How Much to Plant Per Person for a Year's Worth of Food

[@MelissaKNorris]

You can get the full chart for free that tells you how many plants per person and the average yield per plant here melissaknorris.com/familygardenplan Are you growing more this year?

[@markkristynichols845]

YES more this year! Thanks for the free chart!!!-Kristy in MIssouri :)

[@dragoncarver287]

Saved seed from: Fava beans, pole beans, scarlet runners, Hubbard squash, Leeks, bunching onions. I don't save peas here in the Willamette Valley. weevils are a major pest. growing lots different stuff this year, fennel, boc choi, 3 kinds of kale. peas for growing tips, etc, and different ways to plant using plant modules/ cells. like beets for roots. 4 to a cell plant the whole cell, same with radishes, leeks, bulb onions and bunching onions. and going to pick leaves from lettuce plants instead of cutting the plant. 30 Amish Paste tomato plants instead of 15. Oh yea... thanks for the chart. It was just what I needed. Happy Gardening this summer

[@sashakidd1501]

Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading thank you so much for what you’re doing.

[@Ms.Byrd68]

I just went there and it didn't have anything that was free and accessible.

[@deanshomestead7058]

We are definitely growing more this year! We are in the south. While it is warm we can grow almost all year.

[@shalissmonet.4239]

When you walked by the owl at 1:07 I thought it was real and got super impressed for a second. My mind: "This woman has it all ... A thriving homestead and a well-trained owl guarding her crops." ;) Happy to have found your channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Lol you get favorite comment of the day. Alas not an owl trainer

[@shalissmonet.4239]

Hahaa. Well maybe one day. 😋

[@Lorisa25]

AHAHAHA OMG, me too!!!

[@trumpetpunk42]

Like a Disney princess or something

[@crystalmasters8582]

😂😂😂

[@niallwildwoode7373]

You've got it spot-on. Last year I cropped enough dried beans from a few plants, to last me at least a couple of years. I'm still eating tomato passata I'd bottled 4 years ago. Bottling, drying and freezing....can't beat it!

[@searose6192]

Would you mind sharing a little more details with my on your per plant yield from your dried beans? What type did you grow? How many plants? Did you pick any as snap beans before letting the rest dry on the plant? I have had a really hard time pining down yields for dried beans, I have heard anecdotal stuff saying people got "huge amounts" from 4 plants and other people saying 10 plants to yielded enough for a "couple meals". If you don't mind sharing I could really use a solid estimate from an actual human 😀 thanks!

[@truettfinch6419]

"My family has been saving seeds for over a 100 years." I love it! Great info!

[@rafetizer]

"Unfortunately, when we finally got around to planting the century-old seeds, they didn't sprout. Guess they weren't heirloom after all."

[@brentewing6467]

Just a gentle suggestion :) grow as much as you can, you're going to enjoy eating your food much more when the people around you are also eating. Be part of what's right in the world, be a blessing :)

[@apollofateh324]

Yup, it's better to have too much and give it away then have too little :)

[@DIYSolarandWind]

My garden will be 2-4 times bigger this year. I will learn canning this year. I will get a good deal on a few hundred jars from a friend in about a month.

[@susannah_hb4388]

I have no clue how I just found you. You’re amazing and exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. 🙏🏻

[@jeffcarter1641]

The view of your land with the mountains in the background... I'm a new subscriber but I can see why you fell in love with that property! Thanks for sharing!

[@lareemcra347]

I am very impressed by the lady's abilities in speaking as well as in homesteading.

[@fallenangelwi25]

We have a family of 6 and we're planting over 2,000 seeds!!! 50 varieties of herbs alone and the rest is veggies and fruit. In over 700 square feet of garden

[@MrJaman0083]

You just created a couple full time jobs. Good luck

[@fallenangelwi25]

@@MrJaman0083 yes for sure!! However we've gone without for so long after our home burned down we don't mind those jobs 💚🌱❤️

[@stevengonzalez27]

fallenangelwi25 If you have any money at all, go to the city looking for property owing taxes. They either sell them for the amount owed, or auction them off real cheap. Might be able to get something suitable for your needs, at bargain basement price, moreso now as the economy is tanking. I would go away from any big city though. The country is a much safer and nicer place thses days.

