Survival Crops For Small Farms And Homesteads! Our TOP 6!

[@vomeronasal]

I always plant at least 4 hemp plants. Edible seed, strong fiber, and medicine. Even if you don't smoke it, it has very high barter value.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool

[@TXJan0057]

The vines from sweet potatoes look just like a pothos ivy. So anyone struggling with an HOA who won't allow a front yard garden. Plant sweet potatoes up front and they will be none the wiser.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Very cool.

[@kotomszczanka]

And they are edible, double crop plant greens and tubers.

[@pbear7814]

Ah, good to know!

[@dimpletoadfoot8631]

Deer have been chomping off the leaves of my sweet tater plant... I need to put some chicken wire over top

[@ElderandOakFarm]

I could never live in a neighborhood with an HOA. I just couldn't do it...

[@jdollar5852]

We grow sweet potatoes in grass clippings. I will cut and bag about a half acre of pasture in late April and make about a 100 foot row of clippings. We plant the slips in the grass and just leave it alone. No digging required to plant or harvest. We do get more pest damage but we can 90% of them so it's not an issue. Last year the deer ate all the leaves early on but the plants came right back. For preserving tomatoes it's best to plant a Roma style as they are much more beefy than a slicer. We grow both and can both but try to process mostly romas. Green beans can be planted 4x for us here in GA. We do some bush but mostly an Italian style pole bean. We prefer that flavor. We grow sweet peas but eat them all fresh. Ours are currently blooming like crazy. We plant purple hull peas and zipper peas 2x per year and can them. The same with collards. Summer squash and winter squash are good for us. Melons and cucumbers are also big for us. Prolific, tasty, and they make excellent pig food. I struggle with corn. We are not space constrained and actually could grow quadruple what we do. Allocation of time is more of an issue. We have an extensive fruit orchard as well as berries and muscadines. We got out of beef and replaced them with pigs. Much quicker return on investment and much easier to contain. I feel bad for people who are just now realizing they need to be prepared.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool

[@kevindavis3841]

Not to mention all of those around me that still have not started growing anything 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@javierrodriguez2863]

My god, you have everything!

[@steadynumber1]

Its not for no reason that Native Americans refer to corn, beans & squash as "the three sisters." Thanks for highlighting the importance of the six survival plants you have mentioned. ❤

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome

[@Vixenventures]

Good grief, that sweet potato looked like an arm! Lol. This is exactly what my tiny beginner garden is going to be made up of. Thanks for sharing all of this info, it's really helpful.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep, I get some big ones. Glad it was helpful!

[@Vixenventures]

@@CountryLivingExperience No kidding! I don't have land yet, but I've got a little garden book I'm using to build it for whenever we do have a patch to grow on, so videos like these are super helpful. Have a blessed day!

[@CryBabysSentimentalHomestead]

Three Sisters can also use sunflowers 🌻 in addition or replacement of corn. If someone doesn't have space for corn, sunflowers are a great alternative ❤

[@jacybrazil816]

Thank you! New gardener here in TX so I’ll take all the help I can get!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome

[@mrjon75]

If you live anywhere near Houston, see if you can find the book Houston Area Gardening by Dr. Bob Randall. You'll be an ace in no time.

[@robhunt-watts8908]

Due to my small English garden, I have a polytunnel. Peas, beans, peppers and aubergines grow in hanging baskets. Squash and cucumber grow well in tall, narrow tomato cages. Sweet potatoes grow up a trellis along one side of the polytunnel. Potatoes grow in bags, buckets, tubs and large pots all over the garden. Every scrap of ground is utilised to provide food to supplement our prepper supplies.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome!

[@o.o1163]

Thank you for sharing. I live in Haverhill MA zone 6A. I hope to have a decent garden this year and pray that ill have enough food to store at the end of my growing season☺. God bless you too🙏..

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome. God bless you as well.

[@Rockys-Mum]

Sweet potato leaves make great stir fry.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely. High in vitamin C too.

