How much land does it take to grow enough food to support an average family for one year?

Question

I am not talking about livestock yet, just vegetables and grains, but this does include buckwheat for flour and the three staple crops of corn, beans, and squash. For climate conditions, I am basing my thoughts on the Ohio River valley west of the Appalachian mountains which is USDA hardiness zone 6.

Answer 1

It depends entirely on where you live.  In the north where the growing season is short you may need fifty acres or more to maintain a milk cow, beef cows, pigs, chickens, orchard and garden.  In parts of the deep south you could do the same on five acres.  If you plan on being entirely self sufficient-growing wheat for flour, hay for the cows, grain for pigs and chickens, etc., it could take four times the above mentioned acreages.  Keep in mind also there are things you need that you cannot grow yourself.  

Answer 2

You need  to find out what you want to grow and if its just veggies or do you want to have the meat side of the spectrum also.  If you are thinking the whole spectrum then you would probaly need at the very minium 20 acres.  Part be for grazing animals (75 %)  then the rest into a garden, poultry run.  There is alot of sites that you can find all thru the web.  Also you can purchase alot of your meat products from the school FFA programs where the kids are raising them as a project and then sell them after the shows are over also check with the instructors there they may help you.

Answer 3

I would say about ten acres, to allow for livestock.

We have a small backyard garden with beans, peas, cabbages, corn, squash, cantaloupe, strawberries and several fruit trees.  It's no more than half an acre.  If we wanted to expand our vegetables and fruits, though, we'd need at least double that for variety.  The potatoes and strawberries need more room.