[@mauijoe1000]

Outstanding information delivery. Thanks.

[@fallenangelwi25]

@@stevengonzalez27 thank you, we got a property very cheap we're paying for currently. We just don't have it all up front and nobody to rely on until we can save so it's the best we can do currently.

[@jonahbigfish1889]

Thanks Melissa for sharing and the free chart. Like you I'm about an hour from the Canadian border but about 3000 miles east here in Vermont. This year with all this craziness with this Virus and the grocery stores lacking bread and other things I decided to grow as much , (without waste) as I can. You can get by without toilet paper but not without food. Thanks for your knowledge It's much appreciated. Bless you + family.

[@mollyboho]

We grow our peas and beans up our corn plants, it puts nitrogen back into the soil and makes double use of the space, then as a ground cover between squash and pumpkin

[@mycozygardencottage]

You're awesome and just keep being awesome. I read your newsletter and I'm shocked that good clean helpful truthful content is being censored. Keep up the good work! You're helping a lot of people.💝

[@stevenrichards8880]

Obviously homesteading is working very well for you and yours. God bless.

[@forestwoman]

I have to say as a Texas gardener, I have ZERO problem growing cool weather crops. I'm a certified Texas Master Gardener and we literally grow all year long down here. We can grow in the winter time with no problem. That's when we grow our snow peas, brussel sprouts, etc. It's not harder at all. Just a different time than you up there.

[@anthonymiller9579]

I used to grow extra tomatoes, onions and herbs to make and can extra salsa or spaghetti sauce.

[@juliamartin9047]

We eat a lot of eggs so I am so very very thankful for our chickens and eggs.

[@hickbilly8925]

Dad grows the marzanos... i grow a yeller mater heritage breed. Seeds come a wild voluntary plant in Marietta ohio.... 32 yrs ago.. hahahaha. Theyve been to florida... Wyoming.. etc. And now they are back home in ohio. I cant wait to see the blossoms. This plant means so much to me. It has traveled the world as i have. Amen.

[@martijohnson2096]

So glad I found you! I'm just down river from you and am working on year 3 of our garden. This year is the best so far and I'm processing all sorts of our produce! This one was very informative - lots of info i can use for next year's planning. It's so nice to find someone in my exact growing zone!

[@jasonm1884]

People who talk about growing ALL their own food never seem to talk about grains. Growing flour corn and buckwheat is super easy and wheat isn't as hard as you may think. I've never tried growing oats or rice but maybe I will someday if the world doesn't end in the next 6 months.

[@PilliamWilliam]

jesus this comment took a dark turn

[@joshmann7587]

Its because its no feasible with the amount of space MOST people have. Surely you should know that if you already grow them? It would be absolutely pointless me growing them in my garden.

[@patrickreynolds6270]

@@joshmann7587 On a calorie basis I would think grains would provide the most per square foot. I would think the idea is to grow the most calories in whatever space you have if the goal is to feed yourself.

[@sigvar6795]

Rice, to my knowledge requires wetland with a moving (slightly) water supply. Harvesting, depending on variety, requires being in water for a prolonged time or using a canoe.

[@sigvar6795]

@@PilliamWilliam Dark times will have that effect.

[@DarleneDeSilva]

Thank you for the chart. I really appreciate all the work you do to put these video’s together. Ignore the rude person who can find nothing better than fault with one sentence....I will pray for them.

[@julieabehling]

Good stuff, Melissa! I am growing more food this year than I have ever attempted before. It is very encouraging to learn from those who have gone before!!

[@huntergathererohio]

A general rule on average one acre per person for a years supplies. More land north and less in the south. This is without a greenhouse or cold frame. Also just plant what you eat. Some plants need friends to make food. Planting extra plants gives more food for you or just give away the extra. Every year the garden is different.

[@nonono4160]

That's a lot more than you really need, May family managed to survive for year on slightly more than half of acre of land while growing more than enough food to feed us year round.

