With the surging interest in foraging for mushrooms, those new to the art need a reliable guide to distinguishing the safe fungi from the toxic. But for beginner foragers who just want to answer the question “Can I eat it?” most of the books on the subject are dry, dense, and written by mycologists for other mycologists.

Frank Hyman to the rescue! How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying is the book for anyone who walks in the woods and would like to learn how to identify just the 29 edible mushrooms they’re likely to come across. In it, Hyman offers his expert mushroom foraging advice, distilling down the most important information for the reader in colorful, folksy language that’s easy to remember when in the field. Want an easy way to determine if a mushroom is a delicious morel or a toxic false morel? Slice it in half – “if it’s hollow, you can swallow,” Hyman says. With Frank Hyman’s expert advice and easy-to-follow guidelines, readers will be confident in identifying which mushrooms they can safely eat and which ones they should definitely avoid.

It doesn't happen overnight. No one quits their 9-to-5 job, rolls up to a new farm, and suddenly has the independent and sustainable lifestyle they've been dreaming of. Before you start ordering seeds and choosing chicken breeds, you'll need the right homestead (and the right philosophy). With everything that needs done while starting a new homestead, the Beginner's Guide to Self-Sufficiency is here to help.

This Beginner's Guide to Self-Sufficiency special issue starts with a panel of experts offering seasoned advice on everything from raising a chicken flock to making a profit from your harvest. Next, it transitions to helping you get your bearings and setting up your homestead with utilities that are right for your land. Afterward, the issue walks you through the ins and outs of daily life on a homestead. Whether it;'s figuring out where your main food supply is going to come from or learning what it means to practice rotational grazing, every project you might want to tackle you'll find flipping through these pages.

Other articles include:

• Tap into Greywater: Recycling your household water is smart and often surprisingly simple. Find out how you can embrace this 'new' source of water.
• Go Wild for Food: Save money and prepare delicious meals by harvesting what you thought of as weeds from your yard.
• How to Start Beekeeping: Before buying bees, consider this rundown of the equipment you'll need to get started and the schedule you can expect to follow.
• Fencing for the Homestead: Add value and security to your land by installing a well-built fence.
• And more!