Best Books & Online Courses for Sustainable Homestead Design

Ready to turn your patch of land into a thriving, sustainable homestead? 

Whether you’re dreaming of lush edible gardens, happy free-range chickens, or a self-sufficient family homestead, the right resources can make all the difference. 

Here we round up must-read books and must-take courses for homestead design – from permaculture gurus to practical how-to guides. 

We’ll mix newbie-friendly picks with a few advanced gems, sprinkle in some free course options, and keep it all easy to skim with tips and friendly notes.

Now let's get into it!

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6 Essential Reads for the Homestead Planner

If knowledge is power, then books are your trusty power tools. These titles cover everything from broad permaculture principles to hands-on projects.

1. Encyclopedia of Country Living (Carla Emery) 

Often called “the homesteader’s bible,” this 900+ page classic covers it all: gardening, animal care, preserving food, even building projects.

It’s not focused on design alone, but its down-home advice makes it a comforting companion when you’re wondering “how on earth do I do [fill-in-the-blank]?”. Pros: Covers everything.

Tip: Use it as a reference – look up what you need when you need it.)

2. Sepp Holzer’s Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening

Sepp Holzer is a legendary Austrian permaculture farmer (often called the “Rebel Farmer”). His Permaculture: A Practical Guide… book distills decades of hands-on experience.

It’s filled with bold ideas: think terraced raised beds on steep hillsides, ponds and lakes that capture rainwater, and letting livestock roam organically.

His Desert or Paradise book complements it with a focus on water management. You’ll learn to observe nature, draw conclusions, and act accordingly – Sepp’s mantra.

For example, Desert or Paradise shows how building ponds and lakes can transform even arid land into lush farm plot.

Worth checking out if you love creative, large-scale solutions.

3. Gaia’s Garden (Toby Hemenway)

This award-winning book makes permaculture friendly and local.

It’s subtitled “Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture,” and for good reason: it’s packed with practical techniques you can apply right in your own backyard ecosystem.

From mulching and composting to designing a “food forest” (stacking layers of plants for continuous harvest), Gaia’s Garden shows you how to partner with nature instead of fighting it.

Reviewers gush that it’s “simply the best permaculture book ever written”. In short: great for beginners and small-space growers.

4. All New Square Foot Gardening (Mel Bartholomew)

If you have a compact space (or just like organized beds), this book is a top pick for small spaces.

Bartholomew’s method packs vegetables into raised 1’×1’ grids, maximizing yield per square foot and minimizing bending.

The latest edition is fully updated with new projects. It’s very hands-on: diagrams, planting schedules, tips for raised beds and trellises.

Square-foot gardens are great family projects (kids love planting each little square), and a secret bonus – they make your garden look tidy and colorful. Worth checking out if you want big harvests from a small footprint.

5. The Resilient Farm and Homestead (Ben Falk)

When you’re ready to design a homestead that endures, the The Resilient Farm and Homestead book is a go-to.

Ben Falk co-created a lush 10-acre permaculture farm in Vermont from unpromising land, and here he shares his whole-systems approach.

It’s more design-oriented: diagrams, “cookbook” of ideas, and detailed strategies for water systems, perennial crops, wood heat, and more.

Foreword Reviews calls it “An Innovative Permaculture and Whole Systems Design Approach” and notes that Falk helps homesteaders “select, design, develop, and manage resilient properties”.

In it, you’ll learn about gravity-fed water, silvopasture (combining trees and livestock), biochar, and even growing rice in Vermont.

It’s definitely dense and best taken slow (think of it like a reference manual). But if you dream of a truly regenerative homestead, Falk’s perspective is gold.

6. Permaculture Design Manual / Introduction to Permaculture (Bill Mollison)

We won’t dig into citations here, but no list is complete without at least mentioning permaculture founder Bill Mollison’s work.

If you’re serious about design, Mollison’s classic Introduction to Permaculture (and Permaculture Design Manual) lay out the 12 principles of permaculture.

They’re more advanced and theoretical, but indispensable once you’ve hit “basic” level. (These titles have multiple editions; if you hunt Amazon you can pick the latest.)

Pro tip: You don’t have to read every book cover-to-cover. Often it’s more useful to pick topics as needed. For example, if deer are eating your lettuce, flip to the chapter on fencing or companion planting.

These picks are just the tip of the iceberg! For more details on homesteading books you may want to read, check out our article on the 14 essential homesteading books for beginners!

Top Online Courses and Learning

Books are great, but video courses and workshops can really cement the knowledge. Here are courses that match beginner curiosity and also challenge more advanced learners.

Free & Low-Cost Permaculture Intro Courses

OSU’s Free Introduction to Permaculture (Oregon State University)

A free, 5-hour online course that covers the basics of permaculture design. It’s taught by OSU’s renowned permaculture team (led by Andrew Millison).

You’ll learn the whole-systems approach: observing patterns, designing with water, soil, plants, and people in mind.

It even includes a bioregional workbook to help you connect with your own land. This course is genuinely free and 100% online – ideal for beginners who want a taste of permaculture without spending a dime.

When you’re done, OSU also offers a paid Certificate program in permaculture design (more on that below).