[@huntergathererohio]

@@nonono4160 hi do you live in a warmer state? I live in OHIO last frost is mid May. Most of the garden is dead in August.

[@dacebruz2626]

If you need that much land. You’re not thinking outside the box. I have just over half an acre. I live in upstate New York. We have ducks for eggs, rabbits for meat, 12 blueberry bushes, 2 apple trees, 2 elderberries, 5 gooseberries, three honey berries, 6 cherry trees, 1 peach tree, 5 hazelnuts, 1 almond tree, About 100’ of raspberries, blackberries, and boysenberries strawberry patches, a jostaberry, 1 Black currant. We grow a ton of our own veggies. We are a family of 5. Kids still have a lot of lawn space for playing. I wish I had a little bit more land so I could get goats for milk. Dairy is the only thing that we don’t have.

[@nonono4160]

@@huntergathererohio i live in West Siberia region of Russia. It is definitely not warm here, i can tell you that. Similar to you, we have only one harvest per year and limited window of time to grow food. It's all about knowledge and proper technique. Raised beds, so soil warmth quicker and less affected by wet weather since it drains easier(since our climate is contrast continental, we can have long dry periods and long wet periods). Active mulching so soil retains moisture in dry periods and for returning nutrients to soil. Proper compost to add even more nutrients to soil. Choosing right crops for your climate and soil matters too. So does learning about their behaviour. And funny thing, it usually takes less work than standard approach to gardening. Work smarter, not harder.

[@CnithTheOnliestOne]

one acre.... uh huh... me living in California. If I was that rich I'd have some one else grow it for me and ship it to me fresh... Meanwhile, I'll take my 48 foot by 5 foot section of land and see what I can do... so far I've made an orchard... but I'm only feeding myself. An acre... shoot... I could probably feed half the world with that... LOL

[@marthaadams8326]

A lot of good information that you have put together. I am at 2000' so the sun can be a little much even when the temperature is not. I grow a lot of greens because they are needed when you get older for general health. They tend to go to seed very rapidly, so when I see that I cut them, dry them and make a powder and during the winter months, they can be put into all kinds of foods to enhance the nutrition. I am elderly and the elderly (start at 50 - I am77) start losing their ability to get the full nutrition from their foods, so good to have enhancements and lettuce can be grown in a pot with other things or this year, I got a green stalk and the first veggie planting will be greens. I also have one of strawberries. I also grow all of my herbs - because my goodness, look at the price of one little container of herbs at the store. I put up tons of Italians herbs and parsley every year and then I do lots of others, but don't put up as much. (and they are easy) Also, I am looking at growing food for my chickens and trying to figure what I can grow to get them a balanced diet. Because of the fox population, mine have to be fenced in and carefully guarded. I just got a premier fence for them and they love the extra space (even though their original outdoor space is pretty big) to root for worms and stuff. I already am raising comfrey and it really takes over - so lots for them and same with Jerusalem artichokes. So, moving those down closer to their coop. I always grow them sunflowers and think I will do more than save seeds this year and save seeds to feed them throughout the year and I grow mung bean sprouts for them. I LOVE carrots, but they will not grow here. So, I ordered two raised beds so I can raise root crops and my moles will have to move elsewhere. And, onions - a main course for me. And, has antiviral properties! So, lots and lots of onions to dry for all kinds of foods (saves space in storage. I need to grow mushrooms due to my health diet. And, so my adventure this year is learning to grow my own mushrooms. Don't know how that will go. Will have to do it inside because it will not survive with all of my wildlife outside. Great presentation and if I had a family with big appetites now, I would get your book and do all the calculations because it is not looking great. And, I pray everyone who is trying to grow things this year for the first time are successful and that will take some of the burden off of the whole.

[@braeutchen41]

Miss Martha....I'm 75...doing like you...🖐🏻☺️. START mushrooms w an innoculated log, perhaps. At least to get started.🙌🏻💝👑

[@captainreadingabook]

I'm in north Idaho and I just found your channel. Thank you for all the great tips! This is the first year owning our own home for my husband and I, so we're really excited to get started on our first garden!

[@_GandalfTheGrey_]

Any update? Which crops have you been successful and unsuccessful with? I’m looking at some land in north idaho to grow food on.

