Self-sufficiency

Alison Candlin’s opus does the basics brilliantly but doesn’t go into enough depth for Mark Newton

From sheep to spinach, Gervase Poulden has the skinny on how to make your smallholding dreams a reality

Packed with useful nuggets of advice; Dave Hamilton’s tome, says Andy McKee, has everything you need to kick start a more self-sufficient way of life

You don't need a garden to grow your own fruit and veg. If you're a budding horticulturalist with no space to swing a trowel, here are some creative - and sometimes bizarre - ideas from around the world

A simple guide to freezing fruit, vegetables and herbs from the book Grow Your Own, Eat Your Own

Being off the beaten track need not require lashings of fossil fuels to provide a comfortable lifestyle. James Morrison tells the remarkable story of the inhabitants of Scotland's Knoydart Peninsula

Tom Hodgkinson lays out the case for the return of street markets. Wouldn't we all be better off living outside the box?

Growing your own food can go beyond fruit and veg if you have space and the right soil. Read on for Clarissa Dickson Wright and Johnny Scott's guide to grain crops

Farmer and naturalist Johnny Scott explains how to start a home-reared flock

'Where do I start?' Paul Kingsnorth answers the oft-asked question of those who want to grow their own food - but are lacking in knowledge, time, space, or all three. No problem. Read on...

In 1993 a group of 10 friends, including former Ecologist editor Simon Fairlie, shared a vision of a place where people could live and work in harmony with the land. What resulted became Tinker’s Bubble

Growing your own would be vital if the shops shut for good. Steve Solomon has the key to a persistent vegetable state

‘If we could think locally, we would take far better care of things than we do now. The right local questions and answers will be the right global ones. The Amish question, "What will this do for our community?" tends toward the right answer for the world.’ Wendell Berry