The True Cost of Self-Sufficiency
The pandemic taught us how fragile we are and reminded us that we need others to survive.
There has been an immense increase in people interested in gardening and not just any gardening but self-sufficient gardening. And it is excellent. However, self-sufficiency in an already individualistic society might not be the answer to our troubles.
First, gardening should be fun, but if we focus on self-sufficiency, gardening might then become stressful as crops succumb to pests and disease. Climate change and plant food shortages can increase stress levels as well.
Another critical factor to consider, perhaps the most important, is that self-sufficiency requires a lot of land. Though you might find claims that self-sufficiency can be achieved on a mere quarter of an acre, you might want to double-check. A quarter acre might be enough for a vegan, but most of us are not.
If you want to eat a variety of meats, fruits, and vegetables, you need more than a quarter of an acre. A single cow needs about 4 acres, assuming all four acres produce 3 tons of forage each. In addition, if you want chicken, pigs, sheep, goats, etc., you will need an additional 4 acres at least.
