Veg One Circle: Growing a Complete Diet in 1,000SF
- Thread starter Toosh
- Start date
It might depend on your geographic location, access to dependable water, soil type and amendments.
That said, if I was at my BOL what I would grow and when is different from if I was here at our primary home. I’ve got access to basically 365 growing days and I wouldn’t even have to use a hoop house to make that happen, just the correct plants planted at the correct times. The BOL isn’t much less than that but I would, by necessity, have to do some plant protection.
We still work too much and travel too much to be able to raise chickens but at our BOL we have plenty of wild turkey - last time we were up there I counted over a dozen just in one group - and lots of decent sized deer. At our primary home I have access to fish, gator, turtle, and apple snails in the swamp behind our house, edible landscaping in the yard including a large carambola tree that has two fruiting seasons, pineapples, oranges, kumquats, loquats, oranges, lemons, mulberries and several other things that I am propagating. My hood pear trees, both here and at the BOL, should start producing more by next year. I have a plum tree and a couple of other things as well. Both locations also have plenty of prickly pears in season.
That said, if I was at my BOL what I would grow and when is different from if I was here at our primary home. I’ve got access to basically 365 growing days and I wouldn’t even have to use a hoop house to make that happen, just the correct plants planted at the correct times. The BOL isn’t much less than that but I would, by necessity, have to do some plant protection.
We still work too much and travel too much to be able to raise chickens but at our BOL we have plenty of wild turkey - last time we were up there I counted over a dozen just in one group - and lots of decent sized deer. At our primary home I have access to fish, gator, turtle, and apple snails in the swamp behind our house, edible landscaping in the yard including a large carambola tree that has two fruiting seasons, pineapples, oranges, kumquats, loquats, oranges, lemons, mulberries and several other things that I am propagating. My hood pear trees, both here and at the BOL, should start producing more by next year. I have a plum tree and a couple of other things as well. Both locations also have plenty of prickly pears in season.
AlaskaSue
North to the Future
I’m as far from my friend Kathy as you can get on this continent. She has many more days to grow all the things I can only wish for. But I can grow greens like kale, collards, spinach, plus cabbages, winter squash, beets, turnips, rutabagas..plus carrots, onions, garlics, and many herbs…not to mention gathering in the wild. No tortoise or gators, but porcupine and deer. Moose, buff, caribou, and maybe that bear. Mostly the huge variety of fresh fish and seafood. Then we can talk forage. All the berries, wild roots…it really is even amazing and I should document some of this bounty.
Martinhouse
Deceased
I think I could do this with a 25' x 40' garden plot. The sides would nave to be various heights of strong fencing that would support vines like peas, squash, a few cucumbers and maybe sweet potatoes. There would need to be wide plots with as little space as possible used as pathways. I'd go heavy on high nutrition foods and likely I'd use a quarter of the plot, if not more, just for potatoes.
Right now I have a greenhouse attached to the south side of my house and this coming year, I'm going eliminate most of the flowers and see how much real food I can grow in 40 containers which are each half of a 55 gallon food grade plastic barrel. Plus I've just added about 2 1/2 dozen of the old style black nursery pots that are three and four gallon size and I could grow plenty of things like carrots and onions in those. I use plastic oil change pans as saucers under most of these smaller pots.There are also 5/8" rebars firmly attached to the overhead frame all around the sides of this greenhouse and they are strong enough for several dozen hanging pots.
This greenhouse is 18' x 25' plus it also encloses a 4' wide sidewalk running the entire 24' end of the house that could be cleaned out and make room for more growing containers. This would total half of the 1000 sq. feet suggested in the OP.
This greenhouse can extend my growing season a whole lot, but, but if volcanoes keep erupting and there is more cloud nucleation caused by cosmic and solar radiation, I don't see how we'll have enough sun to grow much of anything as we get into the deeper part of the Grand Solar Minimum. I suspect there's been more than one "Year without a summer" in our past and I see no reason to expect that we'll be spared that particular gardener's delight.
