{"product_id":"the-half-acre-homestead-46-years-of-building-gardening-9780936070810","title":"The Half-Acre Homestead: 46 Years of Building \u0026 Gardening","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiscover the benefits and joys of simple living in this coffee-table book that presents the homestead of Lloyd Khan and Lesley Creed.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you've ever researched a DIY home-building project, then you've probably come across the books of Lloyd Kahn. If you've ever been curious about self-sufficient living, \u003ci\u003eThe Half-Acre Homestead\u003c\/i\u003e is for you. Lloyd, the former shelter editor of the \u003ci\u003eWhole Earth Catalog\u003c\/i\u003e, has published several books--including some of the most definitive titles on owner building, such as \u003ci\u003eShelter\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eTiny Homes\u003c\/i\u003e. Lloyd has showcased hundreds of builders in his books. Now, for the first time ever, he spotlights the work of himself and his wife, Lesley Creed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e Starting with a vacant half-acre piece of land, back in the 1970s, the couple built their own home, created a garden with vegetables and fruit, and began raising chickens, bees, and goats. This book presents every aspect of their homestead, from the kitchen and dining area to the shed and workshop. It also introduces several fascinating aspects of their lifestyle, such as crafting and small-scale farming. It goes on to cover cooking, foraging, fishing, birds, butterflies, and tools.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eBook Features\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed look at a homestead built entirely by hand\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cli\u003eMore than 500 full-color photos, illustrating every facet of home life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cli\u003eTips about building skylights, greenhouses, living roofs, and more\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cli\u003eSection on unique kitchen tools, as well as useful tools for construction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eLloyd and Lesley have never paid rent and never had a mortgage. This coffee-table book is their story of building and maintaining their own home, over a 46-year period, on a small piece of land in Northern California.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLloyd Kahn\u003c\/b\u003e started building more than 50 years ago and has lived in a self-built home ever since. If he'd been able to buy a wonderful, old, good-feeling house, he might have never started building. But it was always cheaper to build than to buy, and by building himself, he could design what he wanted and use materials that he wanted to live with.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eLloyd set off to learn the art of building in 1960. He liked the whole process immensely. Ideally he'd have worked with a master carpenter long enough to learn the basics, but there was never time. He learned from friends and books and by blundering his way into a process that required a certain amount of competence. His perspective was that of a novice, a homeowner, rather than a pro. As he learned, he felt that he could tell others how to build--or at least get them started on the path to creating their own homes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough the years, he's personally gone from post and beam to geodesic domes to stud-frame construction. It's been a constant learning process, and this has led him into investigating many methods of construction. For five years in the late '60s to early '70s, he built geodesic domes. He got into book publishing by producing \u003ci\u003eDomebook One\u003c\/i\u003e in 1970 and \u003ci\u003eDomebook 2\u003c\/i\u003e in 1971.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe gave up on domes (as homes) and published his company's namesake \u003ci\u003eShelter\u003c\/i\u003e in 1973. Since then, Shelter Publications has produced books on a variety of subjects and returned to its roots with \u003ci\u003eHome Work\u003c\/i\u003e in 2004, \u003ci\u003eThe Barefoot Architect\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBuilders of the Pacific Coast\u003c\/i\u003e in 2008, \u003ci\u003eTiny Homes\u003c\/i\u003e in 2012, and more.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilding is Lloyd's favorite subject. Even in this day and age, building a house with one's own hands can save a ton of money and--if you follow it through--you can get what you want in a home.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLesley Creed\u003c\/b\u003e (1947-2023) moved out of San Francisco in the early '70s, intent upon a back to-the-land lifestyle. She worked with Shelter Publications as a consulting editor, while maintaining a vegetable and flower garden and pursuing an interest in how things are made. She lived with her husband and co-author, Lloyd Kahn, in West Marin County, California, until her death in 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Shelter Publications","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50628866539794,"sku":"9780936070810","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_827dd5f5-6518-44fa-8f8d-b9d9e313b8cc.jpg?v=1732711341","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-half-acre-homestead-46-years-of-building-gardening-9780936070810","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}