Preparing for Uncertainty and Self Reliance

[SuburbanFarmer]

1 acre is not much. At least 5 acres for the amount of mouths you have to feed.

Depends on how you use it. If you manage to really use the land to it's potential, you could support a large family, with some money for bills.

It does, we've already had that video of the family that produces like 15000 pounds of food on a quarter acre, but I really think 3-5 acres for the average person is good. Variables as you know include soil, water, growing zone. But a little more land gives your the cushion IMO.

I really like those pics above, but I'm a graphic learner.
I'm one year on a new 4 acre place, I'm raising a cow on a 1 acre lot that I'm irrigating. Working out well. Current garden is tiny, gotta build my soil up, but I did get my Raspberries planted.

Nice!

You should look into moving the cow around to new areas for grazing every year. Bessie will till and fertilize for you, and you just plant where she isn't. Same can be done with chickens or pigs.

[Speaker to Animals]

1 acre is not much. At least 5 acres for the amount of mouths you have to feed.

Depends on how you use it. If you manage to really use the land to it's potential, you could support a large family, with some money for bills.

You have to rotate crops and leave fields fallow. The general rule is about 5 acres per person if you want to be self-sufficient.

You can definitely get a large portion of you food budget covered with less land, but I wouldn't count on one acre lasting you 100% for many years before you kill the soil.

[SuburbanFarmer]

1 acre is not much. At least 5 acres for the amount of mouths you have to feed.

Depends on how you use it. If you manage to really use the land to it's potential, you could support a large family, with some money for bills.

You have to rotate crops and leave fields fallow. The general rule is about 5 acres per person if you want to be self-sufficient.

You can definitely get a large portion of you food budget covered with less land, but I wouldn't count on one acre lasting you 100% for many years before you kill the soil.

You also said that about the Three Sisters method, with zero evidence.

Crop rotation is key, but rotating the animals through the fields would replace all of the tilling/fertilizing needs as well. It's just a matter of getting the layout and fencing right... You could feed a neighborhood from 5 acres.

[C-Mag]

Depends on how you use it. If you manage to really use the land to it's potential, you could support a large family, with some money for bills.

It does, we've already had that video of the family that produces like 15000 pounds of food on a quarter acre, but I really think 3-5 acres for the average person is good. Variables as you know include soil, water, growing zone. But a little more land gives your the cushion IMO.

I really like those pics above, but I'm a graphic learner.
I'm one year on a new 4 acre place, I'm raising a cow on a 1 acre lot that I'm irrigating. Working out well. Current garden is tiny, gotta build my soil up, but I did get my Raspberries planted.

Nice!

You should look into moving the cow around to new areas for grazing every year. Bessie will till and fertilize for you, and you just plant where she isn't. Same can be done with chickens or pigs.

That was the plan, but the irrigation system left me was a mess. Had to work on it a fair amount to get the one field up and running. So, I'll make due this year. Next year I need to get my fence completed around all the property. I have 6' fence on half of it now, and 3 foot fence on 25%.

I have tons of work ahead of me between now and Spring.
- Soil Testing
- Transplanting Fruit, bush and tree starts
- Start building Organic material
- Rebuild Irrigation system
- Rebuiild Old Timey Hand well Pump

-put up hay for the winter
- build pump house

[SuburbanFarmer]

It does, we've already had that video of the family that produces like 15000 pounds of food on a quarter acre, but I really think 3-5 acres for the average person is good. Variables as you know include soil, water, growing zone. But a little more land gives your the cushion IMO.

I really like those pics above, but I'm a graphic learner.
I'm one year on a new 4 acre place, I'm raising a cow on a 1 acre lot that I'm irrigating. Working out well. Current garden is tiny, gotta build my soil up, but I did get my Raspberries planted.

Nice!

You should look into moving the cow around to new areas for grazing every year. Bessie will till and fertilize for you, and you just plant where she isn't. Same can be done with chickens or pigs.