Free Yearlong Permaculture Course (Ecological Design Course)

Created by Heather Jo Flores (FreePermaculture.com), this is a massive free offering: 52 video classes you can take on your own schedule.

It doesn’t just teach garden tricks; it covers “Earth care, People care, Future care.” In practice, that means permaculture basics plus community and land-access advice.

As the site says, this course will help you “grow your own food and design a home system that can thrive with nature even if you don’t own your land”.

In other words, it’s beginner-friendly and zero-cost. (Fair warning: 52 classes is a big commitment. You can binge or spread it out as you like.)

Coursera & Other MOOCs

There aren’t many huge permaculture courses on Coursera yet, but you can find related topics (sustainable agriculture, agroecology, etc.) that touch on homestead themes.

Often university extension programs (like OSU above) are the best free sources. Check your local extension or community college for free webinars on gardening and small-scale farming.

Abundant Permaculture (Justin Rhodes) Courses

Justin Rhodes (of Abundant Permaculture) and his team offer popular video courses aimed at practical homesteading.

These are paid courses, but many homesteaders swear by them for a friendly, down-to-earth teaching style. (Justin’s YouTube channel is also a treasure trove of free tips.)

Key offerings include:

Permaculture Chickens Course

As the name implies, this course shows “how to grow most of your own food with chickens”.

Yes, you read that right: chickens aren’t just for eggs and meat – Justin teaches how they can help fertilize gardens, compost scraps, and even break pest cycles.

The course is built around a 2.5-hour feature film and lots of bonus materials.

Justin promises “everything you need to know for raising your own chickens with nature,” plus “loads of info for using chickens to grow most of your veggies too”.

In short, it’s a crash course in chicken-powered gardening. (Casual note: Justin is known as “the chicken ninja master” – so fun!)

Permaculture Pigs Course

Similar concept, focused on pigs. Details are analogous to the chickens course but with pigs’ role in turning waste into fertility. (No linked quote here, but it’s another movie/documentary-style course from Abundant Perm.)

The Great American Farm Tour

An online course/documentary that follows Justin and Rebekah visiting dozens of farms across America to learn from other farmers.

It’s a mix of inspiration and practical demos (like building a humanure compost toilet). Good for broad ideas on homestead setups.

The Ten Hour Homestead Course

Justin’s flagship offering: it teaches “how to grow most of your family’s food in just 10 hours of homesteading work per week”.

It’s all about working smarter, not harder – putting energy into high-impact projects (often with poultry at the heart) and doing multiple functions at once (called “stacking” systems).

If you’re overloaded with questions, this course breaks down Justin’s approach step-by-step. (At one point a reviewer joked “Phew, holy cow!” at how much content it covers.)

Abundance Plus Membership

A recurring-membership program with new workshops and a community. It’s more like ongoing learning than a single course. Think of it as a bonus for those who really want in-depth, continuous support.

All of the above Abundant courses can be found via Justin Rhodes’ site (ShopJustinRhodes.com / AbundantPermaculture.com). On his shop page, under “Our Courses,” you’ll see links for Permaculture Pigs, Chickens, the Farm Tour, and Abundance Plus

Advanced & Certificate Programs

Oregon State Permaculture Design Certificate

If you’ve tried some basics and feel hooked, this is for you. OSU’s program (run through their Permaculture Institute) offers a comprehensive Permaculture Design Course (PDC) online.

It’s paid, multi-week, and guided by pros like Andrew Millison. You design your own homestead plan as a final project.

As OSU notes, you’ll “work directly with the team and develop your personalized permaculture design for your specific area”.

This is the thorough, recognized credential in permaculture education. (OSU also has advanced courses on forests, water, etc., as shown on their site.)

Mollison’s Original PDC

Many institutes worldwide offer the classic PDC certification (often 72 hours). These are in-person or online intensive workshops. Look for courses led by accredited permaculture teachers.

They’re not free, but they cover theory, site analysis, design principles, and fieldwork. If you see an online PDC on Udemy or other platforms, be sure it’s instructor-led, not just slides.

Others

Keep an eye out for specialty workshops (e.g. “Sustainable Forestry Practices” or “Biochar for Beginners”) on sites like PermacultureWomen.com or even YouTube.

Many homesteading conventions and webinars are free or donation-based now.

When in doubt, YouTube and the Permies forum (permies.com) have countless tutorials – often what folks learned on those travels Justin took!

You don’t have to know everything before starting. Homesteading is part learning, part experimenting. Mix in reading with hands-on play in your garden or coop. For example, after reading about chickens, literally go chase one in the backyard (they’re hilarious).

Putting It All Together

Skim away and cherry-pick what suits you. Early on, you might start with one beginner book (Carla Emery or Gaia’s Garden) and a free course (OSU intro or FreePermaculture).

As you grow, add on design-focused books like Falk’s Resilient Farm or advanced courses.

And don’t forget to frequently pause and apply – design a little plot, rearrange a raised bed, or run a handmill next to a pond.

All these resources are worth checking out, but the real classroom is your land.

Enjoy the journey – learning to build a sustainable homestead is as rewarding (and sometimes as funny) as watching a goat nibble on your hat.

With these books and courses in hand, you’ve got a solid toolkit to turn that little plot into your personal slice of paradise.