On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 06:56:32 -0800, Down Under On The Bucket Farm
wrote:

One issue is the question of how much physical space would be
needed to grow enough food to completely support myself?

Entirely or in part? American pioneers often supplemented their
homesteads with things like flour, oil, sugar, and salt. Your posts
indicate a beginning gardner. See how much veg you can harvest and
preserve this year. What are you willing to give up? Meaningful grain
production (and processing) is problematical. Are you prepared to
properly care for goats and chickens? Food, shelter, vet issues? A
vegetarian diet implies quite a selection of foods. This is also a
labor-intensive effort in many ways. 'Spare time' just doesn't cover
it.