Is that the one by Readers Digest? If so I have an older version and it is jam packed with stuff very good book. Everything from canning to homesteading to making a methane digester and much more. Great book.
For gardening I recommend the squarefoot gardening method. Less space, more produce, no digging or tilling, and weeding is almost non existent. No need to improve poor soil create your own with compost, peat moss, and vermiculite or perlite or any small grain size lite rock. Simply make raised beds on top of what ever soil you have and you only need six inches for most veggies. Works as advertised.
Also if if you have any southerly facing windows in the house put some wire shelves in front of them and do your garden starts right there no need for an extra green house. Four or five shelves can start a huge garden.
Worms will compost any manure and organic material quickly and make it into a perfect PH balanced garden soil. I learned this from my Grandfather.
Row gardening wastes about 80 percent of the space and makes for a lot more work then is necassary. It is simply a hold over from the past of growing field crops where rows are more conducive to large scale farming, however there is no need for them in a garden even a large survival garden.
There is a guy who lives in Pasadena California on a 5th acre and grows all his own food for a family of four on half that, and has enough left over for a profitable business selling his produce. Check out his site:
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/ Click on the video brochure on the right to see his place and what is possible. What in inspiration!
Also check out the square foot gardening site and get his latest book, lots of improvements over the older versions. It's aimed more at the small backyard gardener but the concepts work on large scale also as the Path to freedom site will show you.
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/Even if I have many acres I still plan on doing all my gardening in a small area for the simple fact it will be less work. Also easier to protect from the deer elk and other pests.
