Backyard Homesteading, Week 4, June 8 2016, Backyard Homesteading, Week 4, June 8 2016, By Gloria Fortin

Summary The calculations I am presenting would be for feeding all the persons living on the homestead, which is two families (eight persons). The calculation is done with normal portions, even if there are young kids (eating less)

Choice of crops I chose crops that I know are very reliable and adapted to our place, growing well and also keeping well, or that are easily processed for keeping. In theory, the chart represents what we would need to be able to have enough food to be self-sufficient all year round, provided that we adapt our diet.year round, provided that we adapt our diet.

Crop Servings/year Pounds/year Nb of 100 square ft bedVegetableCarrot 1664 594.29 7.50Onion 1664 237.71 2.50Parsnip 1248 312.00 4.00Cabbage 1248 445.71 5.00Tomato 1664 723.48 11.00Winter squash 1248 499.20 10.00Cucumber 1248 283.64 6.00

Food needs and space for eight persons in one year

Green bean 832 189.09 10.00Beet 1248 445.71 8.00Lettuce 1664 252.12 5.00TOTAL 69.00FruitApple 2080 742.86 15.00Pear 1664 489.41 8.00Currants (Ribes spp.) 1248 312.00 3.00Honeyberries 1248 312.00 3.00Juneberry (Amelanchier spp.) 1248 312.00 3.00TOTAL 32.00

Crop Servings/year Pounds/year Nb of 100 square ft bedCalorie CropsPotato 8320 2971.43 41.00Corn 6240 390.00 22.00Rye 4992 312.00 78.00

Food needs and space for eight persons in one year (continued)

Note: For crops that were not in the calculation tables of “A plan for Food Self-Sufficiency” (parsnips, currants, juneberry, TOTAL 141.00

ProteinFava bean 2496 147.69 30.00Dried bean (Kidney) 2496 193.49 48.00Nut (hazelnut) 2496 416.00 24.00TOTAL 102.00

GRAND TOTAL 344.00

currants, juneberry, honeyberries and hazelnut), I did research through nurseries and seed suppliers, mainly in Quebec, to get the closest to my reality approximations.

Reflections about space needs:To my utter surprise, I found out that we would need a little bit less than one acre to grow all our food, which is far less than what I originally thought.

Well planned, I am persuaded we could grow all of that food on less space, using bio-intensive methods (for annuals), which would also help to concentrate my energies in a smaller land to take care. I was particularly impressed by how there are techniques to do as little efforts as possible, with better results (John Jeavons, video Garden bed and soil, time 1:50)

Reflection about animals: I checked up what it would imply to have chicken layers... The fact is that even if 10 chickens would have been good, the space to grow their feed (grains) was gigantic, in addition that our region is not ideal for grains. I decided it was way easier to eat the plants! In fact, I still believe it would be to eat the plants! In fact, I still believe it would be great to get some animals in my system, but simply guess it would be a secondary addition.

One idea to reduce the space needs associated with raising chickens would be to have worms in a vermicompost system, so it will produce great quality fertilizer for the plants that I grow, but it could also serve as feed for the chickens, just like it is proposed in the article “Vermiculture Basics” by Larry Yarger. I will definitely do that if we add chickens!

As I read in the Permaculture Handbook, tillage is very damaging to the soil life, which is the one supposed to feed the plants that will then nourish us (Peter Bane, whole Chapter 11), but by implementing a more perennial, and no-till system, I could be able to feed ourselves while being more respectful to the soil.This permanent system My idea would be to set the perennials (all fruits + nuts) in a forest garden, so it will sustain itself better in terms of fertility and pest management and will help restore a better environment while producing food.

This permanent system could be subsequently implemented with more fruits, mushrooms and all to take more the lead of our food supply, relying less on annual plants implanted at the beginning to feed us the first years (get a yield principle, Peter Bane, page 31).