# If the SHTF today, how much food could you raise on your homestead?



## kejmack

So, if the SHTF today, how much of your food could you grow/raise? 

At my place in VA, I could produce about 50% of what we consumed. Since starting over in TX, I can only raise about 10% of what we eat. I hope to have that back up to 50% by next summer. 

Realistically, how much is your homestead producing?


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## LincTex

Have 6 acres... Most of my land is Cedar trees, and even if I got rid of them the topsoil is not very thick. Below the sparse topsoil is rocky limestone. I could raise all of our corn/vegetables/potatoes.... but not enough wheat and definitely not any rice. Have a seasonal creek (runs when it rains) and I need to build a dam to catch and store water.

Not enough for cows - maybe a few goats for milk. Plenty of room for chickens, but not sure if they could forage enough - maybe if they eat bugs they would be fine.


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## stanb999

That is a kinda loaded question... Right now about 50%

After the fact one would have much more time to produce food stuffs. Also, with the way farming is today it hardly makes sense to try and grow staple foods. Like carrots, potatoes, or even grains. They are just real cheap if one buys them in a fashion that mimics garden production... Fifty pound sacks or bushels of most every thing. In season at the farm or auction. A pickup truck load of potatoes or shelling corn. Is easier to come by than planting it. Meat on the hoof at the auction is much cheaper than growing it. Of course if one wishes to learn to produce for themselves.. Then cost and ease isn't a huge consideration. I try to produce as much as possible with the time and monies available. It's a long row to hoe considering the cost of everything is rising and home food production often costs more than store bought(quality aside) In the mean time I spend my efforts on learning to procure and process foods for storage and meals. Taking a hog. Making with it ham, bacon, and lard that stores is where it's at for me. Even if it means an auction hog and not a home grown one. Growing an animal your self is amicable. Now however, The cost out ways the benefit for me personally. Plus I'd rather make bad bacon at a dollar a pound v/s two. I've grown them in the past and will again. . But not worth the effort for me right now.


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## BillS

0%. I have a small yard in a semi-rural area. There's limestone very close to the surface of the soil. There are enough people living around me that even if I was growing food when it hit the fan I probably wouldn't get any of it.


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## Magus

Little to none.I plan to scavenge.


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## stand

*1000 lbs for a year's supply of food, one adult*

and it costs about $300. Figure on spending $200 on the metal drums to bury it in, of course. That is if you snare your own deer for the jerky, which is 1/4 of the food, and buy locally raised legumes and grain, prep your own dehydrated fruit (from "throwaways" at the supermarket or farmer's market). Then figure on raising sprouts, eating cattails, pine inner bark, netting some fish, etc. The game and livestock will all be gone, dogs and cats eaten, nearly everyone dead, one year after shtf.

If each of your little "greenhouses" (plastic sheeting) is below the surface, at the top of a hill and in the center of a thicket, it is unlikely to be discovered, and by having several of them (in a circle, a few miles across) anyone who finds one is unlikelly to find the others. Grow sprouts and mushrooms, man, cause a few weeks means you have something to eat, with minimal trouble, almost year round, actually. In heavy snow country, you have to provide a cover for the greenhouses at night, and probably wont be able to grow much, if anything for 3-4 months of the year. Still, that is far, far better than a typical garden, with much less exposure to theft or being shot.


