Our friend David the Good has posted a new video, highlighting his work toward one of his 2017 goals – to grow 2000 lbs of food in a year on his land. He did it in only 7 months on 1.5 acres. This demonstrates what one man can do, with a little effort. Now, you may not have as much land at your disposal, but we can all start working towards more self-sufficiency. We encourage you to start setting goals now to do that. What food can you grow this year? Even if you only grow some tomatoes, you can enjoy foodstuffs that you have grown and prepared yourself.
David reports that much of the bulk of this haul was from long-standing tree crops. In other words, he did not actually plant them, but someone else did in the past, and he was able to reap the benefits, leading to his comment: “This is why, like all good Men of the West, it is very good to plan ahead. Plant now, reap for decades.”
Can You Grow 2000 lbs of Food?
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Yes, yes, yes, This is such wise advice! Tree crops will happen even if you are too busy or too ill or otherwise prevented from gardening. They will bear for people too elderly or young to till and plant and tend. And tree crops will, once fully established, bear even during dry spells.
I can gather about 200 pounds of pecans in a good year from the 3 trees in our yard. The native tree bears best, with fewest pests, and tastes best but is harder to crack and shell. A “good year” is unpredictable but comes about every 3rd year. They bear better the older they get (live hundreds of years) but young trees produce too. Pecan trees also provide firewood, even if only in the form of dead-fall branches. Last summer, I turned those small branches into bundles for our wood stove and they are great. One will burn for a couple of hours, great for knocking the chill off in the morning on warmer days, or for starting a full fledged fire in cold weather.
Our little peach tree has born about 60 pounds the past couple of years. I have to prop all the branches. Often, late frosts bite the fruit and we get nothing. It also attracts deer and squirrels, so hunters might enjoy that. Fortunately, once they reach full size, peaches can be picked green and will ripen off the tree. So the deer did not get them all!
Couple of years ago, I grew 60 pounds of onions out of one 60 foot row. Onions are the easiest and most fun crop in the world I think. Buy “short day” onions if you live in Texas or the South. We plant them in January during the cold, and they grow all through the winter so no weeds! 🙂 The small ones I failed to harvest kept right on growing through the next year and produced seed, and were still edible. Onions grow with most of their bulbs on top of the soil so you can watch their progress easily.They tell you when they are “ready” because all their tops just suddenly fall over. I laid them in the shade to cure and let the tops dry, then I braided them into strands and they kept for about 6 to 8 months. Turnips are another good, easy winter crop here in Texas that produces a lot of weight, and both greens and roots can be eaten.
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The garden is 1.5 acres, or the homestead is? Either way, that is dang impressive.
I included the 1.5 acres in the intro paragraph. I just asked him how much land he worked to produce it. He simply replied with 1.5 acres, so I am not sure whether it is the whole property or just the growing area.
Does this go into permaculture and organic farming?
Check out David’s youtube channel. He covers lots of things in his videos.
Just ordered seeds for spring planting.
Not yet. But we grow more each year. In addition to tree crops grapes and berries are the gifts that keep giving year after year. Thanks for posting the video. David would be a great addition to any community. Even though we have 5 acres our 3 little distinct gardens barley extend past our back yard even after five years here. Keeping up a 1.5 acre garden is outstanding.
I don’t remember where I saw this by (Josephine Nuuse?) but it is a good one.
‘Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the year, for gardening begins in January with the dream of spring.’
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