Right now I have a greenhouse attached to the south side of my house and this coming year, I'm going eliminate most of the flowers and see how much real food I can grow in 40 containers which are each half of a 55 gallon food grade plastic barrel. Plus I've just added about 2 1/2 dozen of the old style black nursery pots that are three and four gallon size and I could grow plenty of things like carrots and onions in those. I use plastic oil change pans as saucers under most of these smaller pots.There are also 5/8" rebars firmly attached to the overhead frame all around the sides of this greenhouse and they are strong enough for several dozen hanging pots.
This greenhouse is 18' x 25' plus it also encloses a 4' wide sidewalk running the entire 24' end of the house that could be cleaned out and make room for more growing containers. This would total half of the 1000 sq. feet suggested in the OP.
This greenhouse can extend my growing season a whole lot, but, but if volcanoes keep erupting and there is more cloud nucleation caused by cosmic and solar radiation, I don't see how we'll have enough sun to grow much of anything as we get into the deeper part of the Grand Solar Minimum. I suspect there's been more than one "Year without a summer" in our past and I see no reason to expect that we'll be spared that particular gardener's delight.
Last edited:
OldAndCrazy
Pureblood Forever
Cattle panels are your friend to add vertical square footage.
West
Senior
As Kathy pointed out, location and soil prep.
Just the thread title gives me fire to clean out the chicken coop and goat barn and get some more cattle manure from my neighbor. Then pile it all high in a sunny area. Then add our own compost and turn the massive pile at least once a month. Starting this month.
Our biggest problems would be bugs, especially the Chinese vine bug or squash bugs and alike. If growing organic.
Just the thread title gives me fire to clean out the chicken coop and goat barn and get some more cattle manure from my neighbor. Then pile it all high in a sunny area. Then add our own compost and turn the massive pile at least once a month. Starting this month.
Our biggest problems would be bugs, especially the Chinese vine bug or squash bugs and alike. If growing organic.
How to grow More Vegetables by Jeavons is still avail.
I find it very hard to believe that you are going to be able to get all your calories off 1000 sq ft. Especially if you are an active man. Most of those estimates run 3500-4000 cals. It would take a lot of outside inputs to sustain soil nutrients and fertility for any length of time. Maybe if you were an expert gardener in an ideal climate.
Personally what I would grow for a survival garden would be corn, beans, squash, potatoes and root veggies. We have a long winter and all of those store well in a cellar. For oils sunflowers. We would also have to supplement with acorns nuts and fruits.
I find it very hard to believe that you are going to be able to get all your calories off 1000 sq ft. Especially if you are an active man. Most of those estimates run 3500-4000 cals. It would take a lot of outside inputs to sustain soil nutrients and fertility for any length of time. Maybe if you were an expert gardener in an ideal climate.
Personally what I would grow for a survival garden would be corn, beans, squash, potatoes and root veggies. We have a long winter and all of those store well in a cellar. For oils sunflowers. We would also have to supplement with acorns nuts and fruits.
Yeah, that book is, but I vaguely recall one by him about growing all the food you need in your backyard, or something like that. Can't find it now.
Quote....
"We would also have to supplement with acorns nuts and fruits."
And communist, and lots of BBQ sauce.
Once it gets into the pot at that point meat is meat!!!
