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"Down Under On The Bucket Farm" wrote in message
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Hi Everybody,

I am working on long-term plans for self-sufficiency, oriented to
buying some bare land and building an off-grid house, rainwater
catchment, composting toilet, etc, etc.

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

Depends on the land's fertility and how much work you're willing to do.

I read a pretty good book on the subject that said you could support a
family of 4 on 5 acres.

My vegetable garden measures about 20 feet by 100 feet and even without "too
much" labor we can grow enough lettuce, tomatoes, snow peas, beans, carrots,
onions, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, kale, and Swiss chard to eat fresh, can
and/or freeze and still have some to give to the neighbors and compost. But
the soil has been nurtured almost fanatically for nearly 30 years.