Gardening and Small scale farming

Being self sufficient is part of the outdoor lifestyle in my opinion. Growing your own garden and or having a small scale farm is ideal for people who have the ability to do it.

When i say a small scale farm I am talking about only an acre or two, maybe 4-6 chickens a pig and a goat. The satisfaction from knowing you can provide for your self or your family is immeasurable. Modern day technology makes farming a lot easier than it was back in the early 1900's and before. But gardening and farming is kind of a thing that on a small scale, it is still relatively easy to do with just hand tools and knowledge. When talking about knowledge a lot of people will be like "I can't farm, I don't know botany!" or the classic "My thumb is Black not green, I could kill a cacti!" You could go the route of reading purely educational titles of the subject, or you could read, laugh and learn with two simple books.

The Zombie Gardener: Book 1 beginner crops https://amzn.to/2D4MCbk

The zombie Gardener: Book 2 https://amzn.to/3hLWjub

These titles while non fiction when pertaining to learning how to garden from "seed to harvest" also contain fictional stories from the future of a post zombie apocalyptic world.

Here is a review of the book from amazon.

"Reaching through time and dimensions from a place no longer with technology, electricity or modern conveniences The Zombie Gardener teaches us some simple down to earth methods on how to create, maintain and preserve a post-apocalyptic garden. The series will take you from seed to harvest using Old World methods on crops that this off-grid world could not survive without. Interwoven with stories from a time yet to come, The Zombie Gardener also includes survival tips, prepping hacks and even recipes from a future that someday could be ours."

I would like to say I personally learned about the subject while having a blast reading it.

There are many other titles on the subject of gardening and small scale farming but non as fun as this one. Make sure you get these books and read them if you want to start providing for your family or even if your just a beginner in the field....LOL.

Lets go over some basics and styles of Gardening and farming.

window box or bucket gardening:

The go to for people with not a lot of space to grow. Five gallon buckets and window boxes make great space for some stuff to grow, i personally grow cherry tomatoes in five gallon buckets. Window boxes can be great for herbs and spices as well. These are temporary gardens, van be put anywhere and moved and leave no damage or trace to the property for those who rent.

Small raised bed gardens:

Great if you have a little more room to grow. Usually raised beds meaning they sit above the actual ground. Great for the warmer climates year around and could see multiple harvests depending on whats grown. Things like potatoes, lettuce, carrots and beets that do not need tons of space to grow.

Large Raised beds:

Awesome for those plants who need the space to grow. I currently have:

corn, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, zucchini and others growing in mine. These often offer deeper beds and wider beds allowing more freedom to plant what you like.

Traditional beds/ Fields:

If you have the space, IF being the keyword. This is where the bigger yields come in usually, 10x10 (100 sq ft) of corn, wheat, carrots, peas etc would give you a fair amount of food. In ground beds can help survival of seeds during winter and the colder months. Soil needs to be tilled and fertilizer or compost added to help the crops.

Green house:

Many different sizes of these allow many possibilities. I current have one that has 6 shelves and is about 4.5ftx4.5ftx6ft. This size allows you to start a decent about of seeds or saplings early in the year for us in the colder regions. My friend has built one and i believe the size is around 20ftx20ftx40ft. Something this size would have fans and or grow lights and would allow most people to grow year round if they so pleased. With correct shelf spacing you would be able to grow many plants that grow vertically as well as horizontally.

Hydroponics:

Now I'm not 100% informed about the ins and outs of this. but the basic concept of it is growing plants in water instead of soil. The water is fortified with the needed minerals and such for the plants. Grown under artificial lights and controlled water allows farmers to custom tailor what each plant gets or doesn't. Its been said to be the most effectent per sq ft than any other type but at a higher cost.

Things you should know:

Compost is great for gardens and will help growth and yield.

Some plants can not be planted with each other, and some will help each other if planted next to each other, make sure to do your research.

Seeds and information often talk about grow regions. Learn these and when to plant and harvest your crops.

Farming and gardening can be done effectively the old school way, Hand tools and hard work.

There's tons more, but if you read up on the subject you will learn easily.

Gear/Tools: Please use my links even if you do not specifically buy the listed products, It helps me out and keeps FSG going at no extra cost to you!

The Zombie Gardener: Book 1 beginner crops https://amzn.to/2D4MCbk

The zombie Gardener: Book 2 https://amzn.to/3hLWjub

Melnor MiniMax Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler https://amzn.to/30Znw5U

Rotary Cultivator Tool https://amzn.to/30UPBew

compost bin https://amzn.to/3jVcNBW

Garden Tool Set, 3 Pack https://amzn.to/338gJJJ

Leisurelife Metal Raised Garden Bed https://amzn.to/339mHKg