The Family Garden Plan by Melissa K. Norris

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see our disclosure to learn more.

“The Family Garden Plan: Grow a Year’s Worth of Sustainable and Healthy Food” is a book written by 5th generation homesteader Melissa K. Norris. Basically, the book is aimed at helping families create and maintain their own sustainable and productive gardens to provide a year-round source of nutritious food. 

In this book, Norris provides practical guidance on planning, planting, and maintaining a garden that can supply a family’s food needs. She covers topics such as selecting appropriate crops, maximizing space, extending the growing season, and preserving the harvest through canning, freezing, and other methods. 

Overall, The Family Garden Plan serves as a comprehensive resource for families looking to cultivate their own food and reduce their reliance on store-bought produce.

The Family Garden Plan Key Features

Here are some of the book’s key features:

  • Comprehensive Guide: Provides a thorough and complete guide for establishing and maintaining a sustainable garden.
  • Year-Round Food Supply: Offers strategies to grow enough food to sustain a family throughout the year.
  • Sustainable Practices: Emphasizes organic gardening methods and sustainable practices for long-term soil health and environmental impact.
  • Detailed Instructions: Provides step-by-step instructions for planning, planting, and caring for a productive garden.
  • Crop Selection Guidance: Offers advice on selecting crops that are suitable for the local climate and space available.
  • Maximizing Yield: Tips and techniques for maximizing yield and extending the harvest season.
  • Preservation Methods: Guidance on preserving the harvest through various methods such as canning, freezing, and drying.
  • Healthy Food: Focuses on growing nutritious and healthy food for the family’s consumption.

About the Author

Melissa K. Norris is an author, speaker, and homesteader known for her expertise in traditional skills, modern homesteading, and sustainable living. She’s particularly recognized for her work in preserving old-fashioned skills and knowledge related to gardening, food preservation, and self-sufficiency.

Melissa is the author of several books, including “The Made-from-Scratch Life: Simple Ways to Create a Natural Home” and “Hand Made: The Modern Woman’s Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living.” She also hosts the “Pioneering Today” podcast, where she shares tips, advice, and inspiration for homesteading and self-reliant living.

Avatar photo

John Friedenbach

My goal is to provide information and tools to gardeners and people who want to become gardeners. People who want to eat better quality food. Food that is grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, weedkillers such as Roundup, and GMOs.


More to Explore

Dirt to Soil

"Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture" by Gabe Brown.