That was the plan, but the irrigation system left me was a mess. Had to work on it a fair amount to get the one field up and running. So, I'll make due this year. Next year I need to get my fence completed around all the property. I have 6' fence on half of it now, and 3 foot fence on 25%.

I have tons of work ahead of me between now and Spring.
- Soil Testing
- Transplanting Fruit, bush and tree starts
- Start building Organic material
- Rebuild Irrigation system
- Rebuiild Old Timey Hand well Pump

-put up hay for the winter
- build pump house

That is awesome. You're my new MHF hero.

I had no idea you had that going on, you just kept cheering me for spreading some wheat berries

[Speaker to Animals]

Depends on how you use it. If you manage to really use the land to it's potential, you could support a large family, with some money for bills.

You have to rotate crops and leave fields fallow. The general rule is about 5 acres per person if you want to be self-sufficient.

You can definitely get a large portion of you food budget covered with less land, but I wouldn't count on one acre lasting you 100% for many years before you kill the soil.

You also said that about the Three Sisters method, with zero evidence.

Crop rotation is key, but rotating the animals through the fields would replace all of the tilling/fertilizing needs as well. It's just a matter of getting the layout and fencing right... You could feed a neighborhood from 5 acres.

Read about what happened as a result of the last Homestead Act in the Great Depression.

[SuburbanFarmer]

You have to rotate crops and leave fields fallow. The general rule is about 5 acres per person if you want to be self-sufficient.

You can definitely get a large portion of you food budget covered with less land, but I wouldn't count on one acre lasting you 100% for many years before you kill the soil.

You also said that about the Three Sisters method, with zero evidence.

Crop rotation is key, but rotating the animals through the fields would replace all of the tilling/fertilizing needs as well. It's just a matter of getting the layout and fencing right... You could feed a neighborhood from 5 acres.

Read about what happened as a result of the last Homestead Act in the Great Depression.

You're talking about the Dust Bowl? Yeah, that will happen without rotation/irrigation/fertilization. Doesn't link up to your idea about the Three Sisters tho.

[C-Mag]

That is awesome. You're my new MHF hero.

I had no idea you had that going on, you just kept cheering me for spreading some wheat berries

Thanks. I was really happy to see how well your wheat project went.

The Old Water Pump is 75% fun project. I love restoring old technology, and I want the fun of being able to got out and pump some water, it will be fun when kids come by. But it will serve as a great little low tech backup. I'm less worried about the standard 'Doomsday Prepper' black swan events as I am very realistic, and probable events. Take this for instance

Hackers Gain Direct Access to US Power Grid Controls

Security firm Symantec is warning that a series of recent hacker attacks not only compromised energy companies in the US and Europe but also resulted in the intruders gaining hands-on access to power grid operations—enough control that they could have induced blackouts on American soil at will.

https://www.wired.com/story/hackers-gai ... r-systems/


Found this source of Leather packings for the pump
https://www.lehmans.com/product/replace ... ter-pumps/

[SuburbanFarmer]

Projects for me:

- Finish tilling (last time ever, hopefully)
- Plant winter wheat, garlic, onion
- Spread leaves over the garden - possibly purchase straw to help
- Find a grain mill for less than $500
- Plant another apple and pear tree, to pollinate the others
- Plant/prune my grapevines
- Remodel upstairs bathroom
- Get ahold of some clean pallets
- Build a jar rack to hold canned goodies
- Build a better compost bin

[C-Mag]

Projects for me:

- Finish tilling (last time ever, hopefully)
- Plant winter wheat, garlic, onion
- Spread leaves over the garden - possibly purchase straw to help
- Find a grain mill for less than $500
- Plant another apple and pear tree, to pollinate the others
- Plant/prune my grapevines
- Remodel upstairs bathroom
- Get ahold of some clean pallets
- Build a jar rack to hold canned goodies
- Build a better compost bin

Self Sufficiency is not for lay abouts.

- Find a grain mill for less than $500.............. I have a great one, but not willing to give it up. Sorry