How big a backyard do you need to live off of...

pic of cartoon like grids that show exactly how much space is needed. However, I don't agree with some of the animal space requirements.

reply to post by Neopan100


Seems like you could do it with less space using permaculture methods, but I'm no expert.

It's a reasonable estimation and I say estmation as we all have our own seperate needs and the land requirements will differ.

I am currently semi self sufficiant and all I have is a back garden which is about 1/8th the size of a soccer pitch.

I think 30 days of Farmville ought to sort things out.

Makes it easy to see how everything dies on the farm when you leave for the weekend.

Awesome diagram, the wife and I have been looking at plots of land in sizes of 1.5-3 acres, guess I'll change it to 2-6 acre.

If there's one advantage to the housing bust is that I can now afford land, growing up I never thought I would be able to get land here in southern ca, now it's almost cheap.

Learning to grow my own food atm built a small green house to practice.

I'm saving up to get a Volksgarden as well (the circle hydroponics growers that where in stargaze universe) yields on them should cut land requirements

Also I recommend looking into aquaponics you can grow veggies and harvest fish with this system.

1/10 of an acre to produce 3 tons of food annually in your yard is what this guy needed.


And for da chickens! Ya gotta have da chickens!

beat me to it.

reply to post by jude11


I LOVE their set up but it wouldn't work for meat/dairy...I gotta have my bacon I know I have to cut down on meat and dairy..but I can't help it I love cheese, eggs, bacon and a good steak occasionally.

I am going to try the space saving technique of Espalier on my fruit trees...I don't know how well I will be at it....

reply to post by jude11


I was going to post that video also. That guy is an inspiration!

Originally posted by Neopan100
reply to post by jude11

 

I LOVE their set up but it wouldn't work for meat/dairy...I gotta have my bacon

I know I have to cut down on meat and dairy..but I can't help it I love cheese, eggs, bacon and a good steak occasionally.

I am going to try the space saving technique of Espalier on my fruit trees...I don't know how well I will be at it....

I've actually tried that method and have found that almost everything can be grown that way with ease. Just train the plants or trees to go where you want them to. Remember that it is a constant vigil because if you ignore them for too long, they will go their natural way.

GL!

Originally posted by hawkiye
reply to post by jude11

 

I was going to post that video also. That guy is an inspiration!

I downloaded the vid to use as my opening page on my Gardening Bible.

Great vid.

reply to post by Neopan100


I'm going to post a page taken from a world war two civil defence book on how and what to plant in your "Victory Garden" I feel it's as good a place to start as any...

PLANS TO FIT YOUR VICTORY GARDEN
AND TO SUPPLY THE NUTRIENT
REQUIREMENTS OF YOUR FAMILY

To assist Pennsylvania's expected 1,540,000 Victory Gardeners, many of whom will have only small plots of ground available, the Advisory Victory Garden Committee of the State Council of Defense has prepared diagrams (shown on pages 51 to 55) for two miniature-size city gardens (15 x 11 and 15 x 20) and three medium-size sub-urban or community-plot gardens (20 x 25, 30 x 30, and 35 x 35). The diagrams are drawn in exact scale, showing position of rows, number of inches between rows (noted in left margin) , the recommended vegetables to plant, and planting dates for Pennsylvania.
The vegetables recommended were chosen on the basis of maxi-mum nutritional values and the degree of prospective shortages this year. The small garden does not have room for vegetables grown just for energy value or for personal taste, it was pointed out, unless these happen also to be the most nutritious. However, some substitutions may be made if they do not alter the basic plan.
The nutrients provided by the various vegetables recommended in the three diagrams are:

Protein: Beans (green), Beans, (lima), Beans (soy), Beet greens, Broccoli, Corn (yellow, sweet), Kale, Mustard greens, Peas, Turnip greens.
Calcium: Beans (green), Beans (soy), Beet greens, Broccoli, Chard (Swiss), Kale, Mustard greens, Turnip greens.
Iron: Beans (green), Beans (soy), Beet greens, Broccoli, Chard (Swiss), Chives, Endive, Kale, Mustard greens, Parsley, Peas, Spinach.
Pro-Vitamin A: Beans( green), Beet greens, Broccoli, Cabbage (outer green leaves), Cabbage (Chinese), Carrots, Chard (Swiss), Chives, Corn (yellow, swe, Endive, Kale, Lettuce, Mustard greens, Parsley, Peppers (green), Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips (yellow), Turnip greens.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): Beans (green), Beans (lima), Beans (soy), Beet greens, Broccoli, Cucumber, Kale, Mustard greens, Onions, Peas, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Beans (green), Beans (lima), Beans (soy), Beet greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cabbage (Chinese), Carrots, Chard (Swiss), Corn (yellow, sweet), Cucumber, Endive, Lettuce, Mustard greens, Onions, Peas, Radish, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips (yellow).
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Mustard greens, Pepper (green), Cabbage (green), Turnip (white), Tomato (red), Cabbage (Chinese) Turnip greens, Spinach, Potato (white), Onions (young green), Endive (curled), Water cress, Carrot.
Niacin: Beans (green), Beans (lima), Beans (soy), Beet greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cabbage (Chinese), Endive, Mustard greens, Peas, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips (yellow), Turnip greens.