[@Jekyll_Island_Creatures]

Damn I just asked for your top 3 crops on another video and low and behold you got a top 6 video already made! Subscribed to you!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome! I am seeing this comment first. Welcome to the channel.

[@kendo2377]

Plant sweet potatoes in the shade for bigger/tastier leaves, but the tubers will be bland.

[@Mama_Nells_Garden]

That was an excellent list! I have most of those growing already and used carrots, lettuce and/or basil to grow under most to utilize the space.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. Glad you have those growing already.

[@nancyseery2213]

I have 4 out of five, so I'm doing pretty good. I'm not putting in corn this year, because i'm out of space. I do have peas, green beans, black beans, cranberry beans, cabbage, carrots, sweet and reg potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, eight herbs, beet sand ten fruits. God bless and keep growing!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

That’s awesome. A good variety. Corn sure does take up a lot of space. Have a blessed day.

[@mrjon75]

Silver Queen is the ⭐ of my garden!

[@mrjon75]

Great list. I agree that yams are amazing. Carrots are so consistent for me, I really appreciate them too.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you

[@Doc1855]

Love your videos ! A natural way to rid your garden of pests is to find someone who smokes. Soak the cigarette butts in water. Then drain the mixture into a bucket using cheese cloth, an old towel, etc. then pour the nicotine water into your sprayer and spray your fruits and vegetables. Insects will die as soon as they start to eat your fruits and vegetables. Rinse your food very well and enjoy.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you.

[@karo2950]

I was told by a fireman that the butt is treated with a flame retardant so that it doesn't burn if a lit cigarette is tossed.

[@Doc1855]

@@karo2950 the filter is fiberglass so it can’t burn. For the tincture you’re supposed to soak the butts

[@Matt_and_Ray]

Lucky me, I like in zone 8b Texas as well 😂

[@georgedrenes8143]

I certainly sense your frustration in this video. As a DIY’er myself, I realize that anything I do by myself, to save my family some money, might come back to bite me if it ever requires the intervention of my homeowners insurance, but, like you, I can’t see paying tons of money for work that I can do myself, and as you’ve experienced, sometimes, better than a contractor would have done it. Been there, redid that. Thanks for sharing. I hope to finish building the hearth for my wood burning stove this week so I can call for a final inspection and move into our 100% off grid house soon.

[@jc-rq8or]

wheat, oats, and popcorn have around 4 to 5 times as many caleries as corn, potatoes, and rice.

[@sherlockbonez]

I also cook my beet greens like the sweet potatoes. Tastes like swiss chard.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Beet greens are great.

[@joemccarthywascorrect6240]

Looks like I am adding in sweet potatoes to my planting over the top couple weeks...

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome!

[@rosemariemann1719]

6 mins 51. Tomatoes. Lovely taste, bright colours, lycopene Vit'C....In the drought of 1976, I bought a single tiny tomato in a tiny pot...🌱. Put it in a spare colander (!!!)), in soil, of course, on a small window sill, which was the only window with enough light.... But it was also a ☀️sun-trap !☀️ The tomato grew, and grew, and grew....it was more like a garden shrub ! About 3 feet tall, and very bushey.🌿. I had to prune two big " branches" off it ! The tomatoes were delicious. The plant at its biggest was taking one pint of water per day... I kept some " branches" over the Autumn, and they sprouted roots , in just water ! 😊. I think, potted , in a greenhouse, free of frost, they might have had a " flying start " as soon as Spring came .... Wish I could try again....🤔 Now the bad news , sorry about this : 🍅 along with aubergines (?) and potatoes, 🍅tomatoes 🍅 are bad for Arthritis Sufferers...so please, if you suspect you're likely to get it, research, and take action to avoid those 3 , if possible, years before "twinges" start ! It is sad, because 🍅 tomatoes 🍅 are delicious in many recipes.... 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 Best Wishes from England.😊 🇬🇧😊🍅💕🇺🇲🌿🍅 🍅☀️🍅☀️🍅☀️🍅

[@suewiley1422]

Great video as always.Do you cook your sweet potato leaves or eat them fresh? After my husband's by-passes he was told the best vegetables he could eat were sweet potatoes.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. We cook the leaves. They are very healthy for sure.