My garden is about 100 X 100 feet and I can grow a lot in that space just not at the same time
I have a long growing season (if I can irrigate or get rain) but I grow 3 gardens in the same space
early spring--early summer and then fall
I also forage when things are available
My wife and I have tried to expand what we produce and store every year --this year was a very good year
But we need to improve as we are growing and/or harvesting only about 50-60% of what we eat at best
I have a long growing season (if I can irrigate or get rain) but I grow 3 gardens in the same space
early spring--early summer and then fall
I also forage when things are available
My wife and I have tried to expand what we produce and store every year --this year was a very good year
But we need to improve as we are growing and/or harvesting only about 50-60% of what we eat at best
I know --but in the space that I have I cannot grow all that my wife and I need for a year in my location and I am zone 8
I realize that I am not the most efficient user of growing area but trying to grow a years worth of food in a 20X50 is a daunting task
Oh, I agree. All those "grow all your food in xxx Square feet" either are in optimum climates or have extended infrastructure (greenhouses, etc). But I flat out don't believe it can be done in 1000 Square feet.
I grew *most* of our food (all our veggies, some fruit- melons)in a 60 X 100' kitchen garden, for a family of 6. As the kids grew and my desire for self sufficiency got a push from horrible milk,prices, I added a half acre garden for sweet corn, Irish potatoes, vine crops, sunflowers and Flint corn. Pumpkins, sunflower seeds and grain corn fed chickens and pigs.
Granted, we were in Zone 5a-b (changed by at least half a zone in the past 40 years), so max 120 day growing season.
But truthfully, most places have long stretches which are either too hot or too cold for plants. And I personally find the schedule which gives us several months off from growing and processing to be practical. A root cellar let's us have fresh vegetables (cabbage, carrots, beets, celery) and fruit (apples, watermelons, winter pears)
Summerthyme
I pulled out my copy of Jeavons last night. The first thing is that he has 3 stages, a beginner, intermediate and expert and in the charts they all have different yields. Part of that is experience but part of that is your soil improvements/conditioning over time. Unless you have a ton of gardening experience and fantastic soil you are not going to get close to the yields projected in the book. Dont count on those max yields. At best I would use the beginner yields or even half the beginners yields. And have a plan for a total crop failure.
ioujc
MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
I used to have that book!!
Some CREEP stole it from my storage shed!!>>>>In fact, they stole ALL of my gardening books!
ioujc
MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
I would grow>>>>
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
POLE BEANS!!
Amaranth>>>human and animal food
Hull less barley>>>human and animal food
Pumpkins>>>>human and animal food
Corn>>>>>would be iffy, because it is a space HOG and pretty finicky too + it would be only for the animals!
Cabbage
Broccoli
Beets
Mangels>>>>for animal feed
Turnips>>>hate them>>>more for animal feed
Garlic
Onions
Jerusalem Artichokes
Roma tomatoes only>>>>not all juice and seeds
Peppers>>>a lovely extra if there is room
Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
POLE BEANS!!
Amaranth>>>human and animal food
Hull less barley>>>human and animal food
Pumpkins>>>>human and animal food
Corn>>>>>would be iffy, because it is a space HOG and pretty finicky too + it would be only for the animals!
Cabbage
Broccoli
Beets
Mangels>>>>for animal feed
Turnips>>>hate them>>>more for animal feed
Garlic
Onions
Jerusalem Artichokes
Roma tomatoes only>>>>not all juice and seeds
Peppers>>>a lovely extra if there is room
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Maybe 1,000 s.f. per person is what was meant? Still not enough unless you are getting your staples (calorie crops) from other sources, though. My fenced kitchen garden is 32' X 52'; this year I'm adding a 10' X 20' hoop greenhouse to that. Still under a 1,000 s.f. for each of us (two people in the household). Add to that the free-range goats, and chickens (half a dozen bantams in a coop right now), and ALSO add another fenced bit of land I hope to get prepared this year -- it's a paddock off the old barn, about 30' X 80'-90' -- and we might, just might, manage to come close to feeding ourselves. We're in zone 6b, so we have a winter season where we can't grow anything.
Kathleen
Kathleen
ioujc
MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Yes, it is! Temp in my office (with a heater going) is now up to 57 degrees! (We just bundle up and keep going.)
ioujc
MARANTHA!! Even so, come LORD JESUS!!!
