How easy to grow food and keep livestock?

[Lucky Jim]

As a city slicker, agriculture is a mystery to me, but in a SHTF situation how easy would it be for me and other dummies to go out into the country to settle in a deserted farmhouse and start growing food? Could we learn it all from books?
For example these pics make it look so easy with instructions when to plant, etc, there's something beautiful and almost spiritual about living in harmony with nature like that.
What size growing area would we need to feed a group of say 6 people?
And is keeping cattle, pigs and hens worthwhile or would they be too much trouble to tend and feed?

[dead-man-walking]

hard work but doable,especially if survival is dependant on it

prime example would be the first series of river cottage with hugh fernly whitingstall

pigs and chooks would be a good idea as they are pretty self sufficient and pigs will eat anything ( including the odd nosey passerby) and provide a good source of both meat and fertalizer

[preppingsu]

This book is worth a read

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-New-Complet ... 0751364428

We have been growing our own for 4 years and we are still learning. This year has been terrible and has not provided enough for the winter.

We have kept chickens for 2 years and are still learning.

This year is our first year of keeping pigs and its not that easy. We have learnt a lot.

Books can give you a lot of information but until you are actually doing it..........you really need to put that knowledge into practise.

Even city slickers can keep a couple of hens in a smallish area, use containers to grow veg or look at land share and see if there's a local garden you can share.

[preppingsu]

Coming back to this as had to stop and have tea!

I'm sure anyone could turn their hand to growing, animal husbandry etc but I'm sure it's better to try and learn/practise those skills now.

Pigs at the moment are not allowed any food that has passed through a kitchen, so no scraps etc. However, post shtf those laws probably wouldn't apply. You will need to consider the slaughter and butchery of the animals - I do believe pigs aren't that easy. They will forage well and are great at turning the land over for growing.

Chickens- some for eggs and some for meat. You will need to look at breeding so you will need a cockerel. You will need to know how to kill and butcher your chickens.

It's not easy and we do it on a very small scale. We are constantly learning, getting exasperated, constantly exhausted at weekends when we are outside getting 'jobs' done.

Please, please don't think you could just roll up to a piece of land and be feeding your family 6 months later. Try and practise now.

Sorry to go on..........

[edward.21]

As a city slicker, agriculture is a mystery to me, but in a SHTF situation how easy would it be for me and other dummies to go out into the country to settle in a deserted farmhouse and start growing food? Could we learn it all from books?
For example these pics make it look so easy with instructions when to plant, etc, there's something beautiful and almost spiritual about living in harmony with nature like that.
What size growing area would we need to feed a group of say 6 people?
And is keeping cattle, pigs and hens worthwhile or would they be too much trouble to tend and feed?

hi lj
from 0%-100% in agriculture quickly would imho be nigh on impossible especially in a shtf senario. you most certainly can learn it all from books as i have done but it takes along time and alot of failures wich could not be afforded in a worst case senario. to fully feed a group of 6 using non intensive (no pesticided) farming you would need proabbly 8-15 acres (its hard to give a better estimate without knowing soil type or condition etc.you would also need lots of clean water.) keeping hens is definatly worth while. i would also suggest keeping rabbits, bees, goats and pigs in that order. the most important thing i would suggest is give it a go while you life does not depend on it. perhapse start of with bees as they need very little attention once set up. good luck and pm me with any further questions if need be.

[mole hill]

I agree with preppingsu, we've got pigs, sheep and chickens and it hard work looking after them. If TSHTF its going to be hard enough to feed my family never mind getting food for the animals, i think anyone with live stock is going to be an easy target.

[moocher]

If you can nurture ordinary garden plants and capable of looking after cage birds,then your capable of growing veg and keeping chickens or ducks.
The same principals apply.
I don't know why there's such a myth over only country folk being able to live the good life.

[gary5wift]

Keeping chickens is easy and contrary to popular belief you don't need a big area to keep them in, they are perfectly happy with a coop and small run. We got half a dozen last year and they pretty much look after themselves with just a bit of basic maintenace. Even kids could look after them after a bit of basic tuition.

Give it a go, you will be surprised how easy it is. We average 5-6 eggs a day from our little flock

Cheers
Gary

[MickyP]

If you can nurture ordinary garden plants and capable of looking after cage birds,then your capable of growing veg and keeping chickens or ducks.
The same principals apply.
I don't know why there's such a myth over only country folk being able to live the good life.

Growing vegetables is just like any other skill, it needs practice and more practice and even then you are at the mercy of the weather, pests, and any number of other issues out of your control. Anyone who thinks they can sow a few seeds, wait a few months, and then fill their larder with all the produce is either misinformed or an eternal optimist, or maybe both. No doubt some people would be lucky, but relying on luck isn't the best option for survival.

You're right that you dont have to be a farmer out in the country to grow veg and live the good life, plenty of city residents have good skills and knowledge, but they gained those skills by growing veg in their gardens or on their allotments and by constantly learning from their experience.

In my opinion learning how to grow and store your own food is one of the most important skills you can learn from a prepping point of view and it is far more difficult than many people/preppers imagine.

[tigs]

love the idea of after the shtf there are all these empty farm houses! where have all the farmers gone? and if they have gone why? its more likely the farmers would bug in with a well stocked gun cabinet but saying that farming even now is labour intensive and require a lot of people so its likely that if you offer to help and work on the farm you could would be welcomed