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## JayJay

~~~0~~~


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## stand

*why pay for land, then pay taxes to keep that land?*

why have to ask for "permits' to do this or that, and worry about fires, vandals, theives, neighbors, etc? It's not at all hard to set things up on land that does not belong to you. Then, if Big Brother is hunting you (or your stash) he has no way to find it or you.


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## Davarm

I do produce the majority of the vegetable food we eat(family of 4) during the garden season and put up as much as %30 of what we eat through the rest of the year.

For those who will be depending on snaring deer for jerky long term, you may be one of those who do not make it, at least here in Texas. You and 10,000,000 other people will be competing for the same resource which will probobly be depleted in just a few months. Thats assuming that you survive the land owners protecting their property from trespassers and poachers.


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## Beeorganic

I'd have to say 100%.

A side note: Those of you with limited access to land, it only takes 1/8 th of an acre per person to be able to survive (a vegan diet- unfortunately). A good "mentor" worth checking out is John Jeavons and his "biointensive" techniques. GROW BIOINTENSIVE workshops with John Jeavons


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## Davarm

Beeorganic said:


> I'd have to say 100%.
> 
> A side note: Those of you with limited access to land, it only takes 1/8 th of an acre per person to be able to survive (a vegan diet- unfortunately). A good "mentor" worth checking out is John Jeavons and his "biointensive" techniques. GROW BIOINTENSIVE workshops with John Jeavons


As a rule, I agree with your 1/8 acre land requirement, we come pretty close to doing it. BUT there are those who would loose quite a bit of body mass attempting it, they better start learning how yesteday.


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## lotsoflead

LincTex said:


> Have 6 acres... Most of my land is Cedar trees, and even if I got rid of them the topsoil is not very thick. Below the sparse topsoil is rocky limestone. I could raise all of our corn/vegetables/potatoes.... but not enough wheat and definitely not any rice. Have a seasonal creek (runs when it rains) and I need to build a dam to catch and store water.
> 
> Not enough for cows - maybe a few goats for milk. Plenty of room for chickens, but not sure if they could forage enough - maybe if they eat bugs they would be fine.


10X100 ft of land will grow a couple bushel of wheat, you should be able to plant an acre of wheat, some winter squash and have enough for your self and some to trade, I'd burn the ceder trees and plant food, ceder trees means the soil is acid so you'd have to use some lime. free range chickens and eggs are the best you can get. a good many things can be grown on a fence,beans,squash,pumpkins ,peas or as the indians did, they planted the 3 sisters, corn,beans and squash


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## Herbalpagan

We have enough land to grow what we need EXCEPT for grains, which also would include animal feed. Grain is definetely our weak point. I can grow 100% of the fruit and vegetable needs, but not the grain.


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## LincTex

Davarm said:


> Thats assuming that you survive the land owners protecting their property from trespassers and poachers.


I will be one of them.



Beeorganic said:


> I'd have to say 100%. Those of you with limited access to land, it only takes 1/8 th of an acre per person to be able to survive


Yes, but you need to put a lot onto the soil. I don't have a steady source of manure for Nitrogen. I don't have enough area to grow the crops to feed the animals to make the manure.



lotsoflead said:


> 10X100 ft of land will grow a couple bushel of wheat, you should be able to plant an acre of wheat.... ceder trees means the soil is acid so you'd have to use some lime.... they planted the 3 sisters, corn,beans and squash


The creek runs through a valley, that is where the good soil is. The cedar trees on the upper slopes can stay there to keep the little remaining soil from washing away.

I can grind up the abundant limestone I have to reduce soil acidity. Corn needs slightly acid soil anyway.


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## The_Blob

Luckily, I've been blessed with an upbringing that includes eating many (non?)traditional foods, like acorn-meal bread and cattails, but it would still be a huge adjustment. I forage for berries and mushrooms (with friends to double-check and triple-check our selections). With a 4 acre pond hopefully fish will continue to be on the menu (I've been spreading the word that there was a fish die-off in there, and putting up *no swimming/fishing: water unsafe* signs  ) I have a few fruit trees (apples, pears, and peaches). I'm considering growing grapes along one of the chainlink fences. Like everyone else around here that grows vegetables, I have more than enough tomatoes; many types of peppers grow very well here, as do cruciferous veggies (broccoli, radish, cabbage), lettuce and spinach are grown all year round. There's a big difference in the percentage of my food intake I could grow/harvest as compared to what percentage I actually *do* -- I have had little luck cultivating my pizza trees and soda-pop bushes, but as soon as I do... :beercheer:


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## UncleJoe

The_Blob said:


