On 7 Dec 2003 13:35:35 -0800, (simy1) wrote:

"Ann" wrote in message ...
On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 06:56:32 -0800, Down Under On The Bucket Farm wrote:

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.
...

What do you plan to use for fuel ... for heating, cooking, generator,
operating ag equipmnet, and/or etc?

A well managed farm will support one person on 1/6 of an acre - but
those are numbers for grains/soybeans only, and a vegetarian person.
If you have farm animals, fruit trees, veggie patch, unfertile soil,
watering problems, your needs will rise accordingly. If you want to be
self-sufficient, there are a number of permaculture solutions that may
help you save labor. Amongst them is having
oaks or chestnuts to limit your need to grow grains. And use favas in
the cold season for extra bulk food plus fertilizing.

One could theoretically raise all the food needed in a small dome on
the moon if he were able to invest enough money. It's the same with
land. One could thrive in the desert if you have enough money to
invest.

There is no good answer to the question without more info. It
generally took at least 40 acres to barely keep a familiy going here
in East TN in the 19th century (before hybrid seeds, commercial
fertilizer, and the internal combustion engine).

Strider

"Steve" wrote in message ...
Everything remains very simple to calculate until you bring the goat into
the formula.

Ya. True to a certain extent. The Chinese say they can raise enuf
veggies to feed one person on 1 acre of land. The Chinese diet is
primarily vegetables, with smaller amounts of meat and grain.

These low tech diets supplement the vegetables primarily with pork and
duck as their main type of meat.


While a human can raise his food in a cultivated plot of
ground, livestock require acres of vegitation to survive.. We all think of a
goat or pig thriving on kitchen scraps.
Not nearly enough, especially since
you are going to be only one person and living on a vegetarian diet.

Actually, I believe the best diet in the world is eaten by Asians and
Polynesians. They do raise their own vegetables, the scraps are fed to
pigs. These pigs in turn also get sustainance from the jungles and
riverbanks. When the pigs are of the correct size they're butchered.
Pig scraps in turn get fed to other pigs and poultry.

Most low tech people live in families, tribes, communities. They don't
isolate themselves as westerners do. The very idea of one single
person providing for ALL their own needs would not even compute.

Because of trade, people can have foods of various kinds, so one
person doesn't have to do EVERYTHING. A pig would be chopped up, and
sections traded for other things.

If someone lives in a developed area, they can also take unwanted
animals which they do not have to raise themselves. Or...they can
trade.

You most likely will have to purchase feed for a few chickens

OR the person can trade a chicken dinner, or a few chickens for grain.




to be
productive. Raising grain requires additional land plus equipment and labor
to just raise it for your livestock.

Also, just a question. How will you maintain an internet connection if you
are off the grid??

Steve

1.5 acres if you like potatoes. Hope you have better luck than the Irish.

Ian Stirling wrote in message ...
In misc.survivalism Down Under On The Bucket Farm wrote:
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?

The answer kind of depends if you'r in the middle of the Amazon, Antarctica,
or Austria.

".......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 ......."

If you put up a couple of poly tunnels, then catch the water from them and
your dwelling into a quarter acre lake you could also keep yourself in
fish.
But really this question is like "How long is a piece of string?"

I would get as much land as you can afford then you can develop as much as
you find you need.
You say on your own, but things could change and you might want to support
more than just yourself, so spare land would be useful.
If you have no other use for it then graze an animal or two for sale to give
useful cash.
Remember for meat it is more sensible to keep things like poultry and
rabbits than larger animals as they are table ready in weeks rather than
months or even years.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
***2004 catalogue now available***

On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 14:11:23 -0600, "Bob Peterson"
said:

Lots of people claim lots of things. I would be inclined to do some
personal research before I would just my life to something I saw in a book.
This type of farming is very difficult to sustain and takes a lot of work.
You could well be in deep trouble if you were forced to stop work for a week
or two due to injury, illness, or some other reason. or what if a storm
came through and destroyed your crops? or a horde of grasshoppers? even a
herd of deer could decimate your garden very quickly.

personally I suspect you can do a lot on 5 good acres with a continuous
water source, but I am leery of trusting my life to such a small area.

