Deborah Niemann, former big-city dweller, has become a well-known independent homesteader and sustainability expert. Her tips on pesticide-free gardening and green, simpler living are the subject of the book Homegrown and Handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living. This comprehensive manual is perfect for those dreaming of converting to a healthier lifestyle, with ideas leading from the soil to the supper table. Homegrown and Handmade shares insights on how each of us can create and grow items from scratch, be they crafts or culinary delights, as a way to introduce a more authentic, natural existence. Niemann's guide offers easy-to-implement ideas for the home and demonstrates a multitude of ways to both safeguard our health and protect our planet. In a world teeming with environmental abuses, this well-rounded collection of wisdom will help readers take control of their food supply, eliminate artificial ingredients from their diet and reduce their carbon footprint.
Niemann is a nationally recognized agriculturist whose family moved to their Illinois farm more than 20 years ago. Since then she has been sharing her firsthand lessons on how to realistically adopt a more organic way of life. Niemann's expansive text is packed full of knowledge for both the novice and erudite ecologist, and her sage advice should be enough to turn anyone's thumb green. Niemann will be speaking about Homegrown and Handmade at Boswell Book Co. on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
