We have compiled a list for you of free homesteading ebooks and pdf files, many of which are helping us to start our homestead. Whether you are in the planning stages of starting your homestead or are already there, these free homesteading ebooks and pdf files are great resources.  There is a wealth of information at your fingertips – you just need to know where to look! I will not link to anything we do not personally use or have not found to be worth downloading.

Currently, only ONE link requires you to fill out a very short survey (and for a good reason). That one is noted and is only here because it is WELL worth it. Otherwise, none of these links will require you to sign up for a newsletter or anything else. 100% free homesteading resources.

We provide more links to free homesteading resources in our free monthly newsletter. You can subscribe here.

6 Free Gardening Planning Tools Video

If you would like to view the video about free online garden planning tools, click play below. Otherwise, scroll to the free homesteading ebooks and pdf files!

Free Homesteading Ebooks and PDF Files

This is a living list – it will grow and change. If you find a non-working link, please let us know in the comment section below this article so that we can remove it or fix it. Thanks!

Gardening

Monthly Organic Garden Guide – from Kellogg Garden. Seriously good guide on what to plant and in what month that covers every hardiness zone.

University of California’s Vegetable Gardening Handbook for Beginners – If you are a new to gardening, this is a concise guide on how to get started. Site selection, raised beds, container gardening, soil preparation, pest management and much more.

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners – this is a link to my article on vegetable gardening. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click the Print button, then click the PDF button on the print screen to download a PDF version.

Permaculturenews.org’s Companion Planting Chart – know what you can plant next to each other in a handy one page chart.

Square Foot Gardening – from Wisconsin Extension Service. Excellent 6 page guide on getting started with square foot gardening.

Square Foot Garden Planting Guide – by The Natural Gardener. How many plants do you need per square foot? Nice 2 page chart on many common veggies and fruits.

Easy Vegetable Garden Crop Rotation – this is a link to my article on garden crop rotation.  Scroll to the bottom of the page, click the Print button, then click the PDF button on the print screen to download a PDF version.

Container Gardening Guide – from Kellogg Garden. A wealth of info on all the food you can grow using containers. 44 pages!

Raised Bed Gardening Guide – another Kellogg Garden guide. Information on all kinds of raised beds, including information on planting a square foot garden. 38 pages.

Composting: Easy Ways to Make Compost – this is a link to my article on composting. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click the Print button, then click the PDF button on the print screen to download a PDF version.

Preserving Food

USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning – everything you ever wanted to know about home canning. I have linked to their website page for downloading this PDF, because there are links to more for freezing, drying, curing & smoking, jams and jellies, fermenting and pickling. A wealth if information – in printable PDFs.

Lacto-Fermentation, How to Ferment Vegetables Naturally – impressive ebook from Cultures for Health. Ferment all kinds of vegetables with detailed instructions. Also addresses myths about fermenting. 206 pages.

The Complete Book of Jerky – Phillip Hasheider. It really is the complete book on how to make all kinds of jerky. Over 300 pages!

Preserving Food: Freezing Vegetables – from Univ of Georgia Extension. Excellent concise guide on how to prepare vegetables for freezing.

Freezing Basics – from Univ of Missouri-Columbia. Includes foods that do not freeze well and storage times for home frozen foods.

Dry it, You’ll Like It: Dehydrating Made Easy – This is a direct download link – it will not open in a new tab. Excellent guide on dehydrating for food preservation.

Preserving Whole Eggs – this is a link to my article on water glassing eggs. Requires no refrigeration! Scroll to the bottom of the page, click the Print button, then click the PDF button on the print screen to download a PDF version.

Raising Animals

A Complete Handbook on Backyard and Commercial Rabbit Production – from the PeaceCorps. Everything you want to know about raising rabbits!

Balancing your Animals with your Forage – from the USDA. How many acres of pasture do your animals need? Find out with this handy guide.

Beef Production for Small Farms – Oregon State University. All of the basics of raising cattle. Growing and feeding, breeding, facilities, nutritional needs, health – and an extensive glossary of terms you would need to know at the end.

Raising Goats for Dummies – by CK Smith. Goat health, breeding, making money from goats, common mistakes – a lot of info here – over 300 pages.

Canadian Small-Scale Pig Farming Manual – from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Handling, breeding, reproduction, disease prevention, nutrition and health – all you need to know!

Backyard Flock Production – from Oklahoma State Extension Service. All the basics about raising chickens. Housing, breed selection, brooding, etc.

Raising Chickens in Urban Environments – from Oregon State Extension. Extra considerations for raising chickens in an urban setting.

Chicken Breed Chart – from Michigan State University. If you are ordering from a hatchery, the hatchery should have a good catalogue with the details you need. Otherwise, here is a handy chart of some common chicken breeds.

Sprouting Grains for Chickens – this is a link to my article on sprouting grains to increase food volume and nutritional value. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click the Print button, then click the PDF button on the print screen to download a PDF version.

Raising a Small Flock of Sheep – from Colorado State University Extension. All the basics in a concise 37 pages.

Meat Cut Yield – Did the butcher keep your meat? – from Penn State University. This will not open in a new tab – it is a direct download of the PDF. How to convert live weight of an animal into usable carcass weight. Also how to calculate carcass weight to boneless meat weight. ONE page reference – handy!

Processing Chickens – from University of Kentucky. An excellent concise guide with pictures. 7 pages.

Home Slaughtering and Processing of Beef – from Oklahoma Extension Service. Complete with pictures and only 8 pages.

Home Processing of Sheep and Goats – from Washington State University. With pictures and also links to diagrams and resources at the end. Only 6 pages.

Passive Solar Year Round Greenhouses

Deep Winter Greenhouse Resources – from Univ of Minnesota Extension. They have done extensive research on constructing and building deep winter greenhouses to grow food year round in cold climates. This link to their website allows for downloading free guides including construction plans for a farm scale version and building on a budget.  The construction documents require you to fill out a very short survey so they can update you when new plans are available – trust me, it is worth it! I cannot stress enough that these materials are excellent for anyone diving into building a year round greenhouse.

Frugal Living

Good and Cheap Cookbook – by Leanne Brown. Eat well on $4 a day! Tips for eating and shopping well, pantry basics and several recipes. 172 pages.

Fabulous Frugal Food Bills – by Amanda Fazani. Reducing food waste, eating seasonally, thrifty cuts of meat, grocery store tips + more. 179 pages.

General Homesteading

Planning for a Sustainable Homestead – from Univ of Colorado Extension.  Worksheet and info for building a management plan to live sustainably on your land.