animals. The authors, both herbalists, begin with
a chapter on the principles and practices of herbalism, explaining the
basics of herbal preparations and what they call the "ethical use
of herbs." They discuss the connection between herbs and diet and
give guidelines for feeding dogs and cats. The bulk of the book is a
191-page guide to herbs for animals. Each entry includes a description
of the plant, its habitat and range, its cycle and bloom season, preparation,
common uses, availability, and propagation and harvest techniques. Also
included are a warning of its side effects--if any--and a photograph
of the plant. There's a wealth of information here, enabling pet owners
to select, prepare, and apply natural remedies, some of which may be
growing in their own backyards.
"I
LOVE this book. I can't say that enough. It's full of great information,
wonderful photos and helpful recipes. The information presented here
can also be applied to humans as well as animals. If you are interested
in learning about using medicinal herbs, for you as well as your
pet, this book is a great place to start. This book is a must have;
it's well worth the cost.
The
Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to
Caring for Your Dog and Cat
by Martin Goldstein D.V.M.
As an accomplished
doctor of veterinary medicine,
Martin Goldstein is well respected for his 25 years worth of experience
in the field--experience he effectively utilizes in conjunction with
his expertise in holistic medicine in his new book, The Nature of Animal
Healing: The Path to Your Pet's Health, Happiness, and Longevity. Goldstein
begins with a broad explanation of the origins of diseases in pets,
then moves on to taking action against those diseases, not only offering
thorough discussions of specific ailments--including cancer, allergies,
and arthritis--and the holistic medicines available to help in the healing
process, but also speaking to the "dubious legacy of vaccines"
as well as the questionable quality of pet food. Finally, Goldstein
turns his attention to the spiritual realm, addressing both the bonds
that we have with our pets--and how those bonds aid in preventing and
fighting our pets' health problems--as well as dealing with the death
of a beloved pet. Goldstein's expert advice, inclusion of inspiring
real-life cases, and thorough resource "compendium of holistic
books, newsletters, Web sites, veterinarians, and associations" make this book a valuable addition to any pet owner's library.
Natural
Health Bible for Dogs & Cats : Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions,
Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements
by Shawn Messonnier
Incredibly well
thought-out and organized. This bible serves as an excellent reference
for veterinarians and pet owners alike. Good, practical information
is presented in "real person" language.
Protect
Your Pet: More Shocking Facts
by Ann N. Martin
Today's concerned
pet owners worry about the contents of their companion animals' food;
wonder whether they should provide homecooked meals or raw meat instead
of commercial pet food; agonize about annual vaccinations, which some
believe are the cause of an increased incidence of cancer in dogs and
cats; and weigh the risks and benefits of giving certain drugs to their
pets. Martin addresses these issues and updates her investigation of
the unsavory and unhealthy practices of the pet food industry, which
she began in Food Pets Die For (New Sage, 1997). She implicates diet
in the increase of certain conditions, including the spread of Mad Cow
disease across species. Martin provides a commonsense approach to the
vaccination schedule, and her recommendations are based on solid research
and are carefully footnoted. She concludes her book with recipes for
healthy, homemade pet food, a listing of pet food and pet health-related
web sites, and a state-by-state list of agencies concerned with food
safety. Recommended for public libraries. Florence Scarinci, Nassau
Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY
Home-Prepared
Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative
by Donald R. Strombeck
This is an excellent
book on animal nutrition. It's clear enough for a layperson to understand,
as long as they have some background in biology and nutrition. If you
plan to feed your pets home-prepared diets, this book is a must-have
reference. You will probably want to look at the Pitcairn book as well.
Dr.
Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
by Richard H. Pitcairn, Susan Hubble Pitcairn
A classic natural
pet-care book from two celebrated veterinary specialists in chemical-free
nutrition, treatment, and natural healing for pets, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete
Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats offers valuable natural
and holistic advice on a host of pet topics, including, but not limited
to, diet, exercise, environment, coping with a pet's death, and how
to care for a sick animal. In addition to their thorough discussion
of the above, Richard Pitcairn, D.V.M., and his wife, Susan Hubble Pitcairn, M.S., offer a comprehensive "quick reference" section on animal
illnesses, organized alphabetically and including a brief description
of each illness, preventative measures that may be taken, and holistic
and natural treatment options for both dogs and cats--treatments that
should always be discussed with one's vet before being used. Occasional
line drawings, informative graphs, and the Pitcairn's intelligent prose
make this guide a must-have for pet owners interested in a natural lifestyle
for their pets.
School
of Natural Healing
by John R. Christopher
Hardcover - 672 pages (January 1996)
Over
the years, beginners and herbal practitioners have trusted School of
Natural Healing to provide expert instruction on herbal therapy. The
worldwide distribution and use of Dr. Christopher's formulas confirms
the success and safety of his methods. If you have ever used an herbal
combination, it was most likely one of Dr. Christopher's. This text
combines his methods and famous formulas in an easy-to-use volume for
personal and classroom study. Expanded and revised, we present this
work, assured that it will enhance your efforts in natural healing.
