Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The Backyard
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1
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Farm Adventure
When you grow up watching
Little House on the Prairie
like I did, you develop a rather romantic
notion of homesteading and “living off the land.” It seems like every day would be an exciting
TV-episode-worthy adventure. The truth is a little less glamorous—and a lot more rewarding—
than that.
The truth is tending a garden and raising animals is hard work. Rewarding work, no doubt about
it. But it's hard. You can't neglect a backyard farm for a week while you go on a luxury cruise. Your
livestock doesn't care whether you have the flu or your boss has you working overtime. There are
weeds to be pulled, tomatoes to be harvested, and, especially, animals to be fed.
Unlike other authors, I won't try to tell you to avoid this adventure if you are a disorganized
person. I am a disorganized person. I am also committed to providing the highest-quality food for
my family, on a livable budget. So for many of our food items, producing as much as we can for
ourselves is the best way to save money while not sacrificing quality. If you are motivated to take
even the smallest step toward an independent and self-sustaining lifestyle, you should! Together
we'll explore ideas for how to make the most of your situation.
You might think,
If this is so much work, why bother?
or
Why do I need to produce any of my own food
when I can just run to the store and buy some?
There are several reasons to tackle this task, which
I'll discuss in-depth here and throughout the topic. Please don't feel like you have to jump into
everything I'll talk about here. But even one step toward more self-sufficiency is a step in the right
direction.
The Growing Food Crisis
There is a growing food crisis in America, and much of the world. As the cost of fossil fuels
increases, and the availability of those limited resources decreases, the fact that most of our food is
shipped thousands of miles before it reaches us becomes more and more important.