> I have had little luck cultivating my pizza trees


When you have perfected it, let me know. I'll buy a couple ounces of seed from you.


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## weedygarden

*poor soil*

Poor soil can be built up over time and with *lots of hard work*.

Scott and Helen Nearing took really poor soil in New England, used the rock from the land to build fences and buildings, and composted and added to the soil to grow great crops.

I would begin with a manageable area and add all the fall leaves you can get your hands on as well as other compostable additives from your area that you can get.

Where I live, there is lots of clay in the soil. Claybuster and compost help, but it an ongoing work. Every spring and fall I add to my soil. I look for bagged leaves and work them in the soil in the fall. By spring they have mostly broken down and have made the soil better. Grass will get choked out here if soil is not ammended.

Each area has its own soil needs and locals can help you with ideas and suggestions to help improve your soil and growing conditions.


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## The_Blob

weedygarden said:


> Grass will get choked out here if soil is not ammended.


I WISH that were the case here... I rotate my garden and have to use the sod-cutter when I switch back to a previously fallow area...

yes, fertile soil is SUCH a curse...


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## Clarice

We grow all of the vegies and most of the fruit we consume, and still have enough to put back and to share with family & friends. Now with the greenhouse we will be able to grow lots of things year round.


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## The_Blob

Clarice said:


> We grow all of the vegies and most of the fruit we consume, and still have enough to put back and to share with family & friends. Now with the greenhouse we will be able to grow lots of things year round.


yeah, we'd probably have a LOT more if we didn't give so much away... :dunno:


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## Davarm

I will be the first to say that in some parts, groen ur own, is not just a matter of dedication. In my area, the soil is so poor that it has taken years and a chunk of change to get my garden to produce what it does. The logical course of action would be to add compost to the soil, well where do you get it when only sparse weeds are the only thing that will grow for several miles around? Most of the "green" and manure that you can obtain is so contaminated with herbicide(herbicides can and do survive digestion) it is a death sentence for a garden. 

For those who haven't started a garden and/or orchard by the time the SHTF, it may be too late and all those heirloom seeds that they spent good money for could go to waste.


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## gypsysue

Our soil took a few years of work to build it up to where it would grow and produce, and we have to keep at it each year or it gets depleted and the harvest is reduced. We get old manure and old hay/straw from area ranchers, but hauling it after the SHTF... ?? 

We produce at least 95% of our food right now (grow, forage, hunt, fish), and it would be 100% except that we get the occasional pizza or pop or 'whatever', and those are things we could live without. I'd miss those treats, though.

I'm not too worried about running out of deer and other game animals. Here in Montana we have less than a million people in a state bigger than all of New England..., and an abundance of game animals roaming some very remote wilderness/forest/mountainous areas. We're pretty far from the populated areas of our state, too.


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## kejmack

Those of you using poor soil as an excuse, there are ways to build it up. ALL of my gardening is done in raised beds. It is the only way I could grow anything here. I have three manure producers in the pasture that provide a never ending supply of garden soil. 

I just don't see surviving long term without being able to grow your own food (veggies and livestock). You can only set aside so much food.


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## JayJay

UncleJoe said:


> When you have perfected it, let me know. I'll buy a couple ounces of seed from you.


I'm in for about 5-7; 2 feet high should do it. Not too young, but not too far along that I can afford them.


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## dentorian

the best thing about australia theirs only 25 million for a country the same size as america i beleive in a shift australia would still be able to support our poppulation even if its just a rabbit and kangeroo diet  and as of land beeing fertile im sure it is as it used to be an apple tree plantation so i should be fine


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## Jimmy24

weedygarden said:


> Poor soil can be built up over time and with *lots of hard work*.
> 
> Scott and Helen Nearing took really poor soil in New England, used the rock from the land to build fences and buildings, and composted and added to the soil to grow great crops.


I have read all their books and followed them for years in Mother Earth News. They were also complete vegans, though IIRC they allowed themselves fish and eggs for fat/protein. They also ate what was in season and a lot of it...

Jimmy


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## JustUs

Not as much as I'd like. We live in town. 

