While re-reading my recent post concerning survival gardening, I realized
that I have completely forgotten to point out some important info.
While living through a crisis you are going to need to eat more calories than
normal [to provide adequate nutrition with the extra exertion, stress, and
physical labor], perhaps twice as much. I am planning on 4,000 calories per
day.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are important as a source of vitamins, however most
green veggies do not contain enough calories to keep you going. During a crisis
you
are going to need several sources of protein, oils, and starch.
I believe the best way of storing red meat is to raise livestock. Naturally
you want them to reproduce and raise enough young for you to enjoy fresh meat
for the duration of the crisis. Rabbits, Chickens, and Goats are particularly
easy to raise. Having fish in your agricultural pond is perfect.
Two acres planted to Wheat, Corn, Dry Beans, Potatoes, and Winter Squash will
produce more food than a typical family can eat in a year. We used to plan
our sweet corn, pinto beans, and potatoes in field rows and use the tractor
to cultivate them.
An acre of winter wheat planted in good soil should yield 50 bushels (2,000
lbs) of easily storable grain. A second acre of open pollinated field corn
should
yield 80 bushels (4,000 lbs), but requires more fertilizer and more effort
devoted to weed suppression. A full acre of pinto beans would be way too much,
35 bushels
(1,400 lbs).
A native pecan averages 50 - 80 lbs of nuts which store for a year or more.
Each acre of pecan trees would contain 15 large trees or 30 smaller trees and
provides a rich source of calories, oils, and protein. Since you are hoping
to avoid too much attention you might plant your fruit trees and a variety
of hardwood nut trees scattered across your pasture or mixed in with your wood
lot. Less attention and [given their wide spacing,] fewer insect pests. [JWR
Adds: Some of us that live in high elevation or northern
climates where most pecan trees are unlikely to survive (even the Hardy
Pecan). But there are other nut trees
such as as Carpathian
Walnuts that
do well in all but the most severe climate zones.]
I hope this helps explain my emphasis on trees, small livestock, row crops,
and field crops. - H.I.C.