[@JesusSaves86AB]

When in doubt cook it a bit. Always take small increments of anything raw the first time to gauge tolerance.

[@joanies6778]

Greens are high in vitamins and calcium. That's why I started growing them because my doc prescribed me eating more greens for calcium. Cooked kale, spinach, and collard greens are all good calcium sources.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely! My mom was able to get off her osteo medicine just by eating a lot of greens.

[@LucindaCattery]

Wat fijn dat eindelijk iemand verteld hoe we moeten overleven in deze tijd Aardpeer is geloof ik ook een heel goed product Ik ben dit jaar net begonnen met moestuin en leren over Back To Eden en No Dig Garden het geeft veel energie en vreugde Dank je wel voor je filmpjes

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. Glad you are starting your garden. We also created Back To Eden garden beds a few years. I am excited to try Jerusalem Artichokes in the near future.

[@priestesslucy3299]

​@@CountryLivingExperiencehow well does b2e perform down there in Fire Ant Land? Your conditions are so different from WA, I'm really curious ^~^

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@priestesslucy3299 No problems at all. I usually have less ants in there than my regular garden beds.

[@beltoftruth56]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge very benniftcial

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome

[@BillHimmel]

Nice „alternative“ list! Thx!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome

[@ericjensen1007]

Saw the hat. Subbed.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome! Go Green!

[@dewaynewhitney5703]

Mix a 50/50 distilled water and 3% hydrogen peroxide and spray your plants. Helps keep the bug's off and they grow much greener and brighter. I live up north and I spray them weekly and in the evening time.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you for the tip. We use a neem oil and soap combo to control pests.

[@dewaynewhitney5703]

This year I was going to use it to water my plants. It's supposed to give the plants better immune system to ward off pests and grow bigger and better. It won't hurt to try it, I figured. My brother did it last year and he said his blackberry plants went overboard and no bug's. But his other ones he didn't do were all destroyed by the bug's. He said he was going to order a couple 55 gallon drums this year. He has a small orchard of blackberry and apple's. I don't have that but I am going to start getting my huckleberry plants going here soon.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@dewaynewhitney5703 Very interesting concept.

[@bobbydale1957]

I don't know if this was mentioned but sweet potatoes are better for diabetics than Irish or white potatoes. I really enjoy your videos.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yes, absolutely.

[@danaodom1010]

Planted heirloom tomatoes with sardines and milk under them. They are hugh, healthy and loaded with blooms. Put shade cloth over them. Texas summer will be really hot .

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool

[@postscript123]

What about purple potatoes, they are REALLY high in antioxidants.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Purple Irish potatoes or purple sweet potatoes?

[@amberbaker4804]

@@CountryLivingExperience True Blue or Mountain Majesty Irish potatoes are incredibly tasty and nutrient dense.

[@MissMom6]

Purple sweet potatoes are amazing - and gorgeous, too!

[@postscript123]

@@CountryLivingExperience purple potatoes or purple okinawa sweet potatoes. They are both super high in antioxidants. The purple sweet potatoes are also very easy to grow.

[@juneosborne421]

Thanks much for the info.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome

[@webwhammy]

Something seems off regarding your subscriber and like ratio. You should have more likes for sure. Brother, do not forget to diversify your content delivery. Rumble, Odysee and Locals are up and coming video platforms. KZbin is going the way of myspace. God Bless you! Thanks for the informative/inspirational content.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I appreciate the kind words and God bless you as well. I will be trying to upload some content to other platforms but I have slow rural DSL internet. It takes me between 9 and 13 hours to upload 1 video. I signed up to Starlink but have been waiting a year for it.

[@ourjourneytohomesteading4977]

What part of TX are you in? Hill country I would guess. We are up in the Amarillo area. Like your videos thanks for posting.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. We are actually in East Texas near Tyler.

