Introduction to GLH Materials
Straight-Forward Easy-to-Use Information
This is not an armchair book with stories and wanna-be dreams. If you’re looking for a yarn about homestead
living, this material is not for you. If you want to know how it actually gets done, you are in the right place.
Overview of GLH Materials
Real Life Proof
We tell you our story up front so you can see we’re not painting a rosy picture of homestead living. The ten-year chronology shows you our step-by-step system advancements. Read it, scan it, or ignore it. That doesn’t matter. What does matter is you can see everything that needs to be done, can be done.
Not an Ultimate Guide
Such books would require more than a lifetime to acquire the incredible volume of knowledge on homestead living. Some of the information in these books is from experience with much more gleaned from other sources that is not tested nor vetted from actual use. One example from an “ultimate guide” says that goats must be milked twice per day. That’s not true. Milking once simply reduces the volume produced. With experience, the author would have known better. GLH clarifies such information for you from our own actual experience.
Tested and Vetted
The information contained herein is all tested and vetted. When we say it’s so, it’s because we’ve actually experienced it, mistakes and all. Test what looks reasonable for your situation and use these resources to build your own body of knowledge. Your situation will be unique so make your own decisions. It’ll never be perfect and you will learn from your mistakes. From this will come wisdom that you will pass on to others in your homestead living community.
Using the GLH Materials
Interacting Systems
Almost every part of an active homestead interacts with another. For instance, taking care of chickens has little to do with managing eggs yet both are related. When you think systems, the flow of information makes a lot more sense just like when you start putting your own systems in place.
How to Find Information
There is no index because the information is too dynamic. Use the table of contents to quickly find what you need. Each chapter starts with a summary of what’s contained therein including every subtitle. See the examples below.
Structure of Information
Within each chapter are sub-sections identified in numerical sequence, i.e., 7.1, 7.2 and so on. This way updates are available to you by sub-section which is much easier to keep you current. Instead of attempting to print the entire book, you should only print the full table of contents as your guide.
Photos
They’re good, but not perfect. This isn’t a slick publication with professional photos. We simply document what works. Use the photos as prompts for your daydreams and ideas about what you want to accomplish. It also shows that homestead living will never be perfect.
All Material is in PDF Digital Format
Download to Your Device Print as Needed
Book Material
Structure
Full-page format for printing
15 chapters in three sections
About 850 pages with 1,400 photos
See the Table of Contents for details
Section One
All aspects of typical homestead living
Comes as a group of nine chapters
Section Two
Individual topics on homestead living that
may or may not apply to your circumstance
Comes as a group of four chapters
Each chapter is available separately
Section Three
Two chapters open for download at any time
Tools – From simple to complex in categories
References – Three Sub-Sections
Library – Important books and websites
Material – Where to find the good stuff
Projects – Details on what we built and why
Samples from the Book
Chapter Excerpts
Chapter 2
Reality Check on Homestead Living
Chapter 5
Seed Starting Procedures
Chapter 13
Installing Gates
Printing the Material
Everything Else
Updates
Expect improvements to your GLH material with new information and photographs.
Available through your GLH account
Purchase of materials is required
Videos
These help support your learning by seeing various systems in motion with explanations.
Available through our YouTube channel
Green Learning Homestead
Articles
Important information supporting homestead living that doesn’t a have a place in the book.
Available through your GLH account
Purchase of materials is required
Forum
When you know something that can improve the GLH material, submit it here with your documentation and photographs.
When vetted through GLH, these will be posted here for you with open access and photos
Hard Copy
Everything can be printed from the files, but be prepared for the expense with about 850 pages and a lot of pricey ink. There will also be a continuing stream of updates with better information. It’s your call, so don’t be surprised.
Digital Copy
Save your downloaded material and back it up to a separate device. A simple flash drive should suffice. Then only print what you refer to time and again. Handy is to print the full table of contents to find information much easier.
Digital File Management
What You Get
Digital Files for Download
These do not behave the same as digital files on a computer. Most download systems see only individual files, not a file structure with folders and sub-folders. Each file contained within folders is considered a separate digital file.
This disrupts the organization of GLH material which includes 16 folders with numerous separate files for each subsection of the material. Breaking this apart would be chaos for you so an additional step is required.
ZIP Files
This is a file compression system and when unzipped, the result is the original product as developed. This creates a single digital file for downloading while maintaining organizational file structure including folders and sub-folders.
What You Will Receive
Each item or group of items you receive will be in ZIP files with everything provided which maintains the original file structure.
Your Action
Accessing and Saving Your Files
You will need to unzip each file received with a simple procedure to open the original files. Have a dedicated holding location for your GLH materials. Then back up your files to a separate storage device like a simple flash drive.
Updates to GLH Material
Periodic updates are available to you by subscription. When unzipping, change out with the updated sections for your files.
Pay Attention to Dates
When files are unzipped, this changes the date last modified. This is not the date the material was created. Use the dates included within each file.
Emergency Backup
When all else fails, you will retain access to your GLH materials in your GLH account. This is yours alone and will contain all material provided to you.