[@captainreadingabook]

@Sauron yeah I did 2 years of garden and then this year I'm taking a break. Everything did great! Tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes, spinach, sugar pumpkin, cucumber, zuchinni, strawberries, rhubarb. I still have a lot of frozen produce, which is why I'm taking a bream. What made the biggest difference was adding in aged manure from a local farm. I paid them $100 and they dumped a truckload in my yard. I still have a pretty big mound.

[@joanfinck855]

The last few years, I have tried 1 or 2 new things each year, just to try new vegetables. We also planted several blueberry bushes last year, and I have ordered black elderberries that should arrive once the weather warms up enough to plant. I have enjoyed watching your videos, and have learned so much from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!! I am planting more this year than ever, including many varieties of edible flowers in the flower beds in case there aren't enough greens in the garden! I have never been able to grow tomatoes from seed, as I could never get them to harden off for them to last in the garden - it is very windy here in Iowa! After watching your earlier videos, I am giving it another go...especially as I don't know as I will be getting to the store to pick up plants that come from the nursery! Keep up the information! We need it, especially right now!!!

[@stevengonzalez27]

Joan Finck There must be one main direction all that wind comes from. Plant your tomatos on the opposite side of your residence, and tie them up every few inches. With a lot of support your tomatos should be fine, and the wind actually helps self pollinate the plants. Winds make for stronger plants, maybe not every plqnt though.

[@stevengonzalez27]

Joan Finck You can also place a large plastc container or a large jar over plants, with a brick on top to hold it down. Like a little green house, but you need to air the plants when winds are calm, as to prevent molds or rot.

[@anthonymiller9579]

My family loved baked carrots mixed with parsnips or beets.

[@LizfollowsHIM]

What a beautiful view of the mountain! ❤

[@melissag8270]

This is so awesome, I was just talking with my mom wondering how much we would need to plant if we were to homestead in the future! definitely more than we’re currently doing but we are still in the city 😛 one day!

[@tinyhineyfarm5020]

Thank you for the free worksheets. It is a huge question that we are trying to figure out for our family of seven. Plus have some extra for our parents.

[@winfieldjohnson125]

I have a garden with all raised beds (we had really bad soil with way too many stones and such)- 16 beds totaling 432 square feet of planting space. I'm hoping we can add some more garden space this year, but it may not happen. We struggle to grow enough veggies for our family of 3, but each year we manage to get a little more out of it. Sometimes too much (note to self: never ever plant an entire bed to kale again!) Thanks for your videos- they have helped me continue to get the maximum yields out of this garden.

[@apollofateh324]

Have you tried the Square Foot Gardening method? It gets you a lot more bang for your buck, space wise.

[@itsokaytobeclownpilled5937]

I’m in Washington State too. I’m on the SW side of the state. Last summer was overcast and dark. I’m ready for this year to go either way.

[@DianaMJoice]

This is great advice, thank you! Especially the part to consider how much space a lot of plants take up and what is actually being eaten. I do have a suggestion for you, though. You can use corn to grow cucumbers or beans on, as a pole, which then triples your food yield. Same with Sunchoke and peas, with zucchinis or smaller pumpkins growing at the sunchoke's or the corn's feet. You can grow zucchini and pumpkins up vertically as well. They do require a pole or trellis or something like that, though. But it keeps many diseases and pests away. Furthermore, to completely overdo it with companion planting and space saving... you can add an herb to cover the ground and retain moisture in the soil. Peppermint, balm, savory or Anis work wonders. Much success!

[@foster3316]

Beautiful mountains, beautiful garden, beautiful girls. Never miss an episode.

[@foster3316]

Oh and practical good advice.

[@denisemouledous7352]

I so admire your commitment to feeding your family healthy, organic food. Thank you for sharing all your techniques and ideas through your videos. Although I live in a subtropical climate many of what you talk about can be modified to my climate. I can’t wait to watch the pressure canning videos during canning time!