As of now we have good neighbors, if we band together and plow in the rest of our yards and work together we'd be in better shape. Family next door are really good folk we've been good friends for years (they took care of our house when were outside the US for a few years) and have a garden. The husband there is OCD and LOVES to work outside in the garden (best kind of neighbor to have....he's brutal on weeds) House beside them is "empty" by not vacant....hard to explain, but there is a garden there every year. Neighbor on the other side is a very nice clueless young lady that lives alone. From the size of her, she likes to eat....so convincing her to garden wouldn't be too hard. She has family locally and her folks own the house (rental property)...so she may just go to mom and dads....possibly leaving us access to her yard. On top of all that I'm a "seed addict" so I single-handedly have enough seed to sow all these yards...with some left over, lol.


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## Raetsch1

I produce about 12000 lbs of beef annually with little inputs beyond getting them water. If the well runs dry, I'd have to lead them to the river each day and bring them back. I produce between 12-18 lambs a year, and more eggs than I can reasonably consume. The weakness I have is growing a sufficient garden, not from lack of space, but lack of interest. I have a fruit orchard and asparagus. I make feeble attempts at tomatoes and peppers each year but sheep find a way to get them before I do. We have two 1/2 acre ponds stocked, and the river. So I need to find some of those forced vegans to barter with! 

The ranch produces most of this while the wife and I both work, so I imagine if I put real effort into it full-time, I could be a better gardener. I do also keep bees, though cut off from a queen supplier, they'd be Africanized in two years in this area. I am well prepared not from fear, but from prudence. I have ready markets for what I produce except lamb and I eat those myself. I stockpile soap, shampoo and toothpaste. I also stockpile ammo, alcohol, lye, bleach, and other goodies. I wonder if I will ever need it, but I am in the hurricane zone, so likely sooner rather than later.


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## musketjim

Excellent thread and posts. I know there are folks here in Fairbanks and North Pole Ak. who have excellent gardens every year and we work hard at our gardens here at the house and our cabin also. We don't have as green a thumb as some others. I will switch to raised bed square ft. gardening at the house this year and use our old garden for barley. At the cabin I continue to plant potatoes in tires with potting soil purchased at the end of gardening season here. Every couple of years I till the old potting soil into the surrounding soil and plant a garden in that spot and move my tires to another area and repeat the process in a couple years. With some luck and a lot of cash I will eventually improve the soil quality. Only being able to bring stuff into the cabin by boat in summer and backpack and sledge manhauling in winter I'm limited in how much I can get in there. A slow but fulfilling process. Right now I'd say about 1%.


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## goshengirl

Last year we took on quite a project with getting things started in our (then) new home. We flopped on a lot of things, but in a good way - I learned a lot last year when our lives didn't depend on it. And some of the flops were simply having a 'bad year' all around (not just us, everyone in our area) due to local weather conditions - and that's reality that we have to deal with - there can always be a 'bad year.'

This year we're expanding more. The garden will double. Edible (stealth) landscaping will be incorporated (not that we 'landscape' anything - we've got the 'natural' look covered). We're also taking on grains and adding chickens (Buckeyes - an at-risk heritage breed). All this with a non-prepping DH, which makes me pretty happy. He was raised on a farm and thinks mowing is a waste of time - if there's land that needs to be mowed, it needs to have something planted on it to make the land productive for us. I love that mindset of his.

So based on last summer's yield, right now we've put back maybe 5% of what we consume from last year's garden, while I work the sales and coupons at the store. After this summer, I hope to be closer to 50%, and then build on that. We have plans to expand to dwarf dairy goats and pigs, too. I just want to make sure that we're self-sustaining in feed before we take them on.

Lots to learn. Lots to do...


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## Tweto

For the first time last year I planted a raised garden. I kept track of all the expenses, and then I kept track of all the harvested vegatables. It cost $125 to plant everything and then I harvested $850 worth of crop. This works out to about 50% of our needs.


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## goshengirl

Tweto said:


> For the first time last year I planted a raised garden. I kept track of all the expenses, and then I kept track of all the harvested vegatables. It cost $125 to plant everything and then I harvested $850 worth of crop. This works out to about 50% of our needs.


Holy cow, that's awesome! How big is your raised garden, and how many people are you feeding?


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## Tweto

goshengirl said:


> Holy cow, that's awesome! How big is your raised garden, and how many people are you feeding?


My gardens have always been about 25 by 50 feet. In 2009 I had conciderable bug damage and did not get much from the garden.