[@ourjourneytohomesteading4977]

@@CountryLivingExperience Ok so not to far away well God bless and keep doing what you do.

[@geniajacobs789]

Can you sprout a dried bean and then plant?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Beans don't transplant well. They should be direct sown.

[@jdknight-mark633]

LiKe…for pests. Diatomaceous Earth

[@juniperdaunen1146]

How do you spell the kale-type plant? De Tuscana?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Nero Di Toscana Cabbage. www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/bulk-vegetables/lettuce-and-greens/nero-di-toscana-cabbage-dinosaur-or-lacinato-kale

[@carolleenkelmann4751]

Life (survival) is made difficult if you adhere to a Lectin-free diet.

[@hillbillyhullabaloo]

Sweet potato is harder to grow though

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It is easier for us to grow.

[@trange3770]

unable to find your Nero greens. could you please provide the full name so that I may purchase

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Nero Di Toscana Cabbage. www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/bulk-vegetables/lettuce-and-greens/nero-di-toscana-cabbage-dinosaur-or-lacinato-kale

[@leeannarcher]

This is not a good time to plant cruciferous veg like kale in zone 8b… Fall and February, not late April.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Correct. Feb or Fall

[@georgejlindneriii5765]

I've never left a comment on KZbin before is there a way you can respond to me directly through KZbin

[@CountryLivingExperience]

There is no way to have a private conversation on KZbin. Just these public comments. You can send me a private message on my Facebook page.

[@georgejlindneriii5765]

What is your name on Facebook

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@georgejlindneriii5765 Same as here. Country Living Experience

[@danielleschoenlau7861]

Has anyone ever told u that u look like Andrew Lincoln from the walking dead?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

They have.

[@danielleschoenlau7861]

@@CountryLivingExperience Thats a huge compliment tho fyi. Thanks for answering

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@danielleschoenlau7861 I appreciate it, thank you. My wife always thought I looked like Bear Grylls.

[@danielleschoenlau7861]

@@CountryLivingExperience aww shes a lucky lady! 😊

[@kelliwiemers6445]

We're in you're zone in TX, too. What I've found with pintos or other dry beans is the humidity tends to mildew them before they dry. Unless the bugs get them first. So we pick them at the green shell stage and can them. Since they don't produce as much as peas we pull the whole plant when the crop is mostly done. Take them to the barn and pull beans off in front of the fan. Run through the sheller, divide between us and have lunch lol We farm as a family so there's usually between 2- 7 of us picking, planting, shelling at one time depending on who's working, in school, etc. Four households. Those who aren't able or don't like to pick get to make or buy lunch. It works out 😂

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool. We have been able to get to them before they mold. We hang the partially dried plants in the stable for them to completely dry out.

[@alschmidt9268]

Great video Sparty. Never thought of consuming sweet potatoe leaves. Will give it a try later in our growing season.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. You'll love those leaves.

[@DanielleBlanchardArts]

Go Green. Go White

[@DanielFleischman-qt1uh]

Please go over how you harvest the herbs and vegetables

[@VaultDwellerGal]

Great video! Thanks for sharing! Zone 8b Texas as well, so your content is absolutely perfect for me 😀

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. Glad we could help.

[@juniperdaunen1146]

Hey me too! 8B for life haha

[@VaultDwellerGal]

@@juniperdaunen1146 Yep. The stars at night, are big and bright…

[@i_am_a_freespirit]

Thank you for the video...for aphids i read somwhere to use Borax mule team (or something like that)...forgot the rest. I would have never thought Sweet potatoes are healthier then regular potatoes.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. We treat garden pests with Neem oil and soap.

[@belindahopkins7875]

Add some of your herbs near your beans, bring in lady bugs with flowers, they eat aphips.😊

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Yep, we do.

[@VGV0]

I use Lady bugs in the garden to remove aphids. Having flowers mixed i with the rows seems to help bring in the beneficial insects

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I have lady bugs but they are no where near enough to control the aphids here.

[@777swampie]

You did not say how much land for each crop and how many people that would be provided for. These are vital numbers if you're talking survival.....

