Welcome to the Farm: How-to Wisdom from The Elliott Homestead

I'm writing this review in response of someone else's review, because they took Mrs. Elliot's word out of context and skewed them to make her sound dumb. Let me start off by saying that I'm not biased to Shaye's blog because I just heard of her through this book on Amazon. I didn't see her blog until after I ordered the book. I still have not finished the book but I have arrived at the Dairy chapter and read the portion the other reviewer was referring to. The other reviewer quoted "some dairy animal owners will allow the babies to drink this colostrum... that bit is up to you." Then she goes on to say Shaye 'doesn't even come close to making it clear how vital it is' (the colostrum).However they failed to fill in the "..." which is an important part to understanding Shaye's comment in context. What she actually says AFTER stating how beneficial colostrum is to the baby calf, is " Some dairy animal owners will allow the babies to drink this colostrum before they start milking while others will milk the colostrum and keep it in the freezer, in case they need it in the future for emergencies (such as if the animal dies giving birth). That bit is up to you. Just know you won't get actual milk until day three or four."Obviously, taking some (not all) of the colostrum for future emergencies isn't a bad thing. I have done this with my own milk for my own babies. They're still getting colostrum, so chill out reviewer. Perhaps she didn't go into quite enough detail but It's obvious she doesn't mean what the reviewer thought. Also, the other reviewer wrote "I hope this encourages Shaye to take some actual classes on animal husbandry before passing on any more bad information". Apparently this reviewer didn't read the introduction where Shaye says "I majored in animal Science, Beef Production." And then "after years spent in commercial meat production, it became a huge relief to me that i could be in charge of exactly how my meat was raised and killed".... I don't know if she actually finished her degree in animal science. I am assuming so because she worked in meat production. Either way, this proves she took some classes at the very least.All that said, the book is basic and for beginners, but I am a beginner so it is PERFECT for me. She shares my romanticized view of homesteading and the desire to make things pleasing to the eye but also shares the realities and difficulties. She's also funny and to the point. Thanks for the awesome book, Shaye.

My husband and I have followed Shaye Elliott's blog for several years as we dreamed of owning our own little piece of land, and since we were finally able to buy it last year. I was so excited to buy this book, and it's just beautiful and so practical. Full disclosure, I haven't finished it yet. But that's just because I'm soaking in the details - and there are a lot of them. The gardening section alone has provided me with a bunch of tips I didn't know about, and I know we'll continue to get value from this book. The book was very affordable and has already been far more helpful than several other homesteading books have been. I can't imagine you'll be disappointed if you grab this one up.

Received my book this morning! Excellent, excellent ideas, recipes,techniques etc. personal opinion, make a cup of tea ,open the book and dream or help make your dreams come true!

I liked this book overall. It’s sprinkled with corny attempts at humor which come off as awkward but otherwise it’s a breezy read. It has lots of practical advice and tips on a variety of farm topics with particular emphasis on animal care. The chapter on raising poultry is particularly well written. She discusses kids but only briefly and in a way that had me thinking her children were not very old at the time she wrote the book which made those parts come off as being written by someone inexperienced whereas the parts of the book on farming itself read as written by an experienced farmer.What I didn’t like was all the space devoted to recipes. I wanted a book on farming, not a book on cooking. Some of the recipes felt insulting. How to roast a chicken? Really? How many people who are starting out with or considering farming don’t have this basic kitchen skill? Telling us that tomatoes can be made into sauce. You don’t say! That sauce can be canned at home? For real? It was patronizing. If you can get past the cookbook pages it’s a good, informative book.

Welcome to the Farm is certainly the comprehensive guide on homesteading that I’ve been waiting for. There is nothing better than hands-on experience with pictures to guide you through the how to’s of homesteading, gardening, dairy, making your own greenhouse and so much more. As an avid reader of Shaye’s blog, this guide was something I longed for her to create. Welcome to the Farm is a fresh, well written, and well put together look into homesteading and all of its realities. The instructions (how to’s) are easy to understand and the beautiful pictures to go along with them were much appreciated. This is a story that follows a young family’s journey into homesteading. I love this guide and I look forward to using Welcome to the Farm over and over again in my own homesteading journey. A beautiful piece of work that one can easily tell a lot of love went into. Thank you, Elliott Homestead!

This is one of the best homesteading books I have yet to read. It's very informative and well-written with beautiful pictures. I am savoring every page and I'm so inspired. Shaye Elliott is a natural teacher who possesses knowledge, heart, and a great sense of humor. I highly recommend this book along with both of her cookbooks.

Fantastic from beginning to end. Shaye's personality shines through her writing and words of wisdom from the farm. This booked is filled with treasure! I'm rereading it right now and taking lots of notes. Can't wait to put into practice all I've learned.

Welcome to the Farm is wonderfully written, easy to understand, and filled with beautiful photos. Shaye gives detailed, easy-to-understand instructions for dozens of tasks for the homestead and small farm, and includes photos to help along the way. Her enjoyment of farm life shows through in every page of this book. I have learned several new things from the book, even after growing up on a farm. This will definitely be a guide I will use often as we start our own small homestead!

Do you want to start a smallholding/homestead, read through this book and find great encouragement.

Beautiful book, great information. I follow the blog. And book is equally as enchanting

Great book.

I love everything about this beautiful book. I was looking for a book that I could learn from when it comes to growing, harvesting and preparing really healthy food. I may never raise and slaughter animals but I was fascinated to read all about it. The details regarding all aspects of growing vegetables and fruit, herbs and composting are just what I was looking for. Buy this gorgeous book. You will be glad you did!

loved this book so much I boight it first on my phone. then wanted the real stuf :)