Can an able-bodied american family of 3 still live a self-sufficient life with minimal economic support?

Question

Assume the following:

1) Free access to 1/2 acre of fertile California soil

2) Cultivation of that soil using the "square foot gardening" method to grow all manner of fresh organic produce including potatoes for healthy carbohydrates

3) Breeding rabbits for a lean and healthy protein source

4) $1,000 per year of income from a bottomless trust fund

5) A couple in their twenties with a 2-year-old son who will learn to help with the work

Are we crazy, or can this really work if we're willing to give up many modern conveniences to get it? Even so, we'll have much more at our fingertips than did ancient farmers who seemed to get along okay.

Answer 1

Kramer, I think that your chances of making a go of the life you seem to want to lead would be better if you included the possibility of either bartering/trading with other people for some of the things you want or need, or working as a cooperative or in a commune setting.

The problem with trying to go it alone, as you seem to want to, is that any set-back could knock you and your family out.  Adverse weather-- too wet or dry, too cold or hot-- could greatly reduce the yield of one or more of your crops, and then you're in trouble.  Insect pests, fungus, or even wild animals like deer getting into your garden could have serious affects.  

Half an acre just isn't going to give you the reserve that you probably would need.  Aside from that, it won't give you anywhere near the variety of foodstuffs that you'd need to stay mentally happy.  Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit.  Even if it's lean and healthy, how many times a year can you eat it without getting tired of it?  And potatoes as a carb source would also get a little old after awhile, particularly to anyone who has grown up with bread and pasta and rice.  

If I were trying to do what you are doing, I would want to include a few other meat animals in the mix:  at least chickens or some other poultry (also a source of eggs).  Coturnix quail http://www.gamebird.com/coturnixquail.ht... are a good alternative to chickens, and have the advantage that there is usually a pretty good niche market for the eggs.  There are also pigeons and guinea fowl or other poultry you might consider.

Goats are a good source of meat and milk and cheese, and don't require a lot of space or a lot of forage compared to a cow.  Sheep likewise can be kept for meat and milk and produce fiber, as well.

You don't mention tree crops, but that's a natural out in SoCal as well-- depending on the location of your acreage, you have anything from citrus to plums or peaches or nuts that you could grow for yourself and the market.

I really think you need to give more consideration to trading some of your produce or products with other producers, or marketing it in a way that brings in cash.  And be realistic about how long you could live just on the things you grow yourself without going wanting some additional variety.  "Back to the land" is a nice way of thinking of things, but the ideal is usually a lot different from the reality.

Answer 2

Everybody's answers are very good. Please read them carefully. I would re-iterate that 1/2 acre is not nearly enough to be self-sufficient.I believe the minimum for self sufficiency in just wood as fuel and building material is about 18 acres of timberland. And that is with proper forest management.

Remember that Mother Nature can not be depended on consistently year after year...

Instead of self sufficiency think about what is important to you and work to those ideals.

Good luck

Answer 3

I don't think that you are crazy to want this type of life style, I think that it is admirable.  Providing that you are willing to give up a lot of modern conveniences and you sound like you are. There are a couple of things you didn't mention that may be critical.  You will have worked enough to be able to go into this venture debt free.  You need housing, already paid off, because you are not going to make house payments or rent with what you get from the 1/2 acre.  You can furnish your electrical power with solar panels and a battery system.  This too will cost a good bit to set up and will have to be paid off before you start.  The same goes for establishing a water supply.  This is a must, both for your crops and your family's needs.  I hope that bottomless trust fund can cover any medical emergencies.  One last thing which you probably already know.  This dream must be your wife's as well as yours if the venture is to work.  (If you are married to, say, Paris Hilton I don't think it would last long.)

I think that you can have a very rewarding life style.  California is a great place to attempt this.  I lived for a year with some friends in Southern California who lived pretty much the life style you are talking about and they did well and were very happy.  Some tips that I learned from them might help you out.   They established a good relationship with a number local growers who grew several vegetable crops and fruit and nut orchards.  Vegetable cropping is very labor costly.  They harvest once at a good profit, twice with a small profit margin after that it costs more for labor than the crop is worth.  They gladly let my friends and myself harvest as much as we wanted after this point.  This supplied us with all we needed and plenty to barter with for other things they needed.  Some things that I helped them gather with this "second harvest"

were brocoli, cabbage, carrots, watermelon, kiwi. wind fall apples, final orange picking, and some almonds and walnuts.  From grocery stores they were given day old bread, pies with expiration dates expired, donuts, fruits and vegetables that were less than perfect, etc.   Stores routinely throw these things in the dumpster daily.  You can establish a friend or two in the grocery stores and they will gladly let you pick these things up daily, or you can go dumpster diving. It is also a good source for feed for your rabbits. This will help you make it on your half acre as well as give you extra things that you need.  Best of luck to you, I didn't intend for this to be so long, I got carried away with your dream.

