I have the first two Foxfire books and they are incredibly useful resources... I did not know that there were more than ten in the series. I believe this is probably the series of books the reader was asking about. In addition the writings of Helen and Scott Nearing are also invaluable. There is also a book called Stocking Up which may have been published by Rodale Press... I don't recall for sure, another very useful book.

No one has mentioned Carla Emery's wonderful book.... the encyclopedia of country living. I got it back in late 70's and still use it today.

I just re-joined with my subscription to M.E.N. I'm hoping that the Magazine got back to it's "Grass Roots" as it was when the Mag. first come out. If not I highly doubt I'll keep my subsciption again.
"IF IT'S NOT BROKE DON'T FIX IT"

Barry Rye

My first issue of the Mother Earth News was issue # 1 and I have been there since. The early issues were a gold mine of do it yourself info. I moved to the country in 1972, and with the M.E.N., have been doing for ourselves from raising our own food all these years, to the shoestring business (I became a chimney sweep in 1974 as a result of the article in MEN), to where we are today. Early Mother Earth News was the best. It is still good today, but nothing like she used to be!

Foxfire is a good series. I wish I'd spent more time reading the couple of volumes my Dad had back in high school. It would have served me far better than MJ and the political crap I wasted my time on back then.

As far as the Nearings go... If you want a good sermon, something to motivate yourself with, pick up a copy of The Good Life. There are some great words in there. As far as how to do stuff goes, I learned more from the University of Georgia site in an hour than Helen and Scott taught me in a month (and I read the book three times). I'm sure it would have been different if I'd picked the book up 30 years ago and could have gone and worked with them-- they sound like wonderful people and all. But-- too much preaching and politics, too little practical information.

Also I read a great couple of books: One Acre and Security (Bradford Angier), and Five Acres and Independence (Maurice G. Kains and J. E. Oldfield).

My mother use to have all mother earth news books and she loved the Nearing books called Living the Good Life.

The Foxfire Series is still available. Fantastic book series. They have published 12 books in the series. Check Amazon.com or the Foxfire home page at:

http://www.foxfire.org/thefoxfirebooks.aspx

i have some old mother earth mags. that i found in a junk store. they are the best mags. that i have ever found. they were printed back in the late 60s or early 70s. i love them.

The Foxfire books are still available in a lot of public libraries - or you can request them thru interlibrary loan.

you might also be thinking of the writings of Helen and Scott Nearing

well worth the read , in any event

There were also the Whole Earth Catalogues published around that time. One a year for several years.

I would also like to suggest "Back to Basics". It was a great book that talked about everything from how to pick a piece of property to what crops to grow, to making soap...endless advice and info. I think it was published by Readers Digest..(?)

Foxfire! My Dad bought me the entire collection when I was about 9. I loved those books then, and love 'em now.