I remember an old saying "Which can you spare more of ? Back or Brians
? "
I use the raised bed method of gardening. My total garden size is less
than 1/4 acres and I trow away 3 times as much food as my family (5 in
all) eat in a years time from this garden. Its a lot of work keeping
the soil good. Chicken wire and 2x4 frames keep the deer and harsh
rains from destorying the garden. A small green house gives me a big
jump on the growing season. Of course this is only a veggie garden, I
would need far more land to grow grain. BTW, for my familys needs, its
by far cheaper for me to buy or barter grain than it is to grow it.

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

So... How many acres of flat, farm-able land will I need?

I don't know, but I grew a years worth of garlic (fresh) and tomatoes
(canned) on about 400 square feet (0.009 acres?) of composted and
mulched soil this past year. My limitation is sun, due to so many
trees nearby. But I would definetly believe the figures that it
doesn't take a whole lot of land to live well. At 2 dollars per pound
for tomatoes at the store, we racked in a couple hundred dollars
worth...it was a good tomato year in the east.

Weather and access to water is also another variable in acreage
numbers. A greenhouse or sunroom will also do wonders in lengthening
the season.

Dan
nw NJ

"North" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 14:11:23 -0600, "Bob Peterson"
said:

Lots of people claim lots of things. I would be inclined to do some
personal research before I would just my life to something I saw in a
book.
This type of farming is very difficult to sustain and takes a lot of
work.
You could well be in deep trouble if you were forced to stop work for a
week
or two due to injury, illness, or some other reason. or what if a storm
came through and destroyed your crops? or a horde of grasshoppers? even
a
herd of deer could decimate your garden very quickly.

personally I suspect you can do a lot on 5 good acres with a continuous
water source, but I am leery of trusting my life to such a small area.

I remember an old saying "Which can you spare more of ? Back or Brians
? "
I use the raised bed method of gardening. My total garden size is less
than 1/4 acres and I trow away 3 times as much food as my family (5 in
all) eat in a years time from this garden. Its a lot of work keeping
the soil good. Chicken wire and 2x4 frames keep the deer and harsh
rains from destorying the garden. A small green house gives me a big
jump on the growing season. Of course this is only a veggie garden, I
would need far more land to grow grain. BTW, for my familys needs, its
by far cheaper for me to buy or barter grain than it is to grow it.


You can grow a lot of veggies in a small garden, but veggies are not really
the bulk of anyone's diet (or at least should not be). The OP was talking
about going off in the middle of nowhere and relying entirely on his plot of
land for all his needs.

First off, its pretty silly as you will not be able to grow/make a lot of
things you will need (like clothing, drugs, glassware, tools, etc, etc,
etc...). These are things you will either have to stockpile or trade with
someone who can make them for you.

As for food, you really need reliable sources of protein. meat protein is
the best (although vegans may argue with you on that). Poultry and their
eggs, fish, and wild game are probably the most cost effective way to get
your protein. But you have to feed the captive critters and free ranging it
probably is not the answer. So you will need something to feed your
chickens (insert rabbits, goats, turkeys, whatever your favorite critter to
eat is). You either have to grow that or acquire it from someone else.
Growing grain is not trivial on such a small scale, in many ways its much
easier on a harge scale.. The scale is so small, mechanization is
impractical, so you are forced to work 15 hours a day to bring in a small
grain crop to feed the critters. You can also divert some of that to your
own uses, but then you have to grow even more.

The point I was trying to get through (and probably failed) was that the
more skills you have to have the less likely you are to be competent in any
of them. Intensive gardening is something I have a little experience with
and its something you spend a lot of time and effort on to grow enough food
to be useful. And if you have to skip as short a period of time as even a
week of tending to your crops, you may never catch up.

Before I would trust my life to such a scheme, i would want to do some
personal research - like planting a small scale intensive garden and keeping
track of just how much work it is, and how much food was gleaned from it.
Keep in mind that in the scenario you envision you will need to work with
non-hybrid seeds which have a lot of disadvantages compared to hyrbid seeds.
You will need to learnt te difference and how to save seeds for the next
crop. This in itself can be a lot of work. I have tried this as well - and
trust me the few dollars saved on seeds is not worth it, unless of course
you have no alternative. :-)

BTW - 1/4 acre sounds like a small plot, but its a huge amount of work. Its
about 1/4 the size of the garden we planted every summer when I was a kid.
We probably spent a total of 20-40 hours a week keeping it up.

