When thinking of becoming self-reliant, the question arises "how much land do I need to be able to sustainably grow enough food for my family?" The exact answer to that question depends on several factors, but you can learn a lot, and make a pretty good estimate, by looking at some scenarios that span the various alternatives.
Let’s start first off with the almost magical dream of the pure hunter/gatherer. I often hear this one from those concerned about a collapse of civilization. The shit hits the fan and you take your rifle and a few supplies and head out to the wilderness to live off the land. Just how much land does it take to support you without destroying all the wildlife and plant populations? How much area do you need in order live sustainably as a hunter/gatherer?
Since there are so few actual hunter/gathers left alive on the planet, and the few places where they do still exist tend to be jungles which look nothing like anything in
North America, we will turn to anthropological data.
The quick and easy answer is that traditional peoples used on average, about 10 square miles per person.
10 square miles is 6,400 acres - that is for one person.
There are numerous studies and authors that cite this number and one of the most accessible is
Jared Diamond, author of the popular title
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.
Another excellent source is
Tending The Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources which is a wonderful book detailing how sustainable wild-crafting is more about taking care of the land than simply taking stuff
(both books are available at Amazon
here).
California's lush and diverse landscapes were able to support some of the highest
native population densities known in North America with the highest being almost 1.5 people per square mile living on the coast of the Santa Barbara channel.
The plant and animal communities in the
Santa Barbara area have been largely destroyed by modern peoples and that density is no longer possible today of course.
As another comparison, desert regions of
California had roughly 1 person per 12.5 square miles.
Before we head off into other more obtainable land use scenarios, lets pause for a moment to acknowledge that in addition to having access to a huge tract of land for living the hunter/gatherer lifestyle, you also need at least a decade to learn the many, many, skills of living such as tracking and hunting, trapping, botany, weather cycles, fiber and cordage, shelter, tool making, fire starting, tanning, and so much more.
OK, so you won't be going that primitive. What about you growing your own food in gardens, food plots, orchards, livestock, and perhaps a bit of hunting? Agriculture has gotten us these high population levels so far anyway, hasn't it? Yes it has, and small scale agriculture is definitely the way to go for most people. So how much land are you going to need for that?
The research to the answer to that question was started back in the 70's by a very forward thinking man named John Jeavons. The work has continued since then and a method developed into a system called "Bio-Intensive Gardening". The Bio-Intensive method has been implemented worldwide to alleviate hunger and malnutrition. There is a wealth of detail in the entire Bio-intensive method, but the short answer to how much land you need can be summarized as approximately 8,000 sq. ft. for a complete diet for one person (you need 4,000 sq/ft. of actual growing space and at least 4,000 sq. ft. for pathways and access). That is also assuming you have four growing seasons per year. So if you can only get two growing seasons, then you need to double the space needed per person. For reference, an acre is 43,560 sq. ft. So in a more southern climate, you could theoretically support about 5 people per acre.
The absolute best reference for the Bio-Intensive method is the book
How To Grow More Vegetables Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagined by John Jeavons (available through Amazon
here).
And for another comparison, with data taken from Jeavons book, the average
U.S. diet with conventional farming requires 15,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. and is done in such a way that it diminishes soil - i.e. it is not sustainable.
So small scale agriculture is definitely going to be your best bet. My personal experience is that 2 acres in a mild temperate region will completely wear you out and is enough room to comfortably support a family of four with a variety of food sources such as gardens, orchards, small livestock, and wild crafting. You can still do a lot in less area, and of course, everyone always wants more. Some caveats I've got to throw in there is you definitely need about a decade of experience to homestead like this, and you also need enough water. An excellent source for seeing what a diverse sustainable homestead on small acreage looks like is the video tutorial package titled Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm. The video we have created shows in good detail the systems we've setup to generate a lot of calories per year, how we did it, and why. It is a good example by folks who are actually living it.
But don't forget, even if you live in an apartment, there is a lot you can do. The most important thing is to get started. Did you get a few plants from a nursery, or check out a gardening club yet?
Jacque and Jim Gates are the owners of
Bastrop Producers Market, Inc. (www.bastropproducersmkt.com).
A market for local, organic, and sustainable farmers.
Here is what they say about the
DVD:
Food Production Systems for a Backyard or Small Farm
has all the information you need to become self-reliant and sustainable. It comes with basic "how to" DVD with demonstrations on a wide variety of subjects and a bonus resource DVD. A real bargain really well done!"
As always, good luck and
Cheers,
Marjory Wildcraft
& the Backyard Food Production Team
After a review of their DVD and the Resource CD, this is a fairly straightforward introduction for those persons who wish to become more self-reliant. It does make a couple of things very clear to anyone seeking a more self-reliant lifestyle. It takes a lot of time and hard work.
Staying above the water line!
Riverwalker
by Barry Davies covers the major factors that can affect your survival. This is
a compact guide to surviving not only in a desert environment but a
comprehensive guide that covers all the basic items and more that will be
needed for your survival.
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