Last Updated on October 29, 2020 by Kimberly Crawford
The need to produce your own food has dwindled over the last few centuries. There are a number of people that still find value in producing their own food as they know where it came from.
The vast number of genetically modified organisms that the average person consumers annually is astronomical compared to past generations. Start out by having a large garden where you can refine your skills of growing certain fruits and vegetables.
Certain plants like tomatoes might not be as durable as other root-based vegetables. The following are things you need to keep in mind when attempting to produce all of your food.
Each Family Member Should Be Responsible for Something Different
The workload of a family that produces their own food is going to be larger than those that buy food from the grocery store. Each family member needs to participate as farming can be done by a person of any age. You can start younger children out by growing spices and they can work their way up to larger crops.
Younger children can help with things like raking or planting seeds. These children can also help water the crops so make sure they understand not to overwater the plants. Keep these children away from lawnmowers and other equipment until they are older/mature enough to operate them safely.
Teenagers can be the most help due to being mature enough to handle things like weed eaters and other machinery. Teaching your teen skills doing hard labor can instill work ethic long-term. They can take pride in their crops and compete with the rest of the family. A competitive environment can bring out the best in the entire family.
As parents, you need to make sure that you are pulling your weight. It can be easy to rely heavily on the children especially if they are home for extended periods due to online learning. Creating a list of chores that can rotate will be imperative as everyone will be fighting for the easy ones like taking out the trash.
Trading Can Work Wonders
Trading with neighbors that are also producing their own food is important. You can add a variety to your diet while your neighbor does the same.
You can find those that grow their own foods at the farmers market if your close neighbors aren’t into gardening. These markets can be great to find meats as raising livestock is a far different venture than growing fruits/vegetables.
Pickled and canned vegetables can also be great for trading as the pickling process can be tedious when doing it for hundreds of pounds of produce. You need to set minimum prices for your crops in order to ensure fair trades are being made.
A number of people are not comfortable haggling although this is done frequently throughout the world.
Nutrients Can Supercharge Your Crops
Hydroponic nutrients from Kalix CPN can allow you to get the most out of your plants. There is a chance that weather conditions were quite treacherous leading to the plants requiring additional supplementation.
Those that are growing their own plants indoors will have to control both the amount of light and temperature of the plants.
Too much exposure can damage plants as plants in a natural environment rarely have 24 hours of sunlight daily. Calcium is a nutrient that can be added to the soil or soil can be purchased with increased amounts of calcium or potassium.
Different parts of the growing cycle will require different nutrients. Nutrient lines often come with instructions to help guide the grower through the process.
Rotating Crops Over Time
The worst thing that a family that grows their own crops can do is fail to rotate their crops. This can deplete the soil of essential nutrients which can result in the soil becoming barren. Take the time to grow a crop that is known to rejuvenate the soil regularly.
New soil being brought in for every growing season is not realistic in a financial sense. Do the appropriate research so you can come up with a crop rotation that produces great yields without permanently damaging the soil.
Taking on the challenge of growing all of your own food will help reduce monthly costs. This extra time spent can allow your family to truly be self-sustaining. In today’s uncertain world, knowing that you can grow your own food can provide peace of mind. Do not attempt this unless you plan to make an honest effort as it will be more difficult than you imagine.