On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 22:34:12 -0600, "Bob Peterson"
said:


"North" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 14:11:23 -0600, "Bob Peterson"
said:

Lots of people claim lots of things. I would be inclined to do some
personal research before I would just my life to something I saw in a
book.
This type of farming is very difficult to sustain and takes a lot of
work.
You could well be in deep trouble if you were forced to stop work for a
week
or two due to injury, illness, or some other reason. or what if a storm
came through and destroyed your crops? or a horde of grasshoppers? even
a
herd of deer could decimate your garden very quickly.

personally I suspect you can do a lot on 5 good acres with a continuous
water source, but I am leery of trusting my life to such a small area.

I remember an old saying "Which can you spare more of ? Back or Brians
? "
I use the raised bed method of gardening. My total garden size is less
than 1/4 acres and I trow away 3 times as much food as my family (5 in
all) eat in a years time from this garden. Its a lot of work keeping
the soil good. Chicken wire and 2x4 frames keep the deer and harsh
rains from destorying the garden. A small green house gives me a big
jump on the growing season. Of course this is only a veggie garden, I
would need far more land to grow grain. BTW, for my familys needs, its
by far cheaper for me to buy or barter grain than it is to grow it.


You can grow a lot of veggies in a small garden, but veggies are not really
the bulk of anyone's diet (or at least should not be). The OP was talking
about going off in the middle of nowhere and relying entirely on his plot of
land for all his needs.

First off, its pretty silly as you will not be able to grow/make a lot of
things you will need (like clothing, drugs, glassware, tools, etc, etc,
etc...). These are things you will either have to stockpile or trade with
someone who can make them for you.

As for food, you really need reliable sources of protein. meat protein is
the best (although vegans may argue with you on that). Poultry and their
eggs, fish, and wild game are probably the most cost effective way to get
your protein. But you have to feed the captive critters and free ranging it
probably is not the answer. So you will need something to feed your
chickens (insert rabbits, goats, turkeys, whatever your favorite critter to
eat is). You either have to grow that or acquire it from someone else.
Growing grain is not trivial on such a small scale, in many ways its much
easier on a harge scale.. The scale is so small, mechanization is
impractical, so you are forced to work 15 hours a day to bring in a small
grain crop to feed the critters. You can also divert some of that to your
own uses, but then you have to grow even more.

The point I was trying to get through (and probably failed) was that the
more skills you have to have the less likely you are to be competent in any
of them. Intensive gardening is something I have a little experience with
and its something you spend a lot of time and effort on to grow enough food
to be useful. And if you have to skip as short a period of time as even a
week of tending to your crops, you may never catch up.

Before I would trust my life to such a scheme, i would want to do some
personal research - like planting a small scale intensive garden and keeping
track of just how much work it is, and how much food was gleaned from it.
Keep in mind that in the scenario you envision you will need to work with
non-hybrid seeds which have a lot of disadvantages compared to hyrbid seeds.
You will need to learnt te difference and how to save seeds for the next
crop. This in itself can be a lot of work. I have tried this as well - and
trust me the few dollars saved on seeds is not worth it, unless of course
you have no alternative. :-)

BTW - 1/4 acre sounds like a small plot, but its a huge amount of work. Its
about 1/4 the size of the garden we planted every summer when I was a kid.
We probably spent a total of 20-40 hours a week keeping it up.


I agree with everything you said.
I'm very lucky because my neighbor owns a deer farm. Plenty of deer
meat, more than I could ever eat in 10 life times.
I have set up an area on my land for wild rabbits to flourish.
Its an area with small shrubs and wild carrots. I purposely place
brush piles so the rabbits can have a place to hide and live. And it
works !!
One thing that a lot of folks forget is all the wild food growing.
I live in the Patomic highlands of West Virginia, we have 6 inches of
snow on the ground. Right now (at 11:45 PM in 15 degree F temps) I can
take a 5 gal bucket and within 1 hour I can gather enough greens to
eat for a week. They taste like shit, but tabasco sauce helps a lot
G In the spring and summer, I can gather the same amount in 5
minutes and its much better tasting. (ya just gotta know what to look
for )
There is a lot of edibles growing in winter, they just taste like
shit. With that in mind, the best tasting edibles in winter are the
things that breath and walk.

