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

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  Permaculture One: A Perennial Agricultural System for Human Settlements , and more extensively fleshed out in  Permaculture: A Designers' Manual , 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  Restoration Agriculture , and Hemenway's  Gaia's Garden . 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:  Permaculture Design: A Step-by-Step Guide . 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  Water For Every Farm , 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  Restoration Agriculture , 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  Restoration Agriculture  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  Introduction to Permaculture  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.

I've been gardening, homesteading, medium scale farming/ranching in three states (MO, northern CA & NM) and five properties in the past nearly 50 years, have an extensive library, subscribe to several excellent relevant publications, am constantly learning and expanding my skills & horizons. This is, hands down, one of the best, most comprehensive and HELPFUL books of which I am aware. Yes, I have and love resources from John Seymour, Gene Logsdon, Sepp Holzer, Joel Salatin, a HUGE amount of permaculture texts, gardening, homesteading, grass farming, sustainability, etc., WHICH ARE IMMEASURABLY VALUABLE, but this is right up there with the best. I enthusiastically echo several other excellent reviews, but cannot understand the scathingly negative ones. For my purposes, Ben has written a wonderfully refreshing blend of PRACTICAL and possible permaculture homesteading book from his PERSONAL experience. I've plenty of books gathering dust telling me what to do and what should work...but not many willing to admit when it doesn't (particularly the permaculture books). It is concise despite covering an impressive array of material. Not everything that "experienced" old-timers do works equally well in all situations and I appreciate the author's honest reporting of what is or is not working historically and currently on his particular property at various stages of its development/reclamation. It often takes several years of working with a property to get a feel for what it wants and needs in terms of plants, animals, water, amendments...especially if one's experience is with vastly divergent enterprises and climatic challenges. Regardless of what we know (or think we know), one can always learn from others' successes, mistakes, ideas, experience. While most of the charts & graphs were not helpful for my personal learning styles, no doubt other folks loved them. He wisely presented the material in various formats to reach the widest audience. I appreciate Ben's willingess to share their project journey thus far and look forward to his subsequent reports...books.

I was pretty shocked that this book didn't have a 4.5 or 5 star rating. It was really refreshing to read a book where the author has actual experience putting his money where his mouth is and applying the permaculture principles to one place for a long time. Most other permie books I read are heavy on theory and having drawings of how permaculture is supposed to work. This has actual photos because the author actually applied everything and shared his successes and failures.And guess what? Note all permaculture "commandments" ended up being true, at least not for him in his particular location. That's what happens when you move beyond theory and go an get your hands dirty. I suspect that the negative reviewers are mostly information junkies that have a bookshelf full of permaculture literature but have never planted a tree.I loved the author's focus on resiliency and simple solutions. Sure, a wind turbine would be great, a giant system of solar power lighting up the area sounds fun and green. But the author promotes low tech and traditional when possible, simply because it's the most practical approach. Turbines and solar panels break, and they require complex parts from far off lands. In the fragile system we live in, who knows if these things will be available in the future. I also liked his subtle references to SHTF scenarios and preparation for emergencies.TLDR; this book is not your standard regurgitation on permaculture principles and you will gain new insights from this.

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!

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.

I bought the Kindle edition and now I'm going to buy the hard copy.