Practical Self-sufficiency

Illustrated, step-by-step projects demonstrate how to achieve a more self-sufficient life from start to finish

Find your route to a more sustainable lifestyle with Dick Strawbridge, of Channel 4's Escape to the Chateau, and his son James. Wherever you live - be it a small terraced house like James or a rural smallholding - this new edition of Practical Self-sufficiency contains invaluable advice to help you make the most of your own resources and become more eco-friendly. You may simply want to embrace zero-waste, grow your own veg, or make small changes that can help the planet, or perhaps you are ready to explore off-grid living and a fully self-sufficient life.

A comprehensive guide to modern sustainability, the book covers everything from how to conserve energy in the home, keep bees, and grow crops in an urban garden to recipes for smoking your own meat and fish, creating your own oat milk, and preparing your own greener cleaning products.

Fully illustrated and easy to follow, with plenty of advice and anecdotes, Dick and James's book demonstrates that self-sufficiency doesn't have to mean huge upheaval. By making a few small changes and learning the importance of sustainable living, we all have the ability to help the planet.

About the Author

Dick Strawbridge's road to a self-sufficient lifestyle was documented in three series of It's Not Easy Being Green (BBC). He co-wrote the first edition of Practical Self-Sufficiency with his son James, and also It's Not Easy Being Green (BBC Books, 2009). His current TV project is the Channel 4's primetime Escape to the Chateau (March 2016), now in its sixth series. James Strawbridge, Dick's son, co-presented It's Not Easy Being Green and co-wrote the first edition of Practical Self-Sufficiency and It's Not Easy Being Green. James also co-wrote the Made at Home series on artisan skills (Octopus, 2012).