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Small Scale and Urban Food Production
An important and often overlooked detail is appropriate size. What is the ideal size of car, house, meal, lawn or farm? Bigger is not always better. In the case of modern monoculture farms this is very apparent.
Going out of scale in farming can cause soil erosion, water pollution and the need for massive subsidies.
Our romantic ideas of what food production is supposed to look like (with corn for as far as the eye can see), may cloud our view for the greatest and most efficient opportunity for growing our food. Backyard gardens and urban gardens lend themselves to producing food that is eaten locally, produced without fossil fuels, utilizing urban wastes and do not require government subsidies.
I’m not sure how 6,000 pounds of produce per year on 1/10 acre translates to feeding 40 people per acre. You can’t live on produce. Where are the calories? Let’s talk REAL solutions…
PS – I’m loving these short videos, keep ’em coming!
6000 x 10 = 60,000 lbs/acre
60,000/40 = 1500 lbs. per person, per year
Now what’s the caloric value of it all and what food items are included? Walnuts, macadamias, and other fatty nuts provide plenty of calories when eaten in quantity. Fresh coconut meat is another such nut. Avocados also provide fat as well as vitamins. Finally, many fruits provide sugars and root vegetables (e.g., potato and manioc) provide plenty of complex carbs.
And, if vegetable sources are not enough, one can get chicken, duck, pork, or even beef, depending on the environment and permaculture design.
It is possible to feed oneself mostly or even entirely from a home garden, but of course there will still be a number of items that must be purchased elsewhere.
I’ll watch the video again. Somehow my computer is not letting it download.
Thanks for your response Arian. Is it feasible to grow Walnuts, Macadamias and other large nut trees on an urban lot? I don’t think the Path to Freedom folks are doing that. Who in the continental US can grow coconuts? Avocados are massive and produce dense shade. Now, root vegetables I’m excited about… do you know anyone who has produced a successful formula for potato towers? I’m also enthusiastic about attracting pigeons for their eggs and would love some advice there. I’m still not convinced that you can feed yourself from an urban lot. Any examples of people doing it?
Brad, you say you are still not convinced. Permaculture is
learning by interaction & observation, meaning, the only way to
find the answer is to do it (not continue just thinking and calculating the maths), and learn by trial and error.
Combining the rear sections of several urban lots gives room for bigger nut trees. Where theres a will theres a way.
We have not succeeded 100% but we are progressing in our own lot.
Great point Tom… I’m in the process of purchasing rural property and excited to learn through experience. I’d be curious to hear more about where in the world you are Tom and what you’re experimenting with.
Cheers