Knowledge for Prepping

[hashbrown]

I don’t read much, everything I know I learned from my great grand parents, my grandparents and my mom and dad who have all eked out a living in the Ozarks. Reading about it is awesome but you won’t truly know how until you practice and develop skills.

 

[angie_nrs]

Here’s a start. Jackie Clay has written several books. All are good additions to your library. She’s a wealth of information, and books and heirloom seeds are her income.

This quote is from another thread, but I thought it fit well here. I was cleaning out some space and found a shipping box that was full of Jackie Clay books that I bought last spring upon your suggestion. Clearly, I haven't read them yet. I'm reading something else right now. However, I'm glad I have them, if for no other reason than to learn things IF it is ever mandatory due to a loooong term power outage. I hope to someday (soon) organize all my cannning, gardening, homestead books in one place so that anyone could retrieve the information if/when needed.

It was much easier being in elementary and middle school without a ton of life to get in the way. LOL

That first volume you showed is much newer than dads. Man I hope he still has those.

Even 30-40 years ago those volumes were in most households for the kids to use for research papers. I used ours a LOT! The worst thing about that was it was much more difficult to plagiarise b/c everyone had the same set and the teacher would read the same things from every student. LOL! We had to get creative with our papers. Heck, now-a-days so called 'journalists', students, and 'experts' plagiarize crap all the time b/c there are so many "sources" to choose from. Of coarse, none of them have to test their sources like we HAD to back in the day. But, I digress......

 

[LadyLocust]

This quote is from another thread, but I thought it fit well here. I was cleaning out some space and found a shipping box that was full of Jackie Clay books that I bought last spring upon your suggestion. Clearly, I haven't read them yet. I'm reading something else right now. However, I'm glad I have them, if for no other reason than to learn things IF it is ever mandatory due to a loooong term power outage. I hope to someday (soon) organize all my cannning, gardening, homestead books in one place so that anyone could retrieve the information if/when needed.


Even 30-40 years ago those volumes were in most households for the kids to use for research papers. I used ours a LOT! The worst thing about that was it was much more difficult to plagiarise b/c everyone had the same set and the teacher would read the same things from every student. LOL! We had to get creative with our papers. Heck, now-a-days so called 'journalists', students, and 'experts' plagiarize crap all the time b/c there are so many "sources" to choose from. Of coarse, none of them have to test their sources like we HAD to back in the day. But, I digress......

On the JC books - depending on what you have, maybe grab the garden one to glance through a week before planning the garden or the canning one while the veggies are growing etc. The things you are doing or info you might need will be what your eyes find without investing too much time in the cover to cover process.

 

[Magpie]

I have the complete series and they are very informative but also highly entertaining as well.

I love these! Hard to get paper copies here.
This is one of my favourites, I remember my parents having the original edition.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Boo...80-a2b3-beebed10ebe4&pd_rd_i=0241352460&psc=1

 

[Tommyice]

That looks like a good book @Magpie . Checking it out on Amazon, I see this is a somewhat recently revised edition (2019) and the foreword is written by Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall. I'm currently watching the series he did on "downshifting", Escape to River Cottage. Lovely series.

 

[Tim Horton]

Jackie Clay is a wealth of knowledge... Yes she is.. However there a few thing you need to take with a grain of salt... Keep a copy of and default to ..The Complete Ball Blue Book of Canning.. on hand when reading ...some... of Jackies writings...

Carla Emery books are another very good source..
Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced ..Decision..) books ..Tightwad Gazette.. are dated info with 1980s prices for instance.. But still good practical information..

My 5 cents of experience and opinion..

 

[Cascadian]

We just picked up a hundred year old medical book. I don't even know where to get leaches
But seriously there are bound to be some pre big pharma cures in it.

 

[Amish Heart]

I would skip the leeches.

 

[LadyLocust]

We just picked up a hundred year old medical book. I don't even know where to get leaches
But seriously there are bound to be some pre big pharma cures in it.

I have an oldie like that - I can't remember the disease or ailment, but the cure is opium

 

[LadyLocust]

I love these! Hard to get paper copies here.
This is one of my favourites, I remember my parents having the original edition.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Boo...80-a2b3-beebed10ebe4&pd_rd_i=0241352460&psc=1
View attachment 122829

This is a good one.

 

[Tim Horton]

Trivia...
Doing a quick Google search it seems a very few of Jackie Clay books, at least the ..homesteading.. books are available on Better World Books or Amazon Books..

Same somewhat for the Carla Emery ..Complete Guide to .... books.
Or the Amy Dacyczyn ...Tightwad Gazette.. books...

Any selection available from any one of the three seem quite expensive.. The copies of all three authors I had at one time were paperback.. I got them used for cheap and used them well..

 

[Cascadian]

I would skip the leeches.

I was kidding about those. At least I think I was I haven't looked to close at it yet.

 

[Magpie]

I would skip the leeches.

It was leeches that helped my son recover after his accident! Without them, his finger surgery may not have been so successful.
I like the homesteading Magazines with Jackie Clay- one of the things I look forward to reading when back in NY. Some of the River Cottage books are good- particularly the small set that cover preserving and foraging. I have some of the larger recipe books, they are ok, nothing you don't already know really. The Meat one would be useful for beginners maybe.
I have an old paper copy of The Encyclopedia of Country Living which is brilliant, but found a digital copy also - I'll add it to the book thread.

 

[viking]

I have heard that certain fly larva can also be good for clearing rotting flesh, so I'm sure leeches are important as well.

 

[Neb]

I have heard that certain fly larva can also be good for clearing rotting flesh, so I'm sure leeches are important as well.

Burns?

@DrJenner ?

Ben

 

[Tim Horton]

Trivia..
At one time there was a young woman going to nursing school at the local campus.. I got to know her as she worked part time at a local coffee shop cafe.. This a country girl who grew up hunting, fishing and the like.. She was an amateur taxidermist for her family and friends.. She kept a colony of flesh eating beetles that she used for making European bare skull type mounts.. She was always scouring the freeway and country roads for road kill to maintain her beetle colony..

I'm sure leaches are useful in reconstructive medical procedures.. And make good fish bait when you are healed up.....