Last year I decided to do raised gardening. I did the research, put the right plants together, planted marrigolds in the center of each raised garden. I only had four 4 by 8 foot beds. I was astonished at the difference from the year before, no insect damage.

I built and installed a PVC pipe frames for all 4 beds and then at the beginning of the growing season put clear plastic tents over the beds to keep the soil warm. This year I will add automatic springlers that water the garden through drilled holes in the PVC frames.

My soil here is pretty good but I still added 6 bags of miracle-gro soil to each bed. I was religious about watering but the soil never dryed out.

I'm only feeding 2 people and I still have vegatables in the freezer from last year. This year I will do the same thing except double the size to 8 beds.


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## goshengirl

Thanks Tweto, I appreciate the info. Gives me hope for mine.


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## Judygranny

Note to the Jevons devotee - he has done his work in CA, not the upper Midwest. It makes a huge difference! That said he has done some important work.
We raised ~75% of our food when young enough to do the work, not we rely on local markets.
Staples are the things that will be in short supply WTSHTF. Depends on how things go down.
As for things we found good to raise in WI, Corn (Indian types and Popcorn), and Sorghum/Milo worked well w/ only a hand sheller for the corn and a grain mill when grinding was needed. Potatoes were very important in our diet, especially new potatoes. We planted extra very early and began to harvest 10 days after the end of bloom (or about the 21st of June) when we'd get ~1#/hill. Try Carola (Fedco Seeds) as an early potato. It's excellent, bulks up early and stores very well till spring. German Butterball is a good keeper for a main crop.
Fruits are wonderful and good sellers (barter). Best/easiest are Currants, Strawberries, and Raspberries. The latter should be the ever-bearing type and cut to the ground after harvest (Nov?) so disease doesn't carry over as much from year to year and the patch lasts/produces well much longer.


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## RedBeard

How much food could i raise? All of it because i do now anyway.


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## cqp33

Currently we are raising about 50-60%. 

We now raise cattle and hogs on our little hobby farm so meat is covered. My wife won't let me have chickens until I retire/retire since I travel for work and she has to do a lot while I am away. 

Veggies - Cauliflower, Broccoli, radish, onions (white, yellow, green and red), peppers (3 types), tomatoes (36 plants total of 7 varieties), lettuce (leaf, several types), garlic, pole beans, sweet corn (planted 7 pound of seed this year), canteloupe, watermelon, cucumber, yellow squash and zuchinni. Oh and an asparagus bed

Fruit - Kiwi, apples (5 trees), peach, pear (4 trees), sweet cherry, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries.

Nuts - Walnut trees (2 that are producing), hazelnut (x2 not yet producing) and pecan (x2 not yet producing)

We intend to NOT give away much this year and put our new Harvest Right freeze dryer through a rigorous test!

Most of our veggies are in raised beds, we are up to 8 beds that are 4' x 10' now and will be adding more in the fall/winter. a lot of items mentioned here are noteworthy, such as building soil, stocking materials that can compost, etc. it is a process and one that is always ongoing! If you wait until SHTF you will fail...because nature will show you the hard way! I thought I was an avid gardener, but now I realize I am but a pup! Thank God my great uncle is still living and loves coming by to check up on my progress and share his knowledge because he found someone that WANTS to do it!

The one thing I don't grow that I would is potatoes...my Amish neighbor grows them by the truckload and offloads so much to us over the last few years I told him I wouldn't even plant any but I would trade him for them by plowing his field or running the bush hog through his pastures this summer. He was more than willing to make the trade!

The reason I put us at 50-60% is because our fruit trees and nut trees are young and not producing much if anything at all. Once they are more mature and I add to our little orchard I could easily increase that amount. For those waiting for SHTF it takes 4-7 years to get an orchard producing a minimal amount, I would say 8-10 to get it producing at full capacity.


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## Pessimistic2

kejmack said:


> So, if the SHTF today, how much of your food could you grow/raise? At my place in VA, I could produce about 50% of what we consumed. Since starting over in TX, I can only raise about 10% of what we eat. I hope to have that back up to 50% by next summer. Realistically, how much is your homestead producing?


I'd starve in a week! Wild grapes, two scrub patches of blackberries, no garden, sand, sand and more sand, hell, the GRASS won't even grow!! If the SHTF right now and I couldn't get to my BOL, it's be MRE's-R-US!


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## Tweto

To add to my post from 5 years ago, I now have 9 4' X 8' raised bed gardens. Since planting the marigolds I still have very little to no bug damage. With the increased production I'm sure I could grow all the produce we need for the year.

Since I'm only using a small portion of my yard and I already have all the tools and skills, I could increase the size of the garden by 10 times if I needed to.

