Our Story

I know it doesn't look like much, but we are hoping that in ten years we can produce at least 80% of our own food and after doing research, we found out that it entirely possible. In 2022, we purchased approximately 1507 pounds of food. As a family of three, based on body weight, we need at least 711 pounds per year to survive. The goal is to produce a minimum of 1 pound per square foot. In 2024, we had 691 square foot of production space. In our first real attempt, we weighed everything throughout the year and found out that space produced 688 pounds of food!This includes production space in which food production doesn't even start until 2025-2026.

What is on our ½ acre homestead?

( Last Updated: 2025 )

Perennials & Permaculture

Annual Planting

This is where we were going to tell you what other foods that we plant in our field or in our raised beds. However, it is just too much to mention here and update year after year. Sorry.Thank you for understanding...

Structures & Systems

Our Animals

Why homestead?

NOTE: Most of these questions are common questions frequently asked on social media platforms. Which is why some of the Q & A might seem unusual or redundant. This is an effort to save time on answering the same questions over and over.Q: WHY A HOMESTEAD?A: Well, why not?Everyone should be somewhat able to produce some of their own food. Especially, if they want to be a mature responsible adult. There are basic skills in life everyone should know, like: reading, writing, arithmetic, and anatomy. Understanding how to produce your own food so you don't DIE should be included in that. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as “plant it in the ground and watch it grow”. It is about being able to get the production from it, which is where the learning curve is. You can plant a tomato seed in the dirt, and it will grow, but if you're only getting 1-3 tomatoes a year off of it, then it is not doing you much good, is it?Having a homestead can be a challenge that is very rewarding if you succeed. Knowing where your food comes from, what goes into it, and how it is processed can be very enlightening. It helps you have more appreciation for what you do buy at the grocery store and also mother nature herself.Although, it is not for everybody. It is expensive when you start out, you have to be strong, hard working, intelligent enough to be competent, able to face adversity, and willing to try again after failure.Homesteading is not for the weak.Q: ARE ALL HOMESTEADERS PREPPERS?A: No.Some people choose this kind of lifestyle just because they want to provide for themselves and bond with their family during the process. A good example of this is: “More Than Farmers”.Other people have so many food sensitivities that they choose to produce their own organic food that is not provided in stores.Then, there are preppers…Q: WHY DO PREPPERS HOMESTEAD?A: Food security.Having a homestead is like having food insurance and you should want it for the same reasons you want life, medical, or auto insurance. It is to protect you if something bad were to happen; such as, but not limited to: pandemics, lockdowns, and extended utility failures due to weather, brownouts, blackouts, cyber attacks, or war.Your investment in homesteading from landscaping, building, and acquiring tools, is like paying your insurance deductible. The more you spend on your deductible, the better your insurance payout is.Q: ARE ALL HOMESTEADERS RELIGIOUS?A: No.Some people are just spiritual and want to be close with nature. While others just want to reduce their footprint. Then there are those who want to be more free by being self-reliant. There is freedom in not having to depend on business, government, or anyone else.Q: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A FARM, RANCH, AND A HOMESTEAD?A: Modern terms are different from traditional or historical terms.In today’s modern terms, having a homestead means to produce enough food to be self-sufficient. Having a farm means to produce excess food to sell for a profit. A ranch is just a farm that only produces excess meat to sell for a profit.Q: IF I SELL FOOD FROM MY HOMESTEAD TO OFFSET THE COSTS OF MAINTENANCE OR FEED, DOES THAT MAKE IT A FARM?A: No.Farming is when you're selling massive amounts of excess food that you have produced for a profit. Selling a few eggs to pay for chicken feed just to offset costs doesn't necessarily make it a farm, because there is no profit. However, selling a massive amount of eggs to advertise your homestead so you can sell more from your homestead just might make it a farm though. Homesteading is about being sufficient, and not being excessive, as you shouldn't produce more than what it needs.Q: IS THERE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF HOMESTEAD?A: Yes.There is the “Traditional Homestead”, which is a piece of land that is claimed for the first time, or given to by the government for free for a heavy discount. It is usually far from a city or town, where the land has to be developed over several years to control resources, such as: water, forestation, and wildlife. Usually, it is later sectioned off into smaller homesteads, farms, or ranches, to be sold or occupied by multiple independent families. Often, tax breaks or credits are given for developing the land.There is the “Country Homestead”, which is a