Books

A collection of  leaders seeking ways to honor our commitment to ethical andcompassionate funeral practices that nourish the relationships between families and providers, the profession and the public, humans and the Earth. 
Greening Death traces the philosophical and historical backstory of the home funeral and green burial movements to help try to explain why we need to reframe our death care.
Grave Matters follows families who found in "green" burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the tired and toxic send-off on offer at the local funeral parlor. 
Weaving the practical with poetry and insight, these ceremonies guide with intention and clarity by bringing ritual into being with the dying person and afterwards during preparation of the body, the vigil, leave-taking, and disposition. 
The Green Burial Guidebook includes some home funeral basics that consider both the environmental well-being of the planet and the economic well-being of loved ones.
The story of a mother's instinctual response to her daughter's tragic death that became the catalyst for her family and community centered home funeral, contributing to the birth of the home funeral movement.
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Re-imagining Death: Stories and Practical Wisdom for Home Funerals and Green Burials by Lucinda Herring offers stories and guidance for funeral vigils, and more. ​

Videos

  • NHFA YouTube Channel (For an extensive list of NHFA videos available on our YouTube channel, go here)
  • Passing Through Our Hands Home funeral body care demonstration video by Donna Belk and Sandy Booth of TexasHomeFunerals.com 2011 (1 hr .5 min.)
  • Post-death Care at Home A series of videos showing home funeral body care by Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education ad Alternatives 2013
  • Tending to Their Own with Beth Knox
  • Leon’s Home Funeral by Karen Van Vuuren
  • Home Funerals by Olivia Bareham
  • Home Funeral for an Infant by Olivia Bareham, a film where David and Emma honor their stillborn son Darrius with a home funeral. By Olivia Bareham 2011 (4 min.)
  • The Art of Natural Deathcare by Katelyn LaGrega. A film raises awareness of an alternative way in which families can care for their loved ones at the time of death. (27:38)
  • Lucille's Movie by Olivia Bareham, a film of an Asian American woman who describes the home funeral for her mother. "Death be something not to be feared. It's a lovely way for Mama to be, to have fun and gaity as well as the somber, serious part. A beautiful piece of love." By Olivia Bareham 2011 (2:40 min.)
  • In The Parlor: The Final Goodbye by Heidi Boucher, ITP shares the intimate story of three individuals who with the support and guidance of their families and communities were cared for after their deaths. Three unique individuals with very different circumstances are portrayed in a thoughtful, quiet manner to give the viewer an idea of what family directed death care might look like. (2:16)
  • Death, DIY is a thoughtful video about why spending time with our dead is healing, with Nancy Ward and Holly Pruett.
  • Home Funeral Merilynne Rush discusses the culture of avoidance/fear/denial, embalming, making death sacred again, how cremation is not environmentally friendly, and more. 9-25-12  (20 min.)
  • Gabriel’s Home Funeral Gabriel Gelbart and his husband, Mitch Metzer were in the process of creating a hospice in Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, when Gabe died suddenly at 52. Sacred Crossing Guides and over 200 people from the community came together to honor Gabe with a home vigil and funeral on his beloved Anam Cara land. 10-21-2014 (4:38)
  • A Family Undertaking - This video explores the complex psychological, cultural, legal and financial issues surrounding the home funeral movement
  • The Most Excellent Dying of Theodore Jack Heckelman - A heart-warming full length documentary video of the courageous dying of a man determined to die consciously, directed by his sites, Nancy Jewel Poer
  • Beyond Goodbye is a shorter version of the film “Remembering Josh” which records the life of a young man as he was remembered at his funeral early in 2011
  • Dying Wish is a video about the story of a courageous physician facing his final days by Karen Van Vuuren

Podcasts

  • Listen | Former NHFA Board President Sarah Crews is interviewed on Death et seq, a podcast by funeral law expert Tanya Marsh.  Sarah discusses Heart Land Prairie Cemetery, the first natural cemetery in Kansas (of which she is the director), as well as the work of the NHFA. 10-8-18 (49 min.)
  • Listen | Donna Belk and Kateyanne Unullisi, authors of Home Funeral Ceremonies: A Primer to Honor the Dying and the Dead with Reverence, Light-heartedness and Grace, discuss how profound and empowering creating your own ceremonies can be. By weaving together one or many short ceremonies during a home funeral, you can add a component that is poignant and memorable. See how you can be empowered to create your own ceremonies from these home funeral guides, funeral celebrants, and NHFA board members, 7-10-2016 (1 hr.) End of Life University
  • Listen | Members of the Minnesota Threshold Network  have been educating and advocating for Home Funerals for over seven years. They discussed how to bring a strong community of home funeral support into your own community. They talked about how they started, how they keep it going, and lessons learned. Facilitated by Anne Murphy, former NHFA board member. 11-8-15 (1 hour)
  • Listen | In this compelling interview, Lee Webster, former NHFA President, shares how NHFA supports families with Dr. Karen Wyatt, End of Life University, 8-13-15
  • Listen | Hear Lee Webster, former NHFA President, speak with Deanna Cochran of The Journey Radio, about how 'Home Funerals are Here to Stay,' 7-22-15
  • Listen | The Reluctant Home Funeral Guide—Ellen Macdonald of Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park only wanted to open a green cemetery, but she’s had to wear the hat of home funeral guide, funeral officiant, and grave digger. You’ll appreciate Ellen’s down-to-earth manner and sense of humor as she tells some of her stories from the graveyard. NHFA monthly teleconference 8-9-2015 (24 min.)
  • Listen | Over the last century death has been outsourced to mortuary professionals. Now multinational chains are buying up mom-and-pop operations, offering package deals on funerals. However, the corporatization of death is being challenged: home funeral guides are returning care of the dead to families by helping us face death and aiding families in arranging intimate home funerals. 5-7-14 (1 hour)
  • Listen | Listen to NPR On Point featuring Amy Cunningham and Esmerelda Kent on funeral trends including eco products and practices, green burial council certification, economic impact of traditional burial, sturdy non religious shrouds, legal barriers, history of embalming, decorating funeral caskets, disposition and cost of green burial and more.  4-10-14 (46 min.)

Interviews

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