[@ThorneyRose]

I don’t know if you’ll see this post but a tip I got from Laura Ingalls Wilder book called “farmer boy” is about her husbands life growing up on a farm. His father said plant beans, corn and pumpkin together. The corn provides a frame for the beans to climb and the pumpkin provides ground cover. A good tip I think!

[@braeutchen41]

Oh I see....the chart is IN the book....I'm alllll set. Ty! Book is on the way.....🖐🏻☺️ 🙌🏻💝👑

[@MK-tu1zh]

I lived in sedro-woolley for about a decade until 2018. I loved growing food in planter pots. especially tomatoes and peppers. Washington just got too expensive to live.

[@chezgiardino]

I'd love to be completely indipendent vegetables-wise , growing everything I need, but I find the processing/preserving part more challenging than the actual growing...

[@tinaholbrook9719]

You would be correct. I spent a couple summers ago canning as much as I could. It was constant work! Exhausting! So much so that I did no canning last year. But I'm about ready to pick it back up this year. It's just too important to save food for our family. Especially in the times we're living in.

[@suchandradasi]

"You can provide family for your food all year long" hehehehe

[@richardballstein5132]

It's nice of her to think about the foods like that.

[@aeth3rstudio]

Dehydrate and can!

[@DaveJimenez1]

I wouldn't want to feed my food my family hehehe. Good video :)

[@stevengonzalez27]

Dave Jimenez If you love them , yes you do. Get them to help you, and that is how you teach them to do for themselves, as they can learn how you do it.

[@LitoGeorge]

@@stevengonzalez27 take a breath and re-read what was written. Then laugh.

[@Freakontheway]

Hey Melissa, thank you for sharing and teaching us. We are a family of 6 (3 teens... eating A LOT!) and I just got a little garden (could rent it) about 1345 square feet with an added place to put fruit trees measuring about 670 square feet. (so happy !! :D ) We planted the trees last month and now I'm planning where the berries and seeds go... so your video is right in time ;) We'll see what this first pioneering year will yield for us... we love this adventure of planting and reaping what we sow. Take care, blessings and love from The Netherlands/Holland, Diana

[@mikew5988]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge on gardening. I live alone and am green to gardening har har. Your awesome im so glad I found you.

[@dereksproule6954]

Thank you Melissa. I'm endeavouring to plan(t) a garden this year. Seeing what you're doing here is inspiring.

[@stefaniegrupe2747]

So glad you mentioned your new book- bought it just now off amazon! Been a follower for years, thank you so much for all the advice!!!

[@boredchika]

I had to pause this video 4 seconds in to comment on that scenery. I live in the Canadian Prairies. I have been to the mountains but to live next to that view would be crazy! So beautiful!!

[@catedennis41]

Thank you so much for sharing. I am trying to grow enough for a year for the two of us (we're seniors). We are trying square foot gardening as we don't have enough yard. This will help a lot.

[@stevengonzalez27]

Cate Dennis Also think vertical, in the background, like pole beans. Place little plants like the roots of green onions among larger plants, and randomly sow radishes. Live no spot unplanted. If you can, hang flower baskets where you live, and next season use them to grow cherry tomatos. They hang down from a basket just fine. Window boxes for kitchen herbs. Regrow vegetables you buy, like bok choy, leeks, cellery, green onions, onion rootes, carrot tops for the edible greens. Place the root portions in a half inch of water, and change the water twice daily, then after two or three days plant outside in soft soil, in the shade. Water frequently using a spray bottle. Also save seeds, from your own plants, and from produce you buy. Peppers, tomatos, winter squashes. Regrow an onion or a beet, to optain their seeds. Let one or two of everything you plant go to seed, and carefully save those seeds. Keep in humidity proof, bug proof, rodent proof, labeled containers, store in a dark, dry, cool or cold location. Happy gardening to all, everyone and everywhere.

[@cindiperron]

here in the south, we can grow carrots, greens, root veggies and cruciferous veggies during the winter :)

[@MelissaKNorris]

I'll pretend I didn't hear that and I'm not jealous

[@cindiperron]

Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading 😂 the Deep South comes with its own set of gardening problems. I’d love to have ALL my salad ingredients grown in the same season, lol. This coming winter, I’m going to try the fragile veggies in the greenhouse :)

[@jeanlamourUK]

There she is the gardening queen.