single family homestead just outside the city that usually consists of: alot of land, alot of animals, fields of produce, barns, and has utilities connected to a nearby town or city.There is the “Off-Grid Homestead”, which is like a country homestead, but purposefully isolated from contact with civilization.There is the “Community Homestead”, which is like a country homestead, except it is managed by multiple families andor neighbors.There is the “Suburban Homestead”, which is usually within a town or city with smaller land plots and fewer animals due to regulations.There is the “Urban Homestead”, which is within heavily populated areas of a town or city, with almost no land, and almost no animals.Q: DON'T YOU NEED ALOT OF LAND FOR A HOMESTEAD?A: No.Research in the 1970’s by John Jeavons and the Ecology Action Organization in the UK found that 4000 square feet of growing space (about 1/10 of an acre) was enough land to sustain one person on a complete vegetarian diet for a year.However, if you include all types of food using modern techniques you can produce enough to sustain one person for a year on 750 square feet according to one study. Another study says ¼ of an acre can feed a family of 3, while another study says a family of 4. Although, in all 3 cases though, you may have to outsource your animal feed, grain, and salt.Q: CAN YOU SHOW ME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT PRODUCING THEIR OWN FOOD ON LESS THAN AN ACRE?A: Yes.Here is a link to “The Urban Homestead”, an urban home that produces up to a literal 5 TONS OF FOOD on 1/10 of an acre, per year, for over 30 years in Pasadena, California (website) and here is the 2009 Tour Video.There are several folks on YouTube who are currently producing over 75% of their own food on less than an acre. Here are some of my favorites:Ali's Organic Garden & Homestead - in Utah. Here is the 2023 Tour Video.Epic Gardening - in California. Here is the [2023 Tour Video](Tour Video 2023).The Gardening Channel With James Prigioni - in New Jersey. Here is the [2023 Tour Video](Tour Video 2023).Self Sufficient Me - in Australia. Here is the 2023 Tour Video.An honorable mention as a non-homestead:The Millennial Gardener - in North Carolina. Here is the 2023 Tour Video.Q: ARE YOU SAYING I SHOULD HOMESTEAD ON LESS THAN AN ACRE?A: No.If you're gonna have animals, you need to grow food such as grain or provide pasture for your animals if you want to be 100% self-reliant. However, if you stick to small animals such as rabbits and chickens, you can still do it on less than an acre. Rabbits do well on lawns using a tractor. Chickens can be fed kitchen scraps and forage for food in lawns, compost piles, or small wooded areas.Q: ARE URBAN HOMESTEADS IN THE CITY REALLY A THING?A: Yes.Urban Homesteaders will have quail for eggs in their closet. They also usually utilize aeroponics for year round vegetable production in a spare room. Sometimes they will grow dwarf fruit trees in pots on their patio or balcony. They even grow herbs in their window seals. They can even make their own compost in a bucket underneath the sink.While I've never heard of urban homesteaders being completely self-reliant, I have heard some claim to produce about 50% of their own food, year round, without preserving or canning, just using just aeroponics in an apartment. Of course, in a doomsday scenario this wouldn't be possible because utilities would be required. However, kudos to them for finding ways to make it happen with what they have.Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES IN THE BEGINNING ON A HOMESTEAD?A: Cost. Time.Homesteads in the beginning are surprisingly expensive, even excluding the purchase of the land it is on. You may figure it will only cost you “X” amount of money to build something, but it always ends up costing you more than you think, if you're building it right. You might also think that you can use cheap or even free scrap materials, and you can, but you'll be re-doing most of it almost every year until you do it right. Also, soil or organic compost is also ridiculously expensive, even for a poor quality, unless you learn and take the time to produce your own.There are alot of opportunities to get things done on a homestead, but what you'll learn the hard way is all of those windows of opportunity have very short time frames. You might think you can do a project tomorrow, but then it rains because the weatherman said it would be sunny. So you plan to do it the day after, but then have an emergency repair that has to be done immediately. Afterwards, you have a planned project lined up with a neighbor's help that will take a few days. So you push the project to the beginning of the next week, but then you realize you have to return the favor to the neighbor and help them with their project for the next few days. So you have to push that project back by two weeks. Then it rains again, or another emergency repair must be done, so on and so forth.Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES AFTER THE HOMESTEAD IS ESTABLISHED?A: Fertilizer. Pests. Disease.After your homestead is established, the biggest long term cost is fertilizer. Learning to produce your own organic fertilizer using JADAM techniques and other techniques can save yourself alot of money in the long run. To be healthy and productive, your plants need lots of it.