If you ever get a chance to cook with "Lemon Grass", try larding a
rabbit with bacon and lemon grass, Low temp bake for a couple of
hours, its heaven.

FWIW, Larding is when you cut 1x2 inch cuts all over the rabbit and
stuffing the cuts with uncooked bacon or some kind of tasty fat G.

Although people have talked about the work, the land, the crops, and maybe
the animals, you really have to think about your caloric needs, and what is
practical/possible to grow to supply those. Vegetables are great, (my
favorites), but most are low in calories, so they won't supply the energy
you need to do the farming. For that you need concentrated sources of
carbohydrates. A large quantity of potatoes can be grown on small plots,
which is how the Irish survived when most of their most farmable land was
owned by the English. When potatoes are your SOLE source of carbohydrates,
you are probably talking something like 5 pounds per day....Grains like
wheat need a fair amount of land to grow, as only a tiny part of the plant
translates into useable food. Most cereal grains, like wheat,corn and oats,
need more land, but less intensive cultivation, except at planting and
harvest time. (In biblical times, didn't they just scratch the ground and
then throw the seed on the field out of bags or something?) Some of the
small grains eaten whole, such as quinoa and amaranth, could probably be
grown on a much smaller plot and could provide a good carbohydrate
alternative to potatoes - as well as adding some needed variety - but only
if you like their taste. I think buckwheat can also be grown compactly, as
it is not a true grain. Root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, and
rutabagas are also pretty good sources of carbohydrates - and carrots too,
if eaten in quantity. Hard winter squash is also a pretty good source of
carbohydrates. That might need more land if you are going to plant enough to
last through the winter.
With a total vegetarian diet, you will also need to think about sources
of fat. It would be a good idea to plant a nut tree - however, it might be
15-25 years before you get an impressive crop.
Beans, dried peas, and other legumes can supply the majority of
protein needs, but again, you have to like them - and you have to have a
successful crop. Most people would want to have eggs for an additional
protein source, but keeping chickens adds another layer of work to a
one-person operation. If you wanted milk, then you are talking about cows
and/or goats, which again, add another layer of work - and more land
requirements - as well as setting aside some land solely for grazing.
In some cultures, certain types of insects are eaten as sources of
protein - for example, termites. But that might be hard for a person from
Western Cultures to stomach.
"Down Under On The Bucket Farm" wrote in message
...
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?

I am willing to eat anything that is healthy, preferably
remaining vegetarian (although I am quite willing to have
chickens for eggs, and perhaps a goat for milk.)

This would involve one person living alone, in decent physical
condition, willing to do hard work and learn whatever is needed.

I realise that the yearly food yield will have to be spread out
via preserving, canning, etc.

My "day job" can be done remotely, via wireless Internet
connection, with flexible hours, thus leaving time and
opportunity for extensive gardening/farming, etc.

I do understand the risk of, for example, having a bad year, bad
weather, etc, and so would have money set aside to buy food in
that case. But the plan is to avoid that if at all possible.

I live in New Zealand, with plenty of rain in winter, but also
reasonable sunshine in summer.

So... How many acres of flat, farm-able land will I need?


Thanks in advance!

-V.

--
Guide To DIY Living
http://www.self-reliance.co.nz
(Work in progress)

I realise that the yearly food yield will have to be spread out
via preserving, canning, etc.

My "day job" can be done remotely, via wireless Internet
connection, with flexible hours, thus leaving time and
opportunity for extensive gardening/farming, etc.


I get the feeling that the OP here thinks that the gardening and canning
and preserving can be done in his spare time while working "flexible hours"
or he can work "flexible hours" in his spare time from working at gardening,
canning and preserving.

I was raise on a subistance farm (actual a regular farm where we raised 90%
of what we eat). We didn't have elect. or running water and my father farmed
with horses up until the mid '40s. Yes I even went to a one room school
house until I went into 5th grade.

Ok, my point. It is damn near a full time job to garden on a large scale
for full subsistance. My mother and father both worked in the family garden
in addition to tilling the soil to produce cash crops.