Some thing else that has changed in the last 5 years is that for the last two years I have been growing all my plants from seeds under grow lights inside starting in February. This has lowered my expenses from several hundred dollars to less then $30.


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## RedBeard

Ah ha marigolds! we do that too and it works great. We also do hugelkultur beds. I really love those, plants grow very well.


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## cqp33

My raised beds are made out of logs/large branches that are 6" diameter. First we dug the area at least 18" deep, we placed 2-3" branches in the bottom followed by smaller branches then twigs. The rest was filled with mushroom compost and leaf compost.

Now let's have a discussion about mushroom compost...It's great, but has a very high salt content until it 'cures', seeds that are planted in it will not do well until the salt seeps deeper beyond the root zones. LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY!

I also forgot that I planted 2 grape plants this year, they aren't doing to well but they are still alive, I have not had good luck with grapes but I am still trying!

And I also plant marigolds in each bed, usually 2-3 in each bed at opposing corners!


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## Pessimistic2

RedBeard said:


> Ah ha marigolds! we do that too and it works great. We also do hugelkultur beds. I really love those, plants grow very well.


Marigolds are cool! Ran across the "medicinal qualities" when I was loading an external HDD with all the medical texts I could find, including the "home remedies." Ain't likely to find a drugstore out in the boonies where my BOL is! For those who may not be aware of it, Marigolds are awesome!

https://draxe.com/marigolds/

Excerpt:.."A particular species of marigold flower, Calendula officinalis (commonly just called calendula or "pot marigold"), is used to make healing herbal ointments, teas, tinctures and topical treatments *that have been in existence for almost 1,000 years.* While marigolds of the tagets genus are usually planted in gardens to *repel bugs,* add color and give off a pleasant smell, marigolds of the Calendula genus are utilized for their many anti-inflammtory, antispasmodic and antifungal compounds. (1) In fact, according to a report published in Pharmacognosy Review, *more than 200 different commercial and medical formulations* now contain concentrated calendula marigold extract. (2) *Benefits and uses for Calendula officinalis marigolds include treating conditions, such as rashes, allergies, eczema and dermatitis; pain, swelling and redness caused from muscle cramps, muscular injuries or sprains; eye inflammation and itchiness caused by conjunctivitis; and fungal infections, including athlete's foot, candida, ear infections and ringworm.*"

BTW....The petals are also edible and make a good garnish for many dishes!

https://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm

Excerpt: "Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - Also called Marigolds. A wonderful edible flower. Flavors range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron (also known as Poor Mans Saffron). Has pretty petals in golden-orange hues. Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups, spreads, and scrambled eggs. Only the petals are edible." (Note: This website gives you a long list of edible flowers.....a VERY long list! Also gives you the "do's and don'ts." Very informative website. I've got both sites copied to an external HDD, with my other medical/pharmaceutical stuff. Well worth having.)


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## RedBeard

kejmack said:


> So, if the SHTF today, how much of your food could you grow/raise?
> 
> At my place in VA, I could produce about 50% of what we consumed. Since starting over in TX, I can only raise about 10% of what we eat. I hope to have that back up to 50% by next summer.
> 
> Realistically, how much is your homestead producing?





cqp33 said:


> My raised beds are made out of logs/large branches that are 6" diameter. First we dug the area at least 18" deep, we placed 2-3" branches in the bottom followed by smaller branches then twigs. The rest was filled with mushroom compost and leaf compost.
> 
> Now let's have a discussion about mushroom compost...It's great, but has a very high salt content until it 'cures', seeds that are planted in it will not do well until the salt seeps deeper beyond the root zones. LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY!
> 
> I also forgot that I planted 2 grape plants this year, they aren't doing to well but they are still alive, I have not had good luck with grapes but I am still trying!
> 
> And I also plant marigolds in each bed, usually 2-3 in each bed at opposing corners!


That's hugelkultur. We do it too and love it. More people should do it!


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## RedBeard

Pessimistic2 said:


> Marigolds are cool! Ran across the "medicinal qualities" when I was loading an external HDD with all the medical texts I could find, including the "home remedies." Ain't likely to find a drugstore out in the boonies where my BOL is! For those who may not be aware of it, Marigolds are awesome!
> 
> https://draxe.com/marigolds/
> 