I don't know what to tell you about pests and diseases without going into monumental details that probably won't help you. All I can say is that they vary wildly depending on the environment, and specifically what is actually being affected. This is just one of those things that you learn about when you actually have to deal with it; plant or animal. Also, the more you have on your homestead, the more pests and disease you will attract.Q: SHOULD I WAIT TO BUY LAND TO START HOMESTEADING, OR START NOW?A: Now.There is a steep learning curve when it comes to gardening. Like I said before, there is a difference between letting it grow, and making it productive. There are soil types, drainage types, watering, PH levels, temperatures, seasons, pests, diseases, graphing, rootstocks, and plant varieties to learn. Do what you can now, but don't break the bank. These things take experience to learn and you won't learn it from a book or video.Q: SHOULD I START BIG WITH EVERYTHING AT ONCE OR SMALL ADDING LITTLE BY LITTLE EACH YEAR?A: Start small.Homestead Burnout is real. Odds are you won't be able to start big no matter how hard you try, not unless you buy an existing homestead and take over from there. If you try to start big, you will grind day by day trying to get everything setup in the first couple of years and it will burn you out. Instead, start small with a 5-10 year plan, adding a little bit each year, and stick to it. Consistency is key.The reality is a good homestead takes about a decade, give or take a couple of years.Q: WHERE ARE THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT HOMESTEADING?A: YouTube.Alot of folks would disagree with me here. Most would recommend interning on a farm. That would be great if you're wanting to build a farm and not a homestead. I say that because modern homesteads use different techniques than traditional farms. YouTube “urban suburban homesteads”, you'll see them do amazing things on such small properties that will save you space, time, and energy.A rough example would be that on a farm, you will want your fruit tree orchard to grow to maximum size for maximum production, ergo more fruit for profit. This means you use more land and possibly need more room for navigating equipment around. However, on a homestead plant your dwarf fruit trees 6 feet apart, and prune them back to 6-7 feet tall in the winter each year, and you don't need large equipment. Yes, you get less fruit from these smaller trees, but you use less space, less water, and spend less time harvesting or preserving a large amount of excess fruit you can't eat or sell.Q: WHAT ARE SOME IMPORTANT TOPICS I SHOULD RESEARCH FOR HOMESTEADING?A: Urban Homestead, Suburban Homestead, Canning, Preserving, Hot Composting, Vermi-Composting, JADAM fertilizer, High Density Fruit Orchard, Edible Landscapes, Perma-culture, Food Forest, Rain Barrels, Gravity Fed Watering, Raised Beds, Determinate Versus Indeterminate, NPK, Greenhouse Thermal Mass, Beeswax Window Openers, Carolina Coops, Chicken Breeds, Garage Quail, Meat Rabbits, Jersey Cows Versus Goats, Barn Cats, Farm Dogs, Your State or Country’s Cooperative Extension, and if it applies Your City or County Municipal Code.Q: HOW WOULD I BEGIN A NEW HOMESTEAD?A: Very carefully.It really depends on your type of homestead, but in a nutshell:Before Buying new land to homestead on, get soil tests. Visit the property after a heavy rain and make note of water runoff and possible flooding. Research the local growing season length, average temperatures, average first & last frost dates, invasive plants, invasive animals, common pests, common diseases, and common predators. Alot of this information can be found in the local county or state Cooperative Extension, if in the United States. Also, look up the local city, county, or state municipal code. Finally, before buying, lookup what the neighbors are doing on their land. This information could drastically affect your decision to buy.After buying, identify your borders or property lines with markers using a professional to avoid future litigation with neighbors or government.Fence your property lines to keep out pests, predators, and the neighbors animals. If in a suburban homestead, I recommend noy fencing in the frontyard only for aesthetic purposes.Map out your property and its existing buildings. Make note of land elevations and watershed direction. Also, make note of the sunrise and sunset direction. On your map, design your homestead that you want to build over the next several years. Set goals for each year. When setting your goals, building or expanding things should be done in the winter if it's not too cold. You will be too busy actually homesteading in the spring, summer, and fall. Remember, put shorter things closer to the sun and taller things further from the sun to avoid overshadowing, unless intended.Landscape the property the way you want it before building anything. The smaller the property, the less forgiveness there is if you start building things. In other words, the things you build before landscaping your property, get in the way of landscaping it later on down the road. Trust me on this…Q: WHAT KIND OF THINGS SHOULD BE ON MY HOMESTEAD?A: I can't answer that.It depends on your goals, the type of homestead you are wanting, and your location. Research what other like minded people are doing in the area.

