…to feed a family and raise some meat animals via planting large banks of just a few simple crops.
This year has been a rebuilding year since it’s only been about 13 months since we moved into our new house, but the soil is good.
Over the years, we’ve seen our main staples come through for us again and again.
Yams, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Those are the big calorie producers here, and, with the exception of potatoes, they really don’t take much work.
If we planted a full acre or so, we could probably fatten a pig on them without buying or scavenging any feed, thus adding meat and lard to our diet alongside the carbohydrates.
I’m toying with some ideas. It’s been good to see everything thriving in the new soil here.
8 comments
Feed supply can be so easily cut off, we really shouldn’t consider livestock that makes us dependent on supply lines. I am considering rabbits for manure first, meat 2nd. I hate rabbit meat but it’s a great barter item. And if no one wants rabbit meat I will have a lot of coco puffs for the garden. I already have a free range wild rabbit eating my passion fruit vine leaves and peanut leaves. I can grow the feed for caged or colony rabbits by observing what the wild rabbit goes for
Good idea. I know they like Bidens alba a lot, if you have that plant locally.
David,
Have you ever heard of William Cobbett, British guy with a sense of humor from early 1800’s. His book Cottage Economy is free on Project Gutenberg. His sections on raising a family milk cow on 40 rods (aka 1/4 acre) is very inspiring. He also has advice on the growing of hogs, geese, ducks, and rabbits. Also the brewing of beer. I’ve never seen anyone laud beer and hate tea as much as him. I think his info on raising cattle and hogs would be interesting for your blog readers.
Hope all is well. We are slowly working to get our 2.5 acre homestead stood up in Mims, FL. Just had some young backs from our local church help spread 8 inches of wood chip mulch across 3500 sqft of what used to be grass in the front yard. I’m hoping that it smothers most of it. I’ve got 200ish baby fruit trees/perennials in pots queued up and ready for the Grocery Row Garden when I have time to start putting that in the back yard. Also, just found out yesterday, It’s a boy, baby #4 on the way. God is good.
I have not. I will look it up.
AND CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
I clicked on your link for a free composting guide, and got the dreaded 404. Please send me a good link, or a pdf of this composting guide.
Enjoyed your Top 7 Mistakes in harvesting rainwater on YouTube. I’ve been doing it for a very long time in a very small way. I hope to go bigger at some point when my health improves.
Thank you. May God give you strength.
We are working on adding more rainwater catchment to our new property.
My name is Deann, I have watched your Grocery Row Gardening” video, how can i get some root of Cassava shoot. My email address is deanndenny@hotmail.com. Please let me know how much for 2 or 3 peace’s and I will mail a money order, thank you.