Interesting note>>>>
I ran out of corn for all the critters about three days ago. The goats are used to grazing and the chickens are free range, so it is not an emergency, however I generally like to supplement their grazing and ranging by offering grain a couple of times a week.
In my preps, I have a 5 gallon bucket of milo that I was going to plant at some point. It is untreated and fine for feed. I offered some to both the chickens and goats, and you would have thought it was an ice cream sundae or something!! Talk about SCARFING it down!!
I think I will be planting MILO in my garden this coming Spring for the animals!!
I ran out of corn for all the critters about three days ago. The goats are used to grazing and the chickens are free range, so it is not an emergency, however I generally like to supplement their grazing and ranging by offering grain a couple of times a week.
In my preps, I have a 5 gallon bucket of milo that I was going to plant at some point. It is untreated and fine for feed. I offered some to both the chickens and goats, and you would have thought it was an ice cream sundae or something!! Talk about SCARFING it down!!
I think I will be planting MILO in my garden this coming Spring for the animals!!
West
Senior
I've got a bunch volunteer Milo growing from common fancy scratch that I usually feed the chickens. All around a feeding station for the deer. Cause I used that for bait when I ran out or whole corn.
Great idea.
China Connection
TB Fanatic
*One Circle: How to Grow a Complete Diet in 1,000 S.F.*
A book review and my FNV
By: TooshieGalore
22 November 2016
A book review and my FNV
By: TooshieGalore
22 November 2016
If you HAD to garden to survive… If you knew that you could eat only from your garden… Which plants would you grow and how much would you grow of each? This book answers those questions. Author David Duhon provides several planting guides for growing a complete diet in less than 1,000SF.
Let me start by saying that this is NOT a garden book. The author recommends noted gardening books for the reader needing to learn gardening basics. This is book helps the reader to develop a strategy for planting a survival garden. This is a book that shows how to meet 100% RDA nutritional needs from a garden.
Chapter One begins with an list of macro and micro nutrients in a healthy diet for both men and women and outlines specific crops that are nutrient dense, space efficient and that store well without a lot of preservation. The main crops chosen by the author are Collards, Filberts, Garlic, Onions, Parsley, Parsnips, Peanuts, Potatoes, Soybeans, Sweet Potatoes, Sunflowers, Turnips and Wheat. However, the reader also gets suggestions for alternative crops, for taste. 240 of the 1,000SF are allocated to filbert trees.
I was mostly interested in the woman’s prototype diet. 4.45 lbs of food per day, 2,027 calories, 68g protein, 386g carbs, 32g fat including 197% RDA of calcium, 123% iron, and 1356% Vitamin C, The men’s prototype diet is about 30% more of everything.
The author lays out sample planting guides, with two year planting schedules, and suggests keeping things as simple as possible. He assumes an eight month growing season. They are, in my opinion, oversimplified but they answered my question, “How do I get started?” I am not a vegetarian, but in the spirit of learning survival-gardening, I dedicated 1,000SF of my growing area to this plan.
I added two filbert trees that where two years old. I had to order them online. They adapted easily and appear happy in my yard. With any luck I’ll harvest filberts next year.
I added a bunch of tree collards. I’m told that tree collards are perennial in my area – I hope so. I like perennial and self-seeding crops. These are interesting nice looking crops, growing about 5’ tall. I planted them in the front yard, interspaced among ornamental grasses to fill in a few sparse areas. They look right at home and I like that none of the neighbors knew they were edible.
I’ve tried several new recipes for collards, parsnips, soybeans, and turnips. I learned that my family will eat them with a bit of creativity in preparation and seasoning. I’ve started working these crops into our weekly meals.
I planted one sunflower in a square foot and planted a 10’x4’ area. Then I staked the area and tied string around it to support the plants as they grew. My Mammoth Sunflowers grew to about 10’ tall. Once their heads, heavy with seeds fell over, I covered the heads in a brown paper bag to protect them from the birds. I now have 14 gallon-size mason jars filled with roasted sunflower seeds.