All about farm fresh eggs!

If you got your hands on some farm-fresh eggs, there are a few things you need to know. Farm-fresh eggs usually mean eggs that are unwashed, unpasteurized, and unrefrigerated. In this article we hope to explain why this is, safety precautions, and how they compare to stores bought eggs.If you have farm-fresh eggs, here are some instructions for handling and care:• Keep the eggs dry.
• Store the eggs at room temperature(60-80°).
• Keep the eggs out of sunlight.
• Do not wash the eggs!
• Do not store the eggs in the refrigerator!
• Use the eggs within 30 daysNORTH CAROLINA LAWIn accordance with North Carolina State Law, we are allowed to sell unwashed and unpasteurized eggs as long as it doesn't exceed 30 dozens a week, but we have to label them as “Ungraded”, and cannot label them as “Fresh”.If you see us giving away, or selling eggs, it is because our birds are producing more than we can consume and we don't want to throw them away, wasting perfectly good food.OUR FLOCKBecause of city regulation, we may only have 6 or less hens and no roosters. At the time of this post, we have 5 Blackstar (sexlink) hens. They produce about 280-300 extra large brown eggs per year, per bird. This means we average around 3-5 eggs per day, to feed a family of 3.OUR EGG QUALITYBecause we have no roosters, none of our eggs are fertilized. Therefore, you never have to worry about getting a partially developed chick.Our chickens eat: Nutrena (NatureWise 16% Pellet Layer) feed as primary diet, plus an all natural organic non-GMO scratch feed from a local farmer in Rockwell, organic garden scraps, kitchen scraps(organic, whole foods only), and they get to free range in our backyard for about an hour, twice a week.Our eggs are extra large brown eggs that weigh between 22-24 ounces each. If they were to be graded, they would be considered Grade A, but since North Carolina Law prohibits us from labeling them as “Grade A” or as “Fresh”, we have to label them “Ungraded” and we can use the terms “Farm-Fresh”.We wash our hands before & after daily egg collection. This reduces the chance of contamination. We collect our eggs only from the nesting box located on the outside of the chicken coop and run, which also lowers the risk of contamination. Our eggs are sold in a new, unused, cardboard carton.The eggs are unwashed, unpasteurized, and unrefrigerated.WHY UNWASHED, UNPASTEURIZED, AND UNREFRIGERATED?When eggs are laid, they are covered in an all natural protectant called a “bloom” or “cuticle”. This bloom is a very thin mucus coating that is naturally applied just before laying, that protects the egg from pathogens. This is how eggs in the wild last without becoming spoiled, or the chick dying from infection before hatching.If you wash the egg, then you remove the natural bloom protecting the egg. Egg shells are naturally porous, which means pathogens can penetrate the egg, thus infecting it.If you pasteurize the egg, you destroy the natural bloom. To pasteurize an egg, you need to heat it to a temperature of 140 degrees, usually through a warm water bath for 3.5 minutes to destroy pathogens.If you refrigerate the egg, you destroy the natural bloom. The only reason to refrigerate an egg, is if you have washed or pasteurized it, which removes the protective bloom, and thus means you need the cold to slow the growth of pathogens.THEN WHY DO COMMERCIALLY SOLD EGGS HAVE TO BE WASHED, PASTEURIZED, AND REFRIGERATED BY LAW?Eggs are a commodity that is in high demand. Farmers mass produce them which increases the likelihood of dirty eggs, and sick birds. Dirty eggs are at higher risk of being infected with a pathogen. Rather than throw them away, they are washed. However, when you wash them you take a chance of rubbing pathogens into the egg, so then it needs to be pasteurized. After washing an egg, it no longer has natural protection, and therefore must be refrigerated at a low temperature of 33°- 40° to prohibit the growth and development of pathogens that it can naturally come into contact with.This was made a law to prevent and punish farmers who try to cut corners regarding egg safety.HOW LONG DO THE EGGS LAST?Our eggs, which are unwashed, unpasteurized, and unrefrigerated, last about 30 days at room temperature (60°- 80°) if not in direct sunlight.Compared to commercial eggs, that are washed, pasteurized, and refrigerated still only last about 30 days if they are maintained at a temperature between (33°- 40°).HOW TO TELL IF THE EGG HAS GONE BAD?The best way is through a smell test. If it stinks, don't eat it. This is why it is common practice among chefs to crack your eggs into a separate container before adding to a recipe.Another way is the float check. You submerge the egg in water, and if it floats to the top it is “considered” not safe to eat. However, this