More and more people are consuming what they can get and raise in their own backyards – all in an effort to provide their families with great savouring and safe food . study responsibility for one ’s own food for thought not only create healthier options – but helps to obviate artificial preservatives from diets . In addition – it can also entail consuming intellectual nourishment without the harmful chemical and pesticides that can be prevalent in grocery shop produce .
Canning is a great way to preserve your home - grown food – like this pasta sauce
We had that very goal in brain when we started our little plot of farming we call the “ farm ” in the fall of 2010 – to plainly become more creditworthy for the legal age of our own food .
Canning is a great way to preserve your home-grown food – like this pasta sauce
Where does one embark on ? Well , what it really boil down to is a picayune provision to insure that you encounter your intellectual nourishment goals .
Our program materialized when we sit down down and created 3 basic phases to attain our finish : 1 . establish a main garden for fresh food and keep 2 . make recollective - terminus perennial food sources , and 3 . Raising additional non - plant intellectual nourishment informant . ( In our typeface , chickens and bees )
Whatever you do , do n’t let the size of it of your land hold you back . Although our farm sits on a trivial over 3 acres we could easily fit everything we grow on 1/4 acre or less if need be . And even if you own no land at all – do n’t have put a stop to your design . There are quite a little of community gardens and assailable space that can be found – or partner up with someone who has the space and parcel in the bounty . As with any goal – if it means enough to you – there is always a fashion to be establish !
We love peppers in everything – so we grow lots of them!
One final tip – when you produce your plan – make it specific to you and your family !
We love peppers in everything – so we grow lots of them !
If you like dozens of garlic , Malus pumila and Zea mays – then by all way that is what you should be planting . If you love testis – then chickens make sense . But just because beets happen to grow particularly well in your dirt – it does no commodity to grow 100 of them if you and your fellowship wo n’t deplete them.(see : How we stock our dwelling house grown food market store )
The garden provides plenty of fresh food – and fills our pantry with canned goods as well!
So – if you really want to start really originate and raising what you eat – here are the 3 canonic edifice block to project for :
1.Establish A Garden :
Any style you slice it – the garden will always hold the lion ’s share of the ability to feed your fellowship the year round .
Our grapes are a long-term food source for us
The garden provides heap of fresh food – and sate our larder with dismiss goods as well !
begin small and keep it accomplishable . It ’s about unsufferable to grow all of your kin ’s food for thought – and it certainly ca n’t be done in the first year or two . But when you originate a garden , and begin to grow your own tomatoes , cucumbers and peppers – the next matter you lie with is that beyond fresh salads and vegetable in the summer – you get down to can your own mess , green bean , salsa , and pasta sauce . Then get along freezing your own sweet corn and soup and stews .
Before you know it – your garden is providing you and your family more of the intellectual nourishment you eat up each day.(see : 30 recipe to self - sufficiency )
The girls milling about looking for a mid afternoon snack
If you have a plot out back – put in a garden . If you have a terrace , make some patio planters and develop potted veggie . If you have neither – then find someone who does and rent a small plot , or conjoin a community garden and make your space and get develop . Our garden is truly the centerpiece of our farm and our food life now – and we would n’t trade in it for the world!(see : Simple Raised Row Gardening )
2 . Establish Perennial Food Sources
Although the garden will always be the principal source of year round food – it also requires the most effort . One direction to provide additional food with less long terminus endeavour is through the establishment of repeated solid food source . Planting and turn yield trees , nut tree and chaparral along with repeated harvest such as Asparagus officinales , strawberries , blueberries , blackberries , grapes and more can make a huge incision in your year circle food goals .
We use a lot of honey throughout the course of a year – it is a great replacement for sugar
Our grape are a long - term food source for us
The key to perennial intellectual nourishment sources is that they keep make back yr after year with a fraction of the care your garden needs . Another plus – apples , nuts , grape vine and Charles Edward Berry of all types have so many additional United States in jams , jellies , pies and a 10000 of other dishes .
Without perennial sources of food – it becomes hard to grow as much as you need without consume all of your spare time dig and planting.(see : How to plant yield trees this crepuscle )
3 . prove Additional Non - Plant Food Sources
In addition to what you may grow – what you stir can be a big key to the success of your plan . In our case – it has been our chickens and honey bee . Not only have been able to provide through their egg and honey – but they have also played a huge theatrical role in our garden ’s success .
The girlfriend milling about looking for a mid afternoon snack
chicken not only provide a capital amount of nutritive and delicious eggs for your household – the additional benefits they bring home the bacon for your garden and home are amazing !
poulet help keep worm populations in halt – and the plant food they provide your compost pile can supply your garden and flowerbeds with all the lifelike fertiliser you will ever need.(see : Why Raising Chickens and a Garden Go Hand in Hand )
The Bees are the Keys –
We use a lot of honey throughout the course of a year – it is a great replacement for sugar
And it go without saying that any good nurseryman will want the benefits that a hive or two of bee can bring to their harvest – not to mention the incredible honey they bring about as the by - product .
For us – the two have been a perfect addition to what we turn . Of naturally , there are many more option as well for those that want to erect other type of farm animal – again – the cay is to grow and raise what you wish .
Happy Homesteading !
Jim and Mary – Old World Garden farm
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