Answer 4

1/2 acre?  sure, for a while.  your going to farm it out pretty quick, then your organic techniques will be worthless.  you need to look into a couple more acres at the very least.  your going to get very tired of rabbit, with a couple of acres, you can feed out a couple of calves and you can keep the calves in a small economic freezer.  you can rotate your garden spots every couple of years.  let a garden go fallow for a year or two and you'll help the soil.  with 3-5 acres of land you definitely can live self-sufficient, although, i hope you like living poor.  you can afford AN electric light, a small freezer, and not much else in terms of electricity.  try to grow more than you need so that you can save up a little money.  your going to need clothes.  who do you plan to farm?  plow mule or garden tiller?  your going with a mule, your going to want a couple of more acres.  its best to have a little more land than you need, just incase of a drought, more grass to graze.  yes, you can do it, but you dang sure better have a plan and dont just up and quite your job, you need equipment.

Answer 5

Yes.  

1) Sell your TV

2)Buy used/make your own clothes, curtains, quilts, etc.

3)Learn to preserve food (drying, canning, and at a last resort, freezing)

4)Get more than one source of protein (not just rabbits, goats would add both meat and dairy)

5)Plant more than you need, pray for abundance, put some up, and share with others.

Answer 6

h**l you can survive in the jungle with a knife and a rope. but this world is changing and the higher the luxury bar raises, the more we are going to think we need to get by.

its a sad day when you think your world is coming to an end when you get no signal from your wi-fi connections on your pda...

Answer 7

You should be able to but your knowledge base probably could be augmented, but only you would know where your short comings are.

1/2 acre is kind of small (available space without a building?) but one can do a surprising amount of production.

Consider chickens for eggs and meat also not only for yourself but for money to purchase things you won't grow like sugar and salt, etc. Consider farming fish which can be done in small pools and worked into your little ecosystem in time, or fish if available (hunt also). There are many publications and web sites devoted to those who embrace life in that special way and help with issues that this lifestyle choice will present. Your baby will love you for it and though you may never be wealthy you will always be happy. You may, with a little ingenuity, find you will lack absolutely nothing and may, in turn reap greater awards than you thought.

Answer 8

You may want to also include on your land a small greenhouse to provide vegetables during the winter months.  Building a greenhouse and maintaining it is not hard and there are many organic ways to maintain it.  I would also suggest you get some trees that fruit in the winter (Washington Navel Orange).

May I suggest as well getting a windmill with an electric inverter for a small source of electricity.

Answer 9

A few other things you need...

-- Easy and reliable access to pure running water 24/7.

-- Easy and reliable access to some way of disposing of sewage (septic tank?)

-- Access to medical facilities in case of emergencies.

-- Access to electricity or some other form of lighting.

-- Methods for storing and preserving food.

-- Source of seeds and plants for food production and production of food for rabbits.

Be prepared for unending backbreaking work from dawn to dusk every day...there is a reason why peasant farming is abandoned by its practitioners the moment some other way of making a living is offered.

Answer 10

It can be done!  Not really more at your finger tips than did ancient farmers, the only difference being you have been use to modern conveniences, and turning from them may be hard.  It can be done though if you are willing to put in the hard work and you will be rewarded when you see how happy and healthy your family is.  It can teach your child that family relies on each other through everything.

Answer 11

I admire you guys. I'm very attached to electricity and internet and...washing machines. ;-) It's certainly would not be a lifestyle where you can kick back and do nothing, but if you enjoy working with your hands you could really get into it.

I think if I were in your shoes, I'd arrange to apprentice under a family who already owns a successful sustainable farm. Many of the positions I've seen offered include housing and a small salary, so that would give you a place to live and a small income while you learn the fundamentals. I think you'll have to learn how to produce at least a little of something for resale - even if all your food needs are met from your homestead, you still need a way to pay property taxes and miscellaneous expenses.

Hey, there's a really great group of people at www.homesteadingtoday.com...huge sustainable living forum. Lot of them are just striving for food independence, but some people are actually succeeding in the lifestyle you're envisioning.