> Excerpt:.."A particular species of marigold flower, Calendula officinalis (commonly just called calendula or "pot marigold"), is used to make healing herbal ointments, teas, tinctures and topical treatments *that have been in existence for almost 1,000 years.* While marigolds of the tagets genus are usually planted in gardens to *repel bugs,* add color and give off a pleasant smell, marigolds of the Calendula genus are utilized for their many anti-inflammtory, antispasmodic and antifungal compounds. (1) In fact, according to a report published in Pharmacognosy Review, *more than 200 different commercial and medical formulations* now contain concentrated calendula marigold extract. (2) *Benefits and uses for Calendula officinalis marigolds include treating conditions, such as rashes, allergies, eczema and dermatitis; pain, swelling and redness caused from muscle cramps, muscular injuries or sprains; eye inflammation and itchiness caused by conjunctivitis; and fungal infections, including athlete's foot, candida, ear infections and ringworm.*"
> 
> BTW....The petals are also edible and make a good garnish for many dishes!
> 
> https://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm
> 
> Excerpt: "Calendula (Calendula officinalis) - Also called Marigolds. A wonderful edible flower. Flavors range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery. Their sharp taste resembles saffron (also known as Poor Mans Saffron). Has pretty petals in golden-orange hues. Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes, herb butters, and salads. Petals add a yellow tint to soups, spreads, and scrambled eggs. Only the petals are edible." (Note: This website gives you a long list of edible flowers.....a VERY long list! Also gives you the "do's and don'ts." Very informative website. I've got both sites copied to an external HDD, with my other medical/pharmaceutical stuff. Well worth having.)


Wow did not know that. Cool. You ever eat day lilies? So frigen good!


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## Pessimistic2

RedBeard said:


> Wow did not know that. Cool. You ever eat day lilies? So frigen good!


Day Lillies are on the list of edible plants on that website for "whatscookingamerica." I have tried them, not bad...but hard to come by around here. Those websites have TONS of info...copy/paste to your Documents folder, and if you have an external HDD, stick it on there, too!
Looking around on the Websites for edible plants, flowers, and "home remedies" will garner THOUSANDS of pages of info to "tuck away!"

Excerpt: "Day Lilies (Hemerocallis species) - Slightly sweet with a mild vegetable flavor, like sweet lettuce or melon. Their flavor is a combination of asparagus and zucchini. Chewable consistency. Some people think that different colored blossoms have different flavors. To use the surprisingly sweet petals in desserts, cut them away from the bitter white base of the flower. Also great to stuff like squash blossoms. Flowers look beautiful on composed salad platters or crowning a frosted cake. Sprinkle the large petals in a spring salad. *In the spring, gather shoots two or three inches tall and use as a substitute for asparagus.* NOTE: Many Lilies contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Day Lilies may act as a diuretic or laxative; eat in moderation.


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## RedBeard

Yes i checked that site out. That's an awesome resource! Thanks for sharing.


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## Pessimistic2

RedBeard said:


> Yes i checked that site out. That's an awesome resource! Thanks for sharing.


No problem....hell, I've got HUNDREDS of articles copied from sites like that. I'm an old "office drudge," not Daniel Boone....I need an instruction manual to heat a can of Ravioli!! :beercheer:


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## RedBeard

You say office drudge i say valued researcher!


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## Pessimistic2

RedBeard said:


> You say office drudge i say valued researcher!


Ain't too darn good....I hit about 40 pages looking for the toilet paper pills, and none of the Walmart's had 'em....someone else FOUND THEM, guess where? Yep, WALMART!! Go figure!! :scratch


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## musketjim

Excellent info on Marigolds, I'm one who was looking into raising them for bug repellant, now I know they have so much more to offer. Well done.:wave:


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## Pessimistic2

musketjim said:


> Excellent info on Marigolds, I'm one who was looking into raising them for bug repellant, now I know they have so much more to offer. Well done.:wave:


I have come across so many of these things it's not even funny! You cruise the Internet looking for edible plants & flowers, home remedies, natural bug repellents, even natural flea repellents for dogs, and it's amazing what you come up with!! I've got HUNDREDS of pages tucked away on the external HDD, and there are likely hundreds more that I haven't even found yet!!
:2thumb::beercheer:


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## readytogo

Ok Tweto I like your way and will copy your work ,I too plan to start a raise garden here but you mention freezer ,don`t you do any canning or drying as a way to preserved your crop my thinking is long term ,not the end of the world type but enough for a power outage or at least till the end of hurricane season here in Miami ,I canned now but also rotated my goods through out the year ,just a thought .


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## crabapple

Still need to get a few apple trees, some more nut trees.
Honeybees & rabbits, goats & fishes.
I think we could keep all 20 person alive on the 30 acres at the BOL.
4 gardens, a orchard, timber, animals & water should be enough.
I for one have a four season garden.At least a ton of canned food.
Well I do not have that many jars yet, got to add canning jars to my BOL list.


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