I have what I think is enough garlic, onions, parsnips, peanuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes and turnips in my root cellar to feed us for about a year. These crops were prolific in producing even though we didn’t have what I thought was a great growing season. I’ve had to re-think and re-do my cellar area to add more capacity.
I found it easy to grow wheat but not so easy to thrash and process it. It was a lot of work for what seemed like not a lot of berries. I’m looking for a better method for next year.
I haven’t subjected family to eating only these foods, but rather I’m incorporating these foods into our regular meals. But now I have the experience and am confident that I can grow a nutritious garden that will keep us healthy in hard times.
In summary, the garden was easy to plan, plant and grow. The crops are productive and thus far seem to do well in storage. There were few surprises. I recommend this book as a strategy in what to grow for hard times.
The book is published low-budget. 8 1/2” x 11”, typed, double spaced with 1/2” margins. Very few line drawings. No eye candy. Spiral bound. Black and white. Paper card stock cover. 195 pages. But it is chocked full of substantive, well researched info. (with footnotes and a bibliography). Contributions from John Jeavons.
Available on Amazon. More expensive than the average gardening book, but well worth the money for the nutrition info and plans, in my opinion.
Amazon.com
TooshieGalore
China Connection
TB Fanatic
One Circle: How to Grow a Complete Diet in Less Than 1,000 Square Feet Paperback – June 1, 1985
by David Duhon (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
See all formats and editions
Ecology Action Books, 1985. 199 pg. softcover, with a couple blank worksheets at the end. Clean, solid book with some creasing and edge wear to the front cover. No serious defects. Many graphs and tables illustrating the many aspects of this comprehensive study of sustainable diet and agriculture.
by David Duhon (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
See all formats and editions
Ecology Action Books, 1985. 199 pg. softcover, with a couple blank worksheets at the end. Clean, solid book with some creasing and edge wear to the front cover. No serious defects. Many graphs and tables illustrating the many aspects of this comprehensive study of sustainable diet and agriculture.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
Wow! That's a lot of money for information that can easily be found with a few hours of research!
Kathleen
Martinhouse
Deceased
Several of the plants in the above original post require a long warm growing season but with the increased cloud nucleation of a GSM, along with the solar dimming from volcanic dust in the atmosphere, one will not be able to grow them. I suspect it may be nearly pointless for a number of years, once the solar minimum has really kicked in, to even try to grow a garden without a heated, lighted greenhouse.
China Connection
TB Fanatic
Filberts,
Hazelnut Trees - Nurseries Online
https://www.nurseriesonline.com.au › trees-shrubs › haz...
Hazelnut trees are available for sale for both growing nuts and as a host for truffles. They can be dense growing so make an interesting hedge or screen.
Hazelnut Mixed Pack 5 Treeshttps://www.woodbridgefruittrees.com.au › nut-trees
Hazelnut Mixed Pack 5 Trees ... Pollination of hazelnuts is complex, and to make it easy, we recommend having all 4 varieties to set fruit. Hazelnuts produce a ...
$95.00
Better than loaning it to a "friend " and then not getting it back. Not this book but several others. Now if someone wants to read one of my books, i tell them when they can come over and read it here.
AlaskaSue
North to the Future
My dream as well. I’m constantly looking for the best location for one here. The ‘soil’ at my place is all glacial silt and large stones I have to lever out, up to auto-sized boulders. Just planting a new tree is the work of several days. But a real root cellar would be ideal storage here too, esp if I can swing a permafrost section
kyrsyan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
For the past few months the brain has been stewing on planting more. And more. And using tight space setups and hydrophonics. And every time I tell it to chill, that we have growing space... it ignores me and goes right back to it.
I foresee a busy spring of adding lots of planting places and packing the yard with food.
I foresee a busy spring of adding lots of planting places and packing the yard with food.