The data on pages 21 to 24 and 30 to 32, and in Table IV, page 49 give further information on the nutritional value of vegetables.
All first plantings except New Zealand spinach, beans, (including soybeans), tomatoes, and peppers should be planted as soon as soil can be prepared; these should be planted after all danger of killing frost is past, or about May 15 in most parts of the state. Onions should be planted as sets; cabbage, head lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes as transplants which may be grown in flats or pots in advance of the season, or may be purchased locally. Outer leaves of Swiss chard are cut for use when large enough, leaving the plant to produce through-out the season. Leaf lettuce may be cut in the same way to prolong its season of use, if heads are not desired.
Table V gives the basis for calculating the desirable allotment of space to major groups of vegetables, based on the size of the family. The yields given in the table are average Pennsylvania yields. Similar plans may be drawn by those in other states by consulting with the State Department of Agriculture or the County Farm Agent of your county about yields of major vegetables in your locality.
Take a pencil, check the family members on this table, add the length of row of the major groups of vegetables required, and then you are ready to plant for the family's entire needs.

sorry no pictures but it does give some idea of what can be done in a small space

From the cartoon I must say that was the saddest looking garden and farm I have ever seen on THAT much land. It says potatoes and cucumbers recuire more space...blah blah blah, let me tell you that cucumbers require 2 to 3 times the space that a potatoe plant needs. Cucumbers grow on vines. Anyway, let me just give my 2 cents on what is needed to survive coming from my grand parents who survived off of the land nearly thier entire lives. We live in a Wyoming, the land is desolate, soil isn't great and winters are LONG. They didn't plant things like wheat or corn to feed cattle/goats/pigs but let them graze on grass and alfalfa pastures and cut hay for the winter. Since we are talking about maximizing limited space in this case I would say that this article is right on about perfering goats over cattle. But let's be honest, goats are far more destructive than cows. If not properly contained they will destroy any progress you make in your garden. I would say that planting as much variety will help combat nutrient deficiencies, and chances of crop failure due to lack of water/rain, plagues, goats (lol), etc. Another good thing to keep in mind is sticking to the crops that fairly native to the area. Here, we can't grow citrus trees with much success, we are in a zone 3 and rely mostly on berries and apples since they grow natively and thrive in a short growing season. I think that the most important thing you can take from this article is how you can preserve and store the things you harvest from your garden and barn. Drying, canning, using a cellar, salt curing etc. If you can't accomplish that, you will be hungry before winter even starts.

The problem I am having is with livestock. The Da** county I live in is trying to tell me I have to have 1 acre for 1 pig. That is ridiculous! They want me to have 2 acres for 1 flipping cow! Luckily right now, I have a friend that lives in another county that is raising both for me, but it is frustrating!

Depending on your state, you may need to find out what the zoning laws are for your area.

A family could live off of MUCH less than that. Things like greenhouses, raised bed-boxes, etc, all cut down on the amount of land you need.

Its about being efficient with your space, not about having huge amounts of space.

If you have the room and money.
couple of these in a storage space, or cargo container, running on solar you could feed a small community. Maybe start a grow club in your own neighborhood or a co-op garden.

reply to post by benrl


Thanks cool video on Aquaponics and raising fish together to keep the water clean and recycling in a closed loop. Easier than I thought. I might try this on a small scale.

www.youtube.com...

That Homegrow Revolution video is one of the most inspiring things I have seen. Thank you for posting it. I am subscribing to this thread because there is so much good information being posted here.

I don't have anything else to add to thread in the way of info just yet, but I am responding in hopes that it keeps this thread bumped so that other people can have chance to discover it.

reply to post by hawkiye


I'm currently growing veggies in a deepwater cultivation system, I'm starting to look into aquaponics and what types of fish work best, I'll make a post when ever I get a harvest.

The best book on the topic for beginners is the (dated) "Guide to Self Sufficiency", in case your interested. He has schemes that run from 1/2 acre (nonself-supporting) to 30 acres.

The real question is, how many cows per acre does your land support.

A lot of Eastern US wooded farmland will support 2 cows an acre. On the american plains its more like 20 acres per cow (and I've seen 30 acres per cow.)


Also, how much are you willing to bring in? You can make money off of a pig lot on a 16th of an acre (your back yard) if you are willing to pick up leavings from a farmers market or bakery leftovers, etc. Not completely free, but still excellent bacon.

How much of a stickler are you for doing it entirely self-supporting. Depending on your family, and whether they actually clean their plates, a slop bucket under the sink might support a couple of gilts for a number of months.