# food variety



## jafl (Jun 3, 2009)

Does anyone know what part of the country produces the greatest variety of plant-based foods based on things like climate and soil conditions? If you had to rely only on the foods that could be grown on your own land or in your own region, what part of the country would give you the greatest insurance against menu fatigue?


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## Canadian (Dec 14, 2008)

I think you can grow just about anything all year round in California. The only problem they have is running out of water.


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## northernontario (Oct 29, 2008)

You can grow *almost* anything in any region. However, you will always have an easier time growing food in a warm climate. But you have to have adequate water sources. Hot weather is useless if it's too dry.


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## jafl (Jun 3, 2009)

dtompsett said:


> You can grow *almost* anything in any region. However, you will always have an easier time growing food in a warm climate. But you have to have adequate water sources. Hot weather is useless if it's too dry.


Florida has a warm climate; we can grow citrus that you cannot produce in colder climates. But there are many things that we cannot grow in commercial quantities because of the heat.

Only a few varieties of apple, peach and pear will take the heat here; a warmer than normal winter means no crop and when you can get a crop the product cannot withstand shipping. You can grow oats in some parts of the state, but only as a winter crop again meaning no crop in a warm winter. Crops that are prone to insects, mold or mildew (tomatoes, squash, pumpkin) cannot be grown here without large inputs of agro-chemicals, and our soils are so porous they won't hold organic matter so you have use manmade fertilizers on just about everything you grow. Then there are things like wheat, cherries and maple syrup that you cannot produce here at all.

If you wanted to establish a fully self-sufficient homestead, what 100 square mile area of the country would give you the most suitable growing conditions for the greatest variety of foods?


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## dukman (Mar 1, 2009)

Up here in the Pacific Northwest, we can grow all kinds of things, except citrus fruits it seems. Oranges, Mangoes, Kiwi's, Banana's and such all are imported. But we can grow a lot of different types of vegetables and we are well known for our apples.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

I think the Great Lakes Basin is a good area, 20% of the worlds fresh water is located here. We can pretty much grow everything that isn't tropical and the fishing and hunting is pretty good too. It does get a little cold in the winter, but there is plenty of wood and coal for heating.


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## LittleFire (Jul 9, 2009)

Sailaway, you are correct. The Great Lakes and many parts of Canada have some great freshwater lakes where wildlife abounds. Yes, it can get cold in the winter, but then, you can still build a greenhouse which works wonders.


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## Von Helman (Oct 31, 2009)

I would think if you have a green house you could plant anything almost anywhere in the world with the proper soil and climate settings inside but I could be wrong


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

Canadian said:


> I think you can grow just about anything all year round in California. The only problem they have is running out of water.


You are right, we can grow just about everything here in Calif.. I have a 40 gal a minute well so I'm not to concerned with running out of water soon. The garden and greenhouse will help to supplement the food storage when needed, also have a good cache of non-hybrid seed. I'm worried that the word out for years now is they, the state, wants to put a meter on private wells here. We cannot get or are near any local water district supply pipeline.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

jafl said:


> Does anyone know what part of the country produces the greatest variety of plant-based foods based on things like climate and soil conditions? If you had to rely only on the foods that could be grown on your own land or in your own region, what part of the country would give you the greatest insurance against menu fatigue?


The okanagan is a great area for growing grains, fruits, vegitables and is flat enough to use machines or farm-animals to till / harvest the crops.

The okanagan (Canadian side) spreads from central BritishColumbia south to the okanogan (USA side) in Washington state - and - both sides of the border experience the same weather-patterns of wind, rain, snow, heat and cold.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

*where best to grow food*

I live in central louisiana and can grow herbs of all kinds' vegetables and even citrus and bananas, cotton corn and sugar cane are cash crops. Had lettuce in my garden with ice on it had snow two years ago have seen that in almost fifteen years lol. lots of lakes and forest-hunting areas.


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