"This
is a good information filled book. If you are serious about learning
about and using medicinal herbs, this is a must have. This book does
lack photos and/or illustrations of the herbs."
The
Herbal Drugstore: The Best Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter
and Prescription Medicines!
by Linda B., Md. White, Steven Foster
Hardcover
- 610 pages 1st edition (July 12, 2001)
Here
is the first Rodale book to replace specific conventional medications
with herbal equivalents. As the natural precursors of today's pharmaceuticals,
herbs can reduce, even eliminate dependence on medications. Arranged
by ailment, herbal alternatives are offered for more than 500 prescription
and over-the-counter drugs. For example, 6 milligrams of the herb ephedra can replace Sudafed for cold symptoms. More than 100 ailments are covered,
and an encyclopedia details more than 70 medicinal herbs.
The
authors are thoroughly versed in herbal medicines, and they provide
accurate advice about which drugs and herbs work-and which don't. They
point out when a drug works best, or when an herb is better as a supplement
to, rather than replacement for a drug. But the main result of their
study and experience is that people don't have to rely on conventional
drugs-herbs can be an all-natural way to maintain health.
"This
is a really nice, informative book. I refer to it often."
Fast
Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
by Eric Schlosser
On any given day,
one out of four Americans opts for a quick and cheap meal at a fast-food
restaurant, without giving either its speed or its thriftiness a second
thought. Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and
harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation,
homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet,
landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive
ways. Eric Schlosser, an award-winning journalist, opens his ambitious
and ultimately devastating exposé with an introduction to the
iconoclasts and high school dropouts, such as Harlan Sanders and the
McDonald brothers, who first applied the principles of a factory assembly
line to a commercial kitchen. Quickly, however, he moves behind the
counter with the overworked and underpaid teenage workers, onto the
factory farms where the potatoes and beef are grown, and into the slaughterhouses
run by giant meatpacking corporations. Schlosser wants you to know why
those French fries taste so good (with a visit to the world's largest
flavor company) and "what really lurks between those sesame-seed
buns." Eater beware: forget your concerns about cholesterol, there
is--literally--feces in your meat.
"A
great book. This is a must read for anybody who cares about
what they eat and where it comes from."
The
Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World
by John Robbins
Paperback: 340 pages
What can we do to
help stop global warming, feed the hungry, prevent cruelty to animals,
avoid genetically modified foods, be healthier and live longer? Eat
vegetarian, Robbins (Diet for a New America) argues. Noting the massive
changes in the environment, food-production methods, and technology
over the last two decades, he lambastes contemporary factory-farming
methods and demonstrates that individual dietary choices can be both
empowering and have a broader impact. Robbins, heir to the Baskin-Robbins
ice-cream empire (he rejected it to live according to his values), takes
on fad diets, the meat industry, food irradiation, hormone and antibiotic
use in animals, cruel animal husbandry practices, the economics of meat
consumption, biotechnology and the prevalence of salmonella and E. Coli.
Some details are downright revolting (euthanized dogs and cats often
are made into cattle feed), horrific (some 90% of cows, pigs and poultry
are still conscious when butchered) and mind-boggling (it takes 5,214
gallons of water to produce one pound of beef). Despite all this and
more distressing information, Robbins ends on a hopeful note, detailing
growth in organic farming, public awareness and consumer activism worldwide,
as well as policy changes, especially in Europe.
Cheesemaking
Made Easy
by Ricki Carroll, Robert Carroll
Paperback - 144 pages (September 1995)
Step by step, Cheesemaking
Made Easy presents everything the novice cheesemaker needs to know to
make great tasting cheeses starting with the very first batch.
"This
was the first cheesemaking book I bought and it taught me a lot. Occasionally,
the recipes can be a little hard to follow. This is the "classic"
of cheesemaking books."
Goats
Produce Too
by Mary Jane Toth
Spiral bound, laminated cover. 3rd edition, 136 pages (50 added).
The second edition
of Toth's well-known book about making the most of your goat milk. Goes
beyond cheese with new chapters on soap-making and using chevon. A true
"how-to" book!
"This
is a really good book for beginners using goat milk. These recipes are
simple and they work well. If you have goats and want to make cheese
(and other goat milk products), this book is a "must"."
And
That's How You Make Cheese!
by Shane Sokol
Paperback - 138 pages (April 2001)
With almost thirty
easy-to-follow recipes and complete instructions, And That's How You
Make Cheese! is the definitive guide for making fresh and aged cheeses
right in your kitchen. With just a little effort, anyone can make fresh
and aged cheeses such as Swiss, Feta, Monterey Jack or even an aged
Stilton. Read about the history of your favorite cheese and the follow
the recipes to make it yourself without additives, preservatives or
chemicals.
"This
is a good, easy to understand book. The recipes are clearly laid out.
