farm size

[burningredphoenix]

hey you guys....i wanted to know relatively how much square feet of garden would be enough to sustain one person...what i mean is...if you were to put a person down on a piece of land of a certain size and tell him he can grow whatever he wanted, but can only eat what he grew, would he survive?

i just want a general idea of how much food a portion of land can supply....maybe we can use an arbitrary number and say a 30 ft X 30ft piece of land growing maybe potatoes all close together....would that be enough? or would this person need an entire acre?

 

[Randy]

There are a lot of things to consider. If I had to supply all my own food, I would lean toward beans, corn, and vegetables I could preserve. I think a plot of about 1/8th acre might be enough for one person, but to be on the safe side, I would double that even if it meant losing part of the crop. Corn would give you meal if you had the capability of grinding it. Dry beans would keep without going through the canning process, but the canned green beans are pretty tasty for an alternative. Soybeans are a good source of protein but can get pretty boring to a person who likes meat at least occasionally. Were I too look at sustaining myself on the land, I would really appreciate the ability to supplement my diet with fish and game. To grow your own would require even more area to enable you to put away hay and grain to provide food for livestock. A cow and chickens would add considerably to a menu variety with eggs, milk and butter to add to the other foods. Land in some areas will also supply better crops than other places depending on the quality of the soil itself. I live in an area where the soil quality is quite good.

 

[Kya D]

I would think the shorter the growing season the more you would have to plant. Also like Randy said you will need protein so beef, hens, eggs, goats for milk and meat etc.
I have 2 nanny goats, and lots of chickens both full size hens and banties for brooders, thus replacement stock. We also plant a garden so I can alot of the produce.