When it came canning time I was weeks of very hard hot work to 'put up'
hundreds of quarts or pints of fruits and vegitables. This is serious
business since we didn't buy any canned goods. For meat we would butcher one
hog for the year and split a beef cow with about 6-8 other families..
Without electricity we were forced to rent a freezer locker in 'the locker
plant' in the nearest town.. Chickens are a given on any subsistance farm,
mainly for the eggs. The only time we eat chicken was when they would get a
little older and stop laying.. By this time they were only suited for
broiling or boiling.. Nothing like KFC. Usually we could have chicken a
couple times a month.. With out refrig. it was difficult to gather and keep
enough eggs to sell commercially. Chicken feed was something that we often
had to purchase.

Just some of my memories.

Steve

On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 23:40:59 -0800, "Steve" wrote:
I get the feeling that the OP here thinks that the gardening and canning
and preserving can be done in his spare time while working "flexible hours"
or he can work "flexible hours" in his spare time from working at gardening,
canning and preserving.

I was raise on a subistance farm (actual a regular farm where we raised 90%
of what we eat). We didn't have elect. or running water and my father farmed
with horses up until the mid '40s. Yes I even went to a one room school
house until I went into 5th grade.

Ok, my point. It is damn near a full time job to garden on a large scale
for full subsistance. My mother and father both worked in the family garden
in addition to tilling the soil to produce cash crops.

When it came canning time I was weeks of very hard hot work to 'put up'
hundreds of quarts or pints of fruits and vegitables. This is serious
business since we didn't buy any canned goods. For meat we would butcher one
hog for the year and split a beef cow with about 6-8 other families..
Without electricity we were forced to rent a freezer locker in 'the locker
plant' in the nearest town.. Chickens are a given on any subsistance farm,
mainly for the eggs. The only time we eat chicken was when they would get a
little older and stop laying.. By this time they were only suited for
broiling or boiling.. Nothing like KFC. Usually we could have chicken a
couple times a month.. With out refrig. it was difficult to gather and keep
enough eggs to sell commercially. Chicken feed was something that we often
had to purchase.

Just some of my memories.

Mine too. About the only things we bought at the store were salt, sugar,
baking soda, and coffee. Our way out was to rent enough land to actually
make a living at farming, and do all our grocery shopping at the grocery
store instead of trying to grow it ourselves. That was a much better use
of our time and resources. Eventually, the only things we grew for the
table at home were tomatoes.

Gary

snip

Grains are not that difficult, and can be harvested with a hand mower
(scythe), and hand winnowed and prepared.

1/4 acre of buckwheat / wheat / other grains will provide enough for a
family of four usually when combined with other foods.

Here is a good source for grains and other biointensive gardening info /
supplies:

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/seed...rains-seed.htm
l

I think five acres would be more than sufficient if you apply permaculture
type efforts. Remember one effort / multiple returns is best.

Strongly advise at least one acre pond, with running water, or solar well to
keep it full. Fish are protean, and can also attract ducks.

Consider foraging as addition to farming.

Look at Tappan on Survival for some more subsistance farming / foraging
ideas.

"House Todorovich" wrote in message
...

snip

Grains are not that difficult, and can be harvested with a hand mower
(scythe), and hand winnowed and prepared.

1/4 acre of buckwheat / wheat / other grains will provide enough for a
family of four usually when combined with other foods.



Ever actually done this? or is this just an 'educated guess"?

Here is a good source for grains and other biointensive gardening info /
supplies:


http://www.bountifulgardens.org/seed...rains-seed.htm
l

I think five acres would be more than sufficient if you apply permaculture
type efforts. Remember one effort / multiple returns is best.

Strongly advise at least one acre pond, with running water, or solar well
to
keep it full. Fish are protean, and can also attract ducks.

Consider foraging as addition to farming.

Look at Tappan on Survival for some more subsistance farming / foraging
ideas.

Down Under On The Bucket Farm wrote:
...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?...

I do understand the risk of, for example, having a bad year, bad
weather, etc, and so would have money set aside to buy food in
that case. But the plan is to avoid that if at all possible.