[@Thisisit120]

Thank you Melissa for all of the information on growingA garden for my family. I hope to grow quite a bit more so I can give it away thank you.

[@fordtelly6573]

Some people don't like roasted carrots! WOW!.....that REALLY blows my mind!!!!!

[@alifeinspired7792]

My sister bought your book for me on Amazon. I am so excited to get it. It will fill in the holes where I have questions about how to be self sustainable

[@MelissaKNorris]

Good job sis! Can't wait to see how your garden goes this year!

[@Hunter2847]

I plan to start growing family for my food this year for the first time

[@TaraDemo]

Your hair is STUNNING in this vid! And the rest of it was great too! 🙂

[@sharonallen6921]

Thank you so much. I am printing out the gardening sheets now and hope to order your book next payday. I think it will make a nice addition to the library I am building for my grandsons - for when NaNa isn't here any longer to help them. My grandparents passed when I was a pre-teen and there are so many questions I wished they had been here to answer. I may not be here for my grands but hopefully the library I leave them will be and it will help them as they grow our family. ~Sherrie in South Carolina

[@quitequiet5281]

Thank you, Mrs Norris. I just picked up your three books from Apple Books store before I even finished your video. Good Luck and Good Fortune! Your information is wonderful and because I knew many of the things you were saying to be true... I invested in your work to fill the gaps in my knowledge. Thank you so much. Great video.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Thank you so much for getting the books, I hope they help immensely

[@larryskylar3394]

It might be a good idea for you to put in a walipini. It will allow you to grow your hotter/colder weather items at any time of the year.

[@JWFitness1]

A good strategy is to prep heavily as much as you can AND grow a garden. When your garden starts to harvest, you can eat that and your preps, which can help extend your preps.

[@mikefinley4367]

Oh I'm getting your book, this is ... In the word of a younger generation ... "Awesome."

[@fodenbronzeforge1243]

Just bought a house with acres (mostly woods), will be starting my first garden from scratch. First year goal-grow enough to do some canning & freezing. Second year goal will be to grow enough for half of what we need. Year three should have enough land cleared to grow all we need. And i work 8-10 hours a day driving 45 min each way.

[@lemaitrethemonk]

This is a goal of mine too. I am looking at land now. After the shopping debacle due to Covid19. I realized that being more self-sufficient is more important now. Health and happiness to you and your family. Cheers.

[@brendahowell5946]

Thanks so much! 2 years later we in worse trouble! Best tomatoes to grow

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

I don't use cucumbers for pickles anymore. My family loves the pickled beans and I prefer doing those so we only plant a few cucumbers for eating fresh. Thanks for the video.

[@peterlockhart2588]

Grow sprouts in glass jars - have all the vegetables needed like the ancient Chinese sailors - all the food you need - sprouts - and stir fry it or put it in a stew.

[@carrielamastus3366]

Amazing! You are the woman I’ve been looking for!! I’ll be watching your videos and checking your site! Thank you!

[@northpole9311]

Good show ....more and more people are going to grow gardens this year and will be interested in these things.

[@nicolehourie6034]

Hi Melissa K. Norris, Nicole here from Bridgeport, Washington! I like what you are doing 👍 You are very knowledgeable and you can tell your passion is gardening and to help others learn how to grow our own food for our families!!! Isn’t that everyone’s goal and needs. You rock and thank you so very much keep up your awesome work!!! I enjoy and appreciate you very much

[@cherylbertolini3140]

borlotti bean common bean first bread in Colombia as the cariama to.its also known as the cranberry bean, roman bean and romano bean. It’s the beast bean I use them for baked beans

[@jamesbascombe6869]

I wash and freeze whole my cherry tomatoes for my salads during winter. They don't taste as good as fresh. But better than store bought ones. I have a two acre garden, and living alone it is plenty large enough for me. I don't give away the extra food I grow as you never know what the weather is going to do next year. Like last year all it did was rain. Our ground was 90% saturated. So the garden did not do near as well. So it was good that I grew a lot extra the year before.

