and more...
Each person or family must take a long and very serious look at what they currently obtain from outside the area that contributes to their survival. Then they must determine how they would replace those items or services either on a macro-community level or on a micro level, that is themselves or the people on their road. And, if they can’t, then they need to immediately develop a Plan B or Plan C.
Here is a short list of things to consider:
Drinking water Transportation
Food Health/medicine/medical care
Irrigation water
Fertilizer
Soil preparation
Cutting firewood
Cooking/baking
Food preservation
Clothing
Local Food Production
Todd Detzel
detzel@mcn.org
Introductory and personal comments removed…..
…. I’ll use seed saving/seed bank since we discussed that most recently.
This sounds like a good idea on the surface and it could be if properly approached. Unfortunately, it isn’t being approached properly.
The first step is to assume that all food must be produced locally. I realize this flies in the face of the not too good, not too bad position you guys believe in. However, it is the only way to assure that all the bases are covered since it is impossible to foresee what foodstuffs might not be available. My position is, of course, that everything will have to be produced locally.
The second step is to find out how much food a person needs in a year. I’ll save you the trouble of finding the information by giving some examples:
A current suggestion of food for an adult male for a year:
Wheat, other grains, flours & beans – 700lbs
Powdered milk, dairy products & eggs – 200lbs
Sweeteners; honey, sugar & syrup – 100lbs
Fats – 75lbs
Canned & dried fruits, vegetables and soups – 2,750 servings
Meats & seafood – 700 servings
Pleasure foods – snacks, beverages, sweets & treats – 2,000 servings
Here’s a much older one:
Breads, cereals, baked goods – 250lbs
Milk – 120gallons
White potatoes, sweet potatoes – 280lbs
Dried beans – 10lbs
Tomatoes (citrus fruit) – 100lbs
Leafy green, yellow vegetables –120lbs
Dried fruits – 30lbs
Other vegetables and fruit – 120lbs
Butter, other fats - 30lbs
Sugar – 60lbs
Lean meat, poultry – 90lbs
Eggs – 27dozen
And, finally, another old one:
Bread, cereals, baked goods – 237lbs
Vegetables and fruits – 1,000lbs
Butter, lard and other fats – 83lbs
Sugar, honey and other sweets – 83lbs
Meat and poultry – 167lbs
Eggs – 67dozen
Milk – 100gallons
The third step is to design a balanced diet that could be grown/produced in our climate taking into account the need to preserve about six month’s worth of food including food for animals. Native plants and animals should not be included since they vary too much from location to location.
The fourth step is to determine how much area would be required to produce the food. Again, I’ll save you the trouble of searching out the information. The following commercial yields were as of 1980. I’m using that year because it is probably closer to the technology that would be available in the initial stages of a crisis. However, I would reduce the yields by 25-30% to account for the fact that most home gardeners will not have the expertise to handle the shear size and complexity of the growing area.
Yields are in cwt/acre (hundred weight/acre)
Asparagus – 25
Bean, market – 40
Bean, processing – 55
Bean, lima, processing – 30
Beets, market – 140
Broccoli – 85
Brussels sprouts – 85
Cabbage, market – 250
Cabbage, processing – 400
Carrot, topped – 280
Cauliflower – 100
Celeriac – 200
Celery – 500
Chard, Swiss – 150
Corn, market – 80
Corn, processing – 100
Cucumbers, market – 110
Cucumbers, processing – 100
Eggplant – 200
Endive, escarole – 140
Garlic – 130
Horseradish – 80
Lettuce – 230
Melon, Persian – 120
Melon, Honeydew – 130
Muskmelon – 180
Okra – 100
Onion – 310
Pea, market – 40
Pea, processing (shelled) - 28
Pepper, bell – 110
Pepper, chili (dried) – 40
Pepper, pimento – 40
Potato – 250
Pumpkin – 400
Rhubarb – 50
Rutabaga – 400
Spinach, market – 70
Spinach, processing – 140
Strawberries - 500
Squash, summer – 300
Squash, winter – 400
Tomato, market – 170
Tomato, processing – 140
Turnip – 300
Watermelon - 115
Two crops that should be on the list are sugar beets and sorghum for sorgo syrup. I didn’t feel like looking the data up. Having grown sugar beets here, my guess is that they would yield around 200-250cwt/Ac. I have only played with sorghum so I have no idea what the yield would be.
Wheat – 45-70 bushels/acre (use 20bu/Ac for our area @ 60#/bu or 12cwt/Ac. Late season lodging can be a serious problem. My highest objective yield has been about 80bu/Ac.)
For those who believe that Permaculture or Biodynamics will produce significantly higher yields on less land, fine, suit yourself and good luck.
Tree, cane, and bush crops – will vary with species, cultivar, rootstock and cultural practices
For stock, I would figure 30 acres for a cow/calf pair on range; for chickens I would figure six months free-range plus six months feeding requiring ½ bushel of grain for each chicken. I don’t know anything about goats or sheep. Anyone interested in meat goats can call Deborah Giraud (pronounced JerOh), UCCE, in Eureka for lots of information. She just published a study about them in Humboldt County.
The fifth step is to determine how much land is needed to produce the food. Be sure to include secession planting, vertical growing techniques and land required for animal feed.
The sixth step is to determine how much irrigation water will be required and whether sufficient water is available. This will, of course, vary from property to property. Peak summer evapotranspiration in our area is about six inches or half an acre-foot per month. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons. One-half an acre-foot is 162,930 gallons or about 5,431 gallons per day per acre. If there will be insufficient water, chose higher yielding species or cultivars and try again.
The seventh step is to develop a fertility management program. If legume cover crops are to be used as part of the program, determine the area required to produce the cover crop seed and how it will be harvested and threshed. The amount of seed needed will vary by species. I could give you that information too but you need to look something up. And, don’t forget the irrigation water for the cover crop.
The eighth step is to develop a pest and disease management program using only locally available materials.
Now, finally, the varieties to be planted can be considered. Take into account the fact that they must be open pollinated, their potential for disease resistance and whether they can be grown in all microclimates in the area. Also consider, any special harvesting and preservation requirements. And, don’t forget to consider how the soil is going to be prepared and crops for clothing.
Clearly, this is a lot different than saying, “Let’s have a seed bank.”
Todd |