doesn't mean it is not safe to eat, only that you shouldn't risk it. What happens is that over time air is absorbed through the shell. If you have ever cracked an egg, you'll see an air pocket between the inner membrane and the actual shell. The size of this air pocket can actually tell you how old the egg is. This is why eggs with large air pockets will float in water and are not considered safe to eat, since pathogens need air to thrive, but it doesn't guarantee they have pathogens.UNUSUAL THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND WITHIN AN EGGBloodspots: tiny dots of red. This can be expected in any kind of egg and is normal and safe to eat.Meatspots: small light brown globs of tissue. This can be expected in any kind of egg and is normal and safe to eat.Fishy Odor & Flavor: this will happen if the chickens consume too much Omega-3’s(vitamin). Usually from eating too much seafood or flaxseed. While it might not be desirable, it is safe to eat. Our eggs shouldn't smell or taste fishy and if it does, don’t risk it and throw it out.WHAT ARE SOME EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTIONS?Make sure the egg collectors wash their hands before egg collection, which we do.Make sure eggs are collected only from a clean and well maintained nesting box that is accessible from outside the chicken coop and run to avoid cross contamination, which we do.Avoid consuming eggs that have dirt, poop, or other debris on it. Do not attempt to spot wash it, as it will weaken the bloom and possibly rub pathogens into the egg where they can fester.Avoid consuming eggs that have come into contact with moisture, such as handling the eggs with wet hands and left out to dry. This will leave slight discoloration even when the egg has dried(only noticeable in non-white eggs), indicating the bloom may have been weakened.Avoid consuming eggs that have shell deformities, such thin spots, wrinkles, squishy soft, or extremely misshapen. This could be a sign of a sick bird. Any flecks or tiny calcium lumps are ok.Avoid consuming raw eggs, regardless if they are processed or where they come from. They should be cooked to 165° to eliminate pathogens.WHAT ARE THE ODDS FROM GETTING SICK FROM FARM-FRESH EGGS?Getting sick from unwashed, unpasteurized, unrefrigerated eggs are exactly the same as getting sick from washed, pasteurized, refrigerated eggs.The most common illness gotten from eggs is Salmonella, which can be eliminated by cooking your eggs to a temperature of 165° or higher. Statistically, according to the University Of California, 1 in 20,000 eggs contain Salmonella. So if you eat 1 egg a day for 54 years, you will have consumed one with Salmonella. However, that doesn’t mean that there is enough Salmonella present that your immune system can't fight it off without medical treatment. Anytime you eat raw egg, or “runny” egg, you are taking a risk, regardless if it is farm-fresh or commercially bought.This brings me to Listeria, the third Leading cause of death from foodborne illness. The most common foods that give you Listeria infections are Deli Meats and Milk Products. However, almost all raw food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, contain Listeria. The reason I mention it here is because a common argument against farm-fresh eggs is the presence of Listeria. Whether you get sick or not, is determined by how much Listeria is present, and how strong your immune system is. Simply not because it is present. As always, cooking the egg to 165° eliminates the risk altogether.As a personal note, pasteurizing eggs does nothing. As already mentioned, pasteurizing eggs at 140 degrees isn't hot enough to kill a majority of most common pathogens, but any hotter than that(144-158°), will start to coagulate the egg. In my opinion, clean unwashed, unpasteurized, unrefrigerated eggs are safer to consume than those that are.WHAT ABOUT STUDIES THAT STATE FARM FRESH EGGS ARE NOT SAFE?There are multiple studies like this one from Penn State, that says farm fresh eggs are less safe. Exactly what were the parameters of the study? To avoid litigation, I have to be careful as to what I say here. So I just want you to ask yourself these questions:What is the production and sales limit to be considered farm fresh? Some states allow up to unlimited egg sales, and up to 3,000 birds before having to be regulated.Does farm fresh eggs from a short-handed 9 person farm with 1000 birds have the same risk of getting someone sick as a 3 person family on a homestead with only 6 birds?
With any study, who paid for the study?OUR FAMILY IS SERVSAFE CERTIFIEDOur family works in the food industry for a living and we are ServSafe certified. We have gone through official training in food safety required by most businesses and insurance companies within the food industry.

