The Only Book You Need

The Only Book You Need to be Self Sufficient on ¼ Acre
They Should Teach This In Schools

By Ronald M, October 18, 2025

Take Advantage of Our 40 Years Experience Living Off The Grid and Turn Your Home Into a Self-Sufficient Homestead

We want to share every project we’ve created here in our little paradise in full detail, so you can start applying them on your property or even in your home—and enjoy the benefits for years to come.

You’ll also get in-depth guidance on essentials like water systems, food preservation, off-grid power, medicinal gardens, and much more.

Each project comes with clear how-to illustrations, simple step-by-step instructions, clever tips, and ingenious time-saving hacks.

With the variety of projects in The Practical Backyard, you’re guaranteed to find ones that fit your space and lifestyle.

We’ve put together what may be the most comprehensive, step-by-step system available to turn a regular homeowner or apartment dweller into an independent, self-sufficient homesteader.

Here’s just a glimpse of what you’ll find in: The Practical Backyard

The first thing you’ll discover is that to become fully self-sufficient in food, you only need about 1,020 square feet of land per person—less than 10% of the ¼-acre parcel shown in our illustration.

We designed this system on a quarter-acre for a family of four to be completely self-reliant, with enough produce to sell and maintain a steady profit year-round. At the same time, we built it so it’s easy to scale down if you have less land or fewer family members.

From there, we dive into step-by-step, detailed instructions for every section, so you can implement each project with confidence and ease.

How to Make a "Year-Round Self-Sustaining Greenhouse" No Matter Where You Live

You’ll also learn how to build a year-round, self-sustaining greenhouse no matter where you live in the U.S.

Place it on the south side of your house, and we’ll guide you step by step on how to collect and retain heat overnight, choose the right materials, insulate efficiently, optimize glazing, and ventilate properly.

We’ll even show optional upgrades—like windows or vents—that circulate warm air from your home in winter and let the greenhouse heat your house in spring and fall.

In our Saskatchewan greenhouse, we’ve grown lettuce under two feet of snow using cold frames. But the ultimate upgrade is geothermal heating: 10 feet below ground, the temperature remains steady at around 55°F year-round. By circulating greenhouse air through underground loops with just a small fan, you can maintain a stable, warm environment with minimal energy use.

How To Make A Cheap Water Collection System

I’ll show you how to set up the simplest and most effective water collection system for your homestead—easy to implement and cost-effective.

By collecting and storing every drop in inexpensive tanks, we completely eliminate irrigation costs.

Plus, you’ll learn how to filter the water safely so it’s not just for plants—you can drink it too.

How to Set Up Your Backyard Hybrid Electricity System at a Low Cost and Produce Your Own Electricity

You’ll learn step-by-step how to create one of the most reliable and cost-effective hybrid electricity systems for your home. We cover everything in detail: which batteries to use for storage, the right controller, cables, inverter, and how to set it all up for maximum efficiency.

For the past 40 years, we’ve lived completely off-grid, never connecting to the power grid.

With the inexpensive hybrid system we’ve developed and perfected, you can have ultra-reliable electricity without worrying about rising utility costs, outages, or grid failures.

And if you choose, you can even sell excess power back to your utility, turning your system into a potential income source.

DIY Mason Jar Soil Test

Not every garden starts with perfect soil—but the good news is, you can improve it easily once you know what type you have.

Here’s a simple method:

1. Take a clean mason jar and fill it halfway with soil from your backyard.
2. Add water and shake the jar thoroughly.
3. Let it settle, and you’ll see three distinct layers: sand, silt, and clay.

Once you know your soil composition, you can make the right adjustments to grow more food and healthier plants in the same space.

The ideal soil is called loam, made up of roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay.

If your jar shows a different composition, don’t worry—you can still make it productive.

In the book, we’ll show you exactly how to amend your soil so you can grow more food on the same plot, no matter what type you start with.

How to Live Without Refrigeration

We’ll show you how to preserve all your food without a fridge—from eggs and vegetables to roots, fruits, and meats.

