In the world of fast technology, and soaring prices everyone wants to get the food that can keep them healthy and competitive. But most of the time, they end up on food that is commercially grown using different scientific means. People are curious to know whether they can do it by themselves or not.
Yes, you can. It is a little bit hard to become self-sufficient, but we can try. We can try. As a normal family of 4, you can grow most of the food items by yourself. It is not that hard. However, it needs careful planning and consideration.
How Much Land Is Required To Fulfill The Feeding Needs Of A Family Of 4
It has been a continuous discussion about how much land is enough to feed a normal family of 4. There can be fewer or more members in the family, but the average normal size of the family reaches to an extent of 4. So, how to feed them as becoming almost self-sufficientin a limited space of the land?
Experts have varying opinions regarding the required land to feed a family of 4. Because it depends on various factors. It can be soil and the state of the soil. it can be climate as well.
How Many Acres To Feed A Family Of 4?
So, after a long discussion over a period of time, it has been established that space of land between 1 acre to 2 acres is enough to feed a normal family of 4. It is because different people have different requirements. Some are vegetarians and some eat meat also. So it varies.
But there is a condition. You need to put proper planning, education, and steadiness in the mix. Otherwise, it is not possible to achieve so easily.
It is because some lands/ people/ climates in the world are especially highly favorable for some crops and other items grown on farms. If we don’t use proper planning and education, we cannot achieve such efficiency and effectiveness. Then it will be costlier for us to grow on our own.
Make a Plan First
It is important to note that you need proper planning, education, and activeness to get your priorities right in terms of feeding your family. It will help obviously because you will plan, then through knowledge, you will go for such crops, and items which are beneficial and have high production.
Along with that, your activeness will add fuel to fire. Because you will have to get maximum from the land, in a minimum time and resources. Then you will have to be active and steady to observe the situation and then act accordingly.
It is possible that you might find it hard, but actually, it is not hard. You just need to keep track of your activities and then switch to the most productive ones.
What To Follow Before Growing Up To Feed A Family Of 4?
You must plan, and research before going for growing to feed a family of 4. You should assess the strengths you have got, and opportunities and threats in the environment that are out of your control, any deficiencies that you need to get rid of before going into action.
Climate
Keep in view the climate of the area. Because it is a factor that is not in your control. Go through the past data, events, and happenings. This will help you to adjust your choices and activities accordingly.
Also, you would be able to arrange the supplies for precautionary measures to tackle any climate-related activities.
Soil and Water Supply
Knowing about soil is important. You would be able to know what deficiencies the soil has. Then you would be able to enrich the soil with organic fertilizers or the fertilizers suggested for particular deficiencies.
Also, you would be able to add the security arrangements if required around the space.
Water is the most important ingredient for the growth of crops and related items. You need to check whether the supply of water is good or not. Also, whether the water is suitable for farming or not. If there is any problem, you can fix it in advance.
Because if a problem arises in terms of water supply after the cultivation has started, you might lose all of your investment. It is as essential as air for you. So keep track of the water resources, and keep them aligned with the requirements you have in the space.
Goals and Expenses
You need to set the right priorities. You need to decide whether you want to grow and feed on essential items like vegetables only, fruit only or you want a mixture of all. The decision regarding goals will help you to decide which crop/ item to grow.
You can decide by looking into your lifestyle, your preferences, and likings, etc. It is important because then you will have to align your efforts according to the goals you have got.
Once you have set your goals, say you want maximum items to feed your family of 4. You need to peep into expenses. There is a need to check what you have to spare for these efforts. You will have to align your expenses with your goals.
You will need funds. Because there are a lot of things which you will have to do. Like, such as buying seeds, also some machinery, and items to deal with the crop and other farming items. There will be a need to build chicken tractors and sheds if you want meat supply. Also, these expenses will decide how much you can grow.
Layout and Design
Once you have got everything right, you will have to set your layout and design of the space. Because you are going to get the maximum of the limited space you need to be planned.
You will have to plan the trees, their placement, intercropping, and how all this will be adjusted. It will help you in effectiveness.
Read More:
- How To Become Self-Sufficient In ¼ Acres
- How Much Food Can You Grow In One Acre?
- Best Animals To Raise On 1 Acre Of Land
What To Grow In 1 To 2 Acres To Feed A Family Of 4?
As of now,all the things have been decided and you are good to go. You might be wondering what to grow. You would have figured it out while seeing into your lifestyle and preferences. We are going to discuss some of the combinations which can be helpful.
Fruit Trees
Fruits are an important part of life. They provide essential nutrients to the body which are important for good growth and development. It is important to note that you should try the fruits which are native in the area. You would be able to get a good amount of fruit.
Place the trees randomly, not in one line. Place them in a way that they do not block air/ sunlight for other crops and vegetables.
Vegetables
Vegetables are an important portion of food. You can try a mixture of any vegetable plants. You just need to plant beet, carrots, reddish, chilies, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. in a proper spaced way. So that if you are planning the chickens for meat requirements you can keep these chickens there.
15 to 20 plants of each vegetable are good enough to feed a family of 4. You need to switch quickly. Once a vegetable has ended you should have a proper alternative. This will keep the space busy and you would be able to get vegetable supply throughout the year with variety.
Cereals
Cereals are an important part of life. You need them as these are used in almost every form of the product. Wheat and corn are two important bowls of cereals used widely. You can add millet to it as well. These are important crops used in daily life most of the time.
For cereals, it is good to divide the land into patches and grow the cereals. Usually, these cereals grow in their own vicinity and have very less companion plants.
It is good to grow these cereals separately because their water requirements, their pesticides, and other requirement are different.
So it is good to pant these cereals separately. It will help in getting a good quantity of yield from these cereals.
Meat and Honey
To meet the meat requirements, you can have chicken tractors, in which you will keep the chicken and move them in the area. Also, you will have to build a shed for them. You can add 3 to 5 goats. Goats multiply quickly and also can supply milk.
For honey, you would have to buy bee hive boxes. 5 to 10 boxes are enough for a family of 4 to feed. Even from these boxes, you would be able to save honey as well.
Harvesting and Preservation
Timely harvesting is important as timely cultivation. You will be able to get maximum yield once the crop is on time. Harvest the crops items according to guidelines.
You can preserve the food by freezing, canning, and drying. It will help you in feeding your family over time.
In short, you can feed a family of 4 on 1 to 2 acres, by following the planning, education, and steadiness in the process.
Keep Reading:
- Best Animals For Small Homesteads
- Ultimate List Of Homesteading Skills
- Getting Ready For Winter For Homestead