How to calculate how much space you need to produce enough food for your family annually.

This is a guide to help you get a close estimation of the minimum amount of space you need to produce enough food, per person, per year. While this is not exact science, it should give you a general idea. This is especially helpful when living on small properties. Although, this guide does take into account of your ability to preserve, or store, the food that you produce so that it carries you through the year.GROWING SPACEOne study says on a pure vegetarian diet, you can grow enough food to get you through the year on approximately 1000 square feet of growing space.Another study says that if you outsource your animal feed, you can feed a family of three on 750 square feet in a moderate climate, while a similar study says you can feed a family of 4 in the same space and conditions.CALORIE INTAKETo survive, you need approximately 12 calories per pound of body weight a day, to maintain your body weight.However, you may need 15-18 calories per pound of body weight a day if you are physically exerting yourself. Although, this slightly varies based on age, Body Mass Index(BMI), metabolism, and health. Also as a side note, it takes approximately 3,500 calories to gain one pound of extra body weight.WHAT IS A CALORIE?Calories are converted to sugars and burned for energy.• 1 gram of carbohydrates is approximately 4 calories.
• 1 gram of protein is approximately 4 calories.
• 1 gram of fat is approximately 9 calories.DIET CONSISTENCYYou want your daily diet to consist of approximately 65-75% carbohydrates, 15-25% protein, and 10-15% saturated fat. Depending on age, Body Mass Index(BMI), metabolism, and health.With this knowledge in hand, we can extrapolate how many pounds of food we need to produce per year, and what it should consist of. For an average woman that weighs approximately 100 pounds, needs 125-187 pounds of food per year. For an average man that weighs approximately 180 pounds, needs 225-337 pounds of food per year.THE AVERAGE 100 POUND HOMESTEADING MAN NEEDS• Approximately 337 of food per year.
• Approximately 219 pounds of carbohydrates.
• Approximately 84 pounds of protein.
• Approximately 34 pounds of saturated fat.THE AVERAGE 100 POUND HOMESTEADING WOMAN NEEDS• Approximately 187 of food per year.
• Approximately 122 pounds of carbohydrates.
• Approximately 46 pounds of protein.
• Approximately 19 pounds of saturated fat.HOW MUCH PRODUCTION SPACE?Figure out what food you want to produce, based on what you like to eat, and what will produce in your area. Then for each food item, figure out the average weight of food you will get annually from it, with the amount of square footage it requires to produce it.Different foods produce different average weights annually, but a general rule of thumb is that when you are producing multiple foods on your homestead, you want your average to be at least 1 pound of food per square foot of total production space, and up to 3 pounds per square foot of total production space.When calculating production space, only count the actual production space. Do not count pathways, unused lawns, spots with trees and shrubs that you cannot eat. However, if your livestock is feeding on it, then you count it. Using this general rule of thumb of "1 pound per square foot" really puts into perspective which livestock are best for the homestead itself. Remember, this is for a homestead, not a farm or ranch.THINGS TO CONSIDERMicronutrients: this guide discusses calorie intake, but don't forget to include foods that are nutrient dense.Companion Planting: to get more than one crop from the same square footage.Crop Rotation: different crops in the same space for different seasons, but don't deplete your soil nutrition. Reserve one season for recovery andor cover cropping.Crop Failure: you might want to produce 25%-100% more food than you need in case you lose one or more of your crops.Livestock Feeding: if you want to be more self-reliant, by not out-sourcing your livestock feed, then you need to include square footage needed to produce your own livestock feed. The more livestock you have, the drastically more space you need for producing the feed.Vertical Growing: to get the most production per square foot, grow vertically where you can. This saves space allowing you to grow even more.While not perfect, I hope you find this guide was able to help you figure out how much space you need to produce minimum amount of food a year.Personally, I weigh every type of thing we produce, and write it down. Then at the end of the year compare that to the amount of space I gave it. This tells me what my most efficient producers are.