[@pamgalloway7272]

Thanks so much for this. I’ve been really pondering this very question. I live in Chicago Illinois and I will be container gardening for my small space. This will help me. Pammie from Chicago Illinois

[@carolhamilton5164]

Pam Galloway hi, I am south of you in Joliet. I do lots of containers, raised beds, and in the ground. I currently have spinach about 1-2 inches up in a raised bed, that I planted under glass (old refrigerator shelves) in January. I also have lettuce and carrots up in pots double covered with the glass I took off the spinach and plastic I covered them with all winter. I have garlic coming up last November and normal green onions up. Lots more planted. You can just sprinkle some seeds (spinach, lettuce carrots etc.) on the soil now And they will germinate when the temp is right. Good luck! 🥰🙏👍

[@HelenEk7]

Great video. I also live in a colder climate, so I focus on foods that store well during winter, as most of the year you can not grow food here. I also want to grow foods that humans can eat, but can also be used as animal feed. Meat and eggs are after all some of the most nutrient dense foods there is.

[@rebeccaowen287]

Wow!!! So many plants per person! I had no idea.

[@Johnrider1234]

We also grow one acer of strawberries one acre of asparagus one acer of garlic.

[@dallasschneider4564]

Trying to apply the three 1/3 rule here in SW Florida. That is 1/3 to eat,1/3 to seed save,1/3 for neighbors or cash crop!

[@shannonwells3736]

Oh gosh. My number one struggle. Deciding how much food to grow to last. Thankyou for the tips! I am always either over or under on my amounts

[@stevengonzalez27]

Shantastic Gardens Get a dehydrator, and dehydrate all your surplus veggies. Dry them completely to the breaking point, if they can be bent they still have moisture in them. Completely dehydrated vegetables can be stored in jars, and will last for YEARS. When dehydrating herbs, cut small after they are dry, to prevent nutrient and flavor loss. One big fat pumkin minus the seeds fits into a mason jar, once peeled, diced, dehydrated. Always ready for you on a cold winter's day. Squash seeds need to be rinsed before saving them, and dried on paper towels for at least two weeks. Place in a labeled container. Most properly stored seeds will last for several years, in a dry, dark, cold or cool, location. Store inside humidity proof, bug proof, rodent proof, labeled containers. Happy gardening to all, everyone and everywhere.

[@ismaelrivera1752]

Thank you for the info!! I live in Massachusetts so our climate is like yours and I planted a garden but it was small so I know what I'm doing next spring!

[@kaisenji]

We are luck enough to just be us and our four goats (two newborns but only one will stay). I am planning on putting down a lot this year to also include fresh food for the goats and eventually the chickens. We are in So. Calif high desert so hot, hot summers with cold, cold winters with occasional snow and rain. Too hot/windy for the citrus unless potted and too cold for year round hot food growth. Will definately put in some berry plants even if we have ground squirrels (but rat terriers will take care of them.).

[@renea8724]

I'm not too far from you. How hard would you say it is having goats in the inland empire? I've thought about it for milk and also I've heard they will eat some weeds.

[@amandataylor682]

I live in Central Texas. My cabbages are always puny and forget about Brussels sprouts. We can grow okra and squashes almost overnight.

[@fmfdocbotl4358]

My cabbage did great last year

[@itsbreellis]

So much good information! Thank you for sharing!

[@barbarakuhn3239]

Wow what a beautiful beautiful view of the mountains I'm so jealous

[@Claymore1977]

Three sisters method. Plant corn, beans, and squash in small groups. They all help each other and it saves room. Thank you Native Americans.

[@BrokeUrbanFarmer]

Just found you from HOA collab. Excited to find your channel and learn!

[@MelissaKNorris]

🙌 nice to meet you! Will you be increasing your garden this year?

[@BrokeUrbanFarmer]

Melissa K. Norris - Modern Homesteading yes I will be! It will be about doubled in size this year! This is my first year starting completely from seed so we’ll see how successful I’ll be!

[@agrarianarc]

I love your garden Melissa! Wild and productive!