In my copy, the photos were not reproduced very well, I don't know if
this is just my copy or how the book just is. This newly published book
may be a better book for new cheesemakers to start with than the classic,
Cheesemaking Made Easy."
While
many cookbooks will tell you how to cook some foods similar to those
you have eaten for years, this cookbook teaches you to treat milk with
lactase and create your own creams, butter, sour cream and soft cheeses.
You may treat the milk to reduce the lactose to the degree best for
you -- even 100% reduced! Plus you get over 90 tested recipes to make
your favorite foods. Imagine eating cheesecake again, without the soy!!!
Recipes for lactose-free ricotta and lactose-reduced mozzarella are
included plus my favorite lasagna recipe, several wonderful (low fat!)
cheesecake recipes, recipes for cookies like Oreos, Pecan Sandies, and
candies like caramels, peanut butter cups, and peppermint patties! NO
MORE SOY AFTERTASTE!
Many
people become less able to digest milk products as they leave childhood
behind. This is usually a gradual process but may occur suddenly in
adulthood following an antibiotic regimen or other gastrointestinal
problem. Symptoms of intolerance include flatulence, nausea, upset stomach,
diarrhea, or gas pain following ingestion of dairy products. In some
cases, symptoms may persist for days. Lactose intolerance should be
diagnosed by a physician so that serious causes for these symptoms may
be ruled out. Testing is simple. Many people who suspect they are lactose
intolerant merely try a two-week dairy free diet to see if symptoms
improve prior to discussing it with a doctor. If you believe you are
lactose intolerant or know someone who is, this cookbook will tell you
how to make wonderful dairy foods again!!
"This
is a good book to purchase if you, or anyone in your family is Lactose
intolerant."
The
Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe Book
by Carla Emery
Paperback - 864 pages 9th edition (May 1994)
No library is complete
without this one-of-a-kind encyclopedia. There isn't a more complete
source of step-by-step information about food production, from the garden
or barnyard, all the way to the kitchen table. Filled with hundreds
of recipes , detailed instructions, and wisdom gleaned from a multitude
of readers, The Encyclopedia of Country Living is so basic, thorough,
and reliable it deserves a place in every country life collection. With
a wealth of practical information, anecdotes...
"This
book has taught me a lot. No book can cover every subject in great detail,
but this book does contain an amazing amount of information and is a
very good primer for learning back to basics skills."
Back
to Basics: How
to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills Hardcover
- 456 pages (March 1997)
Reader's Digest
has updated its popular Back to Basics series to provide the ultimate
how-to book. It's packed with hundreds of projects and illustrated step-by-step
sequences to help you learn to live more self-sufficiently, with sections
on shelter, alternative energy sources, growing and preserving food,
home crafts, and even recreation. Includes over 2,000 photos, diagrams
and drawings.
"I
found this book very informative. It tries to cover a lot of ground
and does not go into quite as much detail as 'The
Encyclopedia of Country Living'."
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance
by M. John Storey, Deborah Burns, Martha Storey
This is the book
for anyone who wants to become more self-reliant, from suburbanites
with 1/4 of an acre to country homesteaders with several. The information
is easily understood and readily applicable.
The
Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing's Sixty Years of Self-sufficient
Living
by Helen Nearing, Scott Nearing
Paperback - 411 pages Reprint edition (January 1990)
"Helen and Scott
Nearing are the great-grandparents of the back-to-the-land movement,
having abandoned the city in 1932 for a rural life based on self-reliance,
good health, and a minimum of cash...Fascinating, timely, and wholly
useful, a mix of the Nearings' challenging philosophy and expert counsel
on practical skills."--Washington Post Book World
"This
is a very good read, especially for those interested in "getting
back to the land"."
Stocking
Up III: The All-New Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide by Carol Hupping Hardcover - 627 pages 3rd edition (August 1986)
Completely revised
and updated, this classic is better than ever. Readers will find the
basics along with the latest in home preservation techniques, 300 recipes,
all new illustrations, nutritional charts, conversion tables, lists
of selected fruit and vegetable varieties, and the most up-to-date information
on home food safety.
"This
book is really a 'must have' if you intent to "put up" any
of your own food."
Building
Small Barns, Sheds and Shelters
by Monte Burch
Extend your working,
living and storage areas with low-cost barns, sheds and animal shelters.
Building Small Barns, Sheds & Shelters provides basic, easy-to-follow
construction methods for attractive outbuildings. Here's complete information
on tools and materials; foundations and floors; framing, sheathing and
roofing; windows and doors; wiring and plumbing; and finishing details.
Specific plans and how-to-build instructions for popular home and family-farm
structures include:
-- Multi-purpose barns
-- Woodshed, toolshed and carport plans
-- Combination small barn/studio
-- Barn-style garage
-- Underground root cellar
-- Smokehouse
-- Housing for poultry, rabbits, hogs
-- Various fencing designs
Copyright (c) 1997-2008 Molly Bunton / Fias Co Farm. All rights reserved.
All text written by Molly Bunton unless otherwise noted.
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