Whole Larder Love
A beautifully illustrated guide to living off the land based on Rohan Anderson’s blog
Aggravated by the unsustainable food industry in his native Australia (and everywhere else for that matter), Rohan Anderson took it upon himself to change things in his own life. Anderson now lives entirely off the land with his family in the rural town of Ballarat, documenting their DIY adventures on his blog, Whole Larder Love. Having established an impressive presence on the web, Anderson is releasing Whole Larder Love as a book featuring his favorite tips, techniques and experiences in growing, gathering, hunting and cooking. Creatively laid out with insightful asides and scribbled notes, the visually stimulating volume is as much a joy to simply flip through as it is to actually use.
Written in Anderson’s familiar, emphatic voice, Whole Larder Love touches on everything one may need to follow a path to self-sufficiency. Dishes are explained in terms of significance and sustenance, and laid out with recipes and step-by-step instructions along with excellent imagery. Anderson candidly delineates the processes involved in hunting and gathering, sharing tips on setting up home gardens, foraging and pickling, as well as offering advice on small game hunting and the subsequent meal preparation. Included in this slightly less glamorous part of the book are small sections on firearm lingo, gear selection and cooking utensils.
While the environmental and ethical benefits of their lifestyle are explained in detail, Anderson also touches on the larger idea behind WLL. “It’s not just the final mastication of the food in the mouth, nor the joy the taste buds pass to your brain, it’s bigger than that,” he writes. “There is a sense of satisfaction from getting your hands dirty, nurturing your food from seed, and enjoying something nature has provided, while inevitably spending time outside in the elements to make it all happen.”
Whole Larder Love is set to release later this fall from PowerHouse Books and is available for pre-order on Amazon for around $20. For a closer look at what’s inside see the slideshow.
Images by Graham Hiemstra