[@Wildevis]

Unfortunately we are going into winter in Southern Hemisphere but do have mild winters so I may be using cld frames to plant more veggies

[@braeutchen41]

KALE....flavor w small amt bacon; serve w rice and a "rue" or gravy from the kale and bacon over the rice. With homemade corn bread

[@moimeme1928]

My husband and I are retired, living in a Jersey Shore adult community. We're not allowed to grow food here. We would like to move somewhere where we can grow a nice amount of food. I'm afraid that we can't afford to buy property in Washington State though. We have some family who live in Everett. This does not help us. Plus, my husband has epilepsy and he can not skip his medications. He does very well as long as he does not miss any. We can't live in a very remote place. Hospitals are a major concern. Getting back to growing our own food, it's something that we miss a lot. Too expensive here in NJ. It's so sad not knowing what to do and where to go.

[@TWC6724]

Just came across your channel. You are so knowledgeable. I would love to start growing food for my family and will be changing growing climates soon due to moving (from Texas to NC) so all your information is so helpful. God bless.

[@donedonager6322]

This is amazing!! I have a new family not far from your area, super useful information! Thank you so much 😊

[@shield-maiden4896]

Put in sweet potato slips May 1st in southern Louisiana, as it's about to get painfully hot. Cole crops plus spinach, lettuce, onions do great here during the late fall, winter. Enjoyed your video.

[@felipearaujo7815]

You have a very well organized library of content. Good job!

[@LadiesofPurposeTV]

Family of 8 here💖 & just found your channel! Loving all the great info and you’re a dear:). Thanks SO much for sharing such valuable content. I want to order your book. I live on a mountain with lots of trees...no open space land but I planted 3 container patio gardens in early May, I’m so excited the carrots, pole beans & squash are already starting to sprout up. I planted lettuce & spinach in a separate container. We also built an amazing chicken coop🐥🐥🐥. My Husband & our older teens did it over the last few weeks and we have 19 baby hens...they are 3-4 weeks old and so much fun to see them grow. Can’t wait for fresh eggs when they are ready. I’m looking into grow microgreens inside...still researching that but great for immune system. I’d love to plant potatoes, looked at the 5 gallon bucket method but seems like it won’t produce much. Might try it though so I know. My goal this summer is to buy local fruits, veggies and can everything I get my hands on. Praying for opportunities to gather as much fresh, local food as possible. Thanks tons, you inspire me already and this is the second video I’ve watched of yours.

[@carlitosway1282]

I was kinda motivated to start cultivating on the land I have but 5 min to the video i realized I don’t have the patience to watch the video yet alone plant stuff ! Supermarket it is

[@HiddenBlessingsHomestead]

This is the video I have been looking for, thank you so much!

[@anthonymiller9579]

Thanks for all of these great tips, Melissa!

[@DIYSolarandWind]

I just bought your book from amazon. Thank you for being awesome.

[@mikesmith2102]

Washington State rocks!! I live in Covington. Short season without a greenhouse.

[@micahwatson9017]

Wow! Awesome video...well spoken, concise and chock full of info. I'm your neighbor to the south in the shadow of Mt Rainier and a new subscriber.

[@scottdude8104]

Love the amount of information thank you so much! Very well done

[@scottdude8104]

Heyy how are you

[@mamarrachopunpun]

Hi, Melissa. Today I discovered your web and channel. We're a couple planning to go homesteading to a rural area. I've been managing an urban allotment dor 6 years and kinda know all we need to know to grow most of our food. But unfortunately, there's always a lack of resources out there for climates were rain is scarce and there's no really top soil. We live in the Mediterranean area, where the layer of top soil got eroded thousands of years ago. Bearing that in mind, this is quite inspiring... adding a twist of irrigation and fertilising and create a new channel. Homesteading where there's no rain or topsoil :-D Cheers from Barcelona.

[@anthonybarnes7342]

You should try a 3 sisters garden for corn and beans and squash all in the same space or grow corn and pole beans in rows

[@ceepark114]

We usually grow some corn but like you I feel it takes so much room, watering etc. for the price I can buy it and have been growing more greens and having salads every day or more.

[@crownewourth1]

You are a true gift... Thank you... I am a new subscriber... I am excited at everything on this channel.