Book Review: Urban Homesteading by Kaplan and Blume

The Dervaes family may have been the first to popularize the term “urban homesteading,” but now there are other educators in this wonderful, ever-expanding movement.  Two teachers that have come to the forefront are Rachel Kaplan and K. Ruby Blume, and I recently read their book Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living.  This book interested me because of its title, of course, but also because I have taken some classes with Ruby Blume at her Institute of Urban Homesteading, and I wanted to see what more she would say.  Years ago I happened upon her accidentally, after searching on the internet for beekeeping classes near where I live.  At first, I thought her Institute of Urban Homesteading was in some distant place, but I was happily surprised that it’s located very close to my home.

After reading the book and attending Ruby’s classes (I ended up taking gardening, fermentation and cheese-making classes with her), I can honestly say that she “walks the talk” described in the book.  She keeps bees, rabbits, and quail, and has a thriving and beautiful garden.  The chapters reflect the knowledge base and experience of the authors.  While the information presented on homesteading projects, gardening and keeping various livestock can’t be described as extensive or complete (and knowing beekeeping, what is?), the book does provide a solid jumping-off point for ideas and beginning steps toward many aspects of “urban homesteading.”

The book begins with a bioregional quiz which checks how much knowledge you have about the place you call home.  The meat of the book discusses a wide range of homesteading projects.  Examples include making your own bee veil, worm bins, and mushroom growing bed; some simple greywater “DIY” hacks; and how to make feta cheese and prepare fermented sodas and even some herbal medicines.

What I found most compelling about the book, however, was the authors’ obvious commitment to creating healthy community.  Homesteading is revealed as being an essentially connected way of living, rather than a solo venture toward survival and sustainability.  The authors describe the outreach they have done and how you can do it too.  The book includes profiles of and interviews with people that the authors have obviously included in their own urban homesteading community.

I like this book and want to have it in my library.  It is well worth having as a resource.

You can buy it directly from the authors here or you can buy the book here from Amazon.

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