Everything you produce can be stored safely, just like our forefathers did before electricity. We learned these methods out of necessity in the wilderness of Saskatchewan, where groceries weren’t available.

Without preservation, survival wouldn’t have been possible—and now, you can use these same techniques to store your harvest year-round.

How to Secure Your Own Independent Water Source

A reliable water supply is the lifeblood of any homestead. Over the years, we’ve experimented with many methods: digging wells, drilling a private well, pumping from lakes, and setting up shallow and deep well hand pumps.

We even installed a simple hand pump next to our kitchen sink as a backup in case electricity failed.

No matter what water source you have, we’ll show you how to maximize it and achieve complete water independence on your property.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

How to Get Pressurized Hot Water Off the Grid

We’ll show you a simple and clever system that provides pressurized hot water in your home without relying on the grid. This setup heats water whenever you cook or warm your house, so you won’t pay extra for hot water—and neither should you

Original owner - aurilabs.co

Dwarf Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Small Spaces

Even if your space is limited, you can grow dwarf fruit trees—on a porch, sunny windowsill, or garden border.

These compact trees are easy to care for and bear fruit faster than regular-sized trees, giving you fresh produce in less time and minimal effort.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

Which Plants Should Never Be Planted Together

Plants have their own “social distancing” rules—ignore them, and your garden can suffer.

In the book, you’ll learn why certain plants should never be grown together: for example, cabbage next to cauliflower, or which plants to keep away from potatoes and tomatoes. We cover a dozen more critical pairings to help your garden thrive and maximize your harvest.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

Survival Foods You Can Grow

You’ll discover what survival foods you can grow both outdoors and indoors—from hanging plants in shopping bags to hidden crops on your kitchen counter.

No need to panic, but history has shown that food security can vanish quickly. With these techniques, you’ll always have fresh, reliable food at hand, keeping you prepared no matter what happens.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

Straw Bale Gardening 101

Straw bale gardening is a smart way to grow plants in a small space while creating a fully compostable garden. It’s an inexpensive and easy-to-build alternative to traditional raised beds.

Plus, it’s gentle on your back—no bending or heavy digging required—making it perfect for anyone who wants a productive garden without the strain.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

75+ DIY Projects for a Self-Sustaining Backyard

Inside The Practical Backyard , you’ll discover a wealth of projects that can transform your backyard into a thriving homestead: chicken coops, hoop tunnels, walipinis, trellises, raised beds, hay and strawbale gardens, container gardening, windowsill gardens, and much more.

You’ll also get a year-round planting calendar that tells you exactly what to plant each month. No more guessing or wasted seeds—you’ll know the optimal time for spring, fall, and even winter planting, giving you maximum yield with minimal effort.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

50+ Chicken Coop Secrets for a Low-Effort Organic Protein Source

Learn everything you need to raise chickens—from egg to dinner table. Done right, chickens are the most cost-effective protein source for any homesteader.

We share proven tricks, like withholding feed the night before butchering (while keeping water available), to ensure healthier, higher-yield hens without wasted feed. Many of our hens lay over 300 eggs per year with these simple methods.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

This is just a glimpse of what you’ll find in The Practical Backyard.

With this knowledge, you can transform from an ordinary homeowner into an independent, self-sufficient homesteader with extra income, self-reliance, and peace of mind.

Everything you need is right on your property, so you’ll never be dependent on outside systems or circumstances.

Original owner - aurilabs.co

You don’t need any special skills or knowledge

I, Ron, was a city folk, born and raised in Philadelphia. I hope I don’t burst your bubble but I am nothing special, I have no great powers, super strength, superior intellect or amazing qualities.

As long as you have the desire, you do not need any special skills or knowledge. We will provide that. You will learn as you go.

I, Ron, was a city folk, born and raised in Philadelphia. I hope I don’t burst your bubble but I am nothing special, I have no great powers, super strength, superior intellect or amazing qualities.

As long as you have the desire, you do not need any special skills or knowledge. We will provide that. You will learn as you go.