I live in New Zealand, with plenty of rain in winter, but also
reasonable sunshine in summer...





No definite answer to this one. Too many variables. However, there is a
book, written probably in the 1940's (judging from the illustrations),
called "5 Acres and Independence", author's name escapes me at the
moment, but I think it starts with a K. It's full of receipes for
various necessities such as building your own septic tank, root crop
storage, etc., so although it's dated it might contain something of
value.

You will have to grow more than you need, because you will need some
money to buy (or trade for) stuff you can't grow (e.g. salt [unless you
have a salt mine or live by the sea])

Just Googled the book, author Maurice Kains. Available at Amazon.com
(reprint, paperback $7.95US, some used copies cheaper). Check your local
library.

If you look at Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/wom...en/garden.html

You can see what they did for subsistence living in North America 150
years ago. Corn & squash for carbohydrates, beans for protein,
sunflowers for fats, ground cherries for vitamins.
(She mentions buffalo scrotums & deer antlers as tools, but I don't
recall if she says how much meat they needed by hunting.)

Jeavons books aim at something like what you are interested in:

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/grow...e-books.html#1

I don't know if anyone ever actually lived exclusively on the produce
they grew in these little plots. Looks pretty hard to me.


Hope this helps,

--
Bob Mounger



gregpresley wrote:
Although people have talked about the work, the land, the crops, and maybe
the animals, you really have to think about your caloric needs, and what is
practical/possible to grow to supply those. Vegetables are great, (my
favorites), but most are low in calories, so they won't supply the energy
you need to do the farming. For that you need concentrated sources of
carbohydrates. A large quantity of potatoes can be grown on small plots,
which is how the Irish survived when most of their most farmable land was
owned by the English. When potatoes are your SOLE source of carbohydrates,
you are probably talking something like 5 pounds per day....Grains like
wheat need a fair amount of land to grow, as only a tiny part of the plant
translates into useable food. Most cereal grains, like wheat,corn and oats,
need more land, but less intensive cultivation, except at planting and
harvest time. (In biblical times, didn't they just scratch the ground and
then throw the seed on the field out of bags or something?) Some of the
small grains eaten whole, such as quinoa and amaranth, could probably be
grown on a much smaller plot and could provide a good carbohydrate
alternative to potatoes - as well as adding some needed variety - but only
if you like their taste. I think buckwheat can also be grown compactly, as
it is not a true grain. Root vegetables such as turnips, parsnips, and
rutabagas are also pretty good sources of carbohydrates - and carrots too,
if eaten in quantity. Hard winter squash is also a pretty good source of
carbohydrates. That might need more land if you are going to plant enough to
last through the winter.
With a total vegetarian diet, you will also need to think about sources
of fat. It would be a good idea to plant a nut tree - however, it might be
15-25 years before you get an impressive crop.
Beans, dried peas, and other legumes can supply the majority of
protein needs, but again, you have to like them - and you have to have a
successful crop. Most people would want to have eggs for an additional
protein source, but keeping chickens adds another layer of work to a
one-person operation. If you wanted milk, then you are talking about cows
and/or goats, which again, add another layer of work - and more land
requirements - as well as setting aside some land solely for grazing.
In some cultures, certain types of insects are eaten as sources of
protein - for example, termites. But that might be hard for a person from
Western Cultures to stomach.
"Down Under On The Bucket Farm" wrote in message
...

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?

I am willing to eat anything that is healthy, preferably
remaining vegetarian (although I am quite willing to have
chickens for eggs, and perhaps a goat for milk.)

This would involve one person living alone, in decent physical
condition, willing to do hard work and learn whatever is needed.

I realise that the yearly food yield will have to be spread out
via preserving, canning, etc.

My "day job" can be done remotely, via wireless Internet
connection, with flexible hours, thus leaving time and
opportunity for extensive gardening/farming, etc.

I do understand the risk of, for example, having a bad year, bad
weather, etc, and so would have money set aside to buy food in
that case. But the plan is to avoid that if at all possible.

I live in New Zealand, with plenty of rain in winter, but also
reasonable sunshine in summer.

So... How many acres of flat, farm-able land will I need?


Thanks in advance!

-V.

--
Guide To DIY Living
http://www.self-reliance.co.nz
(Work in progress)