[@leeannarcher]

Chinese long beans (asparagus beans) are awesome and keep producing for months for a very nice green veg you can sauté or even eat raw. I’m in zone 9a Louisiana. Highly recommend.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Absolutely!

[@ravenreine]

Hey thanks for the video! I wasn't expecting to have so many of your list already planted in our garden for this year lol (no corn or sweet potatoes). Okra does super well here (even with the aphids/bugs) so we've planted a lot and will be pickling some to store for later. Hope you continue to have success and much love to you and yours. Take care!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. Have a blessed day.

[@CityWideGardens]

Me too on the list but I do grow corn and sweet potatoes!!

[@Doc1855]

Collards can be bitter. If you freeze collards before cooking them down, it’ll stop the bitterness. We cook down collards, turnip greens, mustard greens and Swiss chard together with 2-3 heaping Tablespoons of bacon grease, add salt and pepper to taste. They taste fabulous. We also cook cabbage with bacon grease. We don’t eat bacon, so we buy the bacon with as much fat as we can find to use it for cooking . Bacon grease is a Good fat for your body.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I have never had a bitter collard. Mine are always sweet.

[@Doc1855]

@@CountryLivingExperience Really? If the leaf is old, it can be bitter, otherwise they’re sweet and Yummy. We eat a LOT of greens & Okra. Sometimes I’ll fry okra for lunch. God certainly knew what He was doing when He made greens, okra, sweet potatoes, etc.

[@القبچالعراقي]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته قناتك جميلة جدا وفديوهاتك اجمل اتمنى لك المزيد من النجاح والموفقيه أيها الرجل الوسيم😍💙

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you so much. God bless you too.

[@thepeopleplaceandnaturepod8344]

It's inspiring to see people like you using their platform to raise awareness and encourage positive change. 🍀

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you!

[@judithstorck5195]

Sweet Potatoes - yes! We got 2 Birdies raised beds - 1 for the potatoes & 1 for Strawberries. Judi

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Awesome

[@MarkRobinson-o3c]

If you have problems with with bugs, you could get some ducks! 🦆 They will clean that up for you

[@CountryLivingExperience]

That’s one of my plans. I have heard ducks are great.

[@steve85710]

Great pronunciation! Your spoken English was very understandable. I usually have to put a KZbin video on closed captioning to follow what people are saying.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[@uthyrgreywick5702]

Excellent choice of crops to grow. Beans, squash, and corn will grow just about anywhere, tomatoes too. I prefer Chard and/or turnips for greens. Potatoes, in my hard ground are a real pain, so containers are the only option here in the Mid-Atlantic. Blessings.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool. Thanks. Blessings to you as well.

[@gpender8620]

To the point and time stamps so I can skip foods I think taste bad. +1 like and sub from me. Thank you sir!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome

[@dernwentheshy8446]

I really wish I could grow sweet potatoes, but my climate here in Norway is too cold. 😢

[@CountryLivingExperience]

They are a blessing to have.

[@baddog9320]

Corn is a very water intense crop. not good to grow in low water areas. I only get 4 inches per year of precipitation.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Modify per your area

[@sherlockbonez]

Can dried beans be rehydrated and grown?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No. Just plant them dry like any other seed.

[@loganv0410]

Tomatoes "high in Vit C"?? You'd have to eat 4 medium tomatoes or 1.6 C of cooked tomatoes per day, every day, all year round for that to be your source of Vit C. Bell peppers have over 2.5 times as much and are also easy to grow.

[@hillbillyhullabaloo]

Peas and green beans are empty calories.

[@grounded7362]

Peas, beans and lentils are all legumes, also known as pulse.

[@brightphoebesays]

I like English Broad Beans! Nice and soft and mild and protein rich!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Those are good.

[@lbf5984]

I predict you can eliminate that raspberry issue by 2024... I had an errant raspberry by by blueberry bed, now I have 4 going on 60...

[@CountryLivingExperience]

They take over fast.

[@Ruckus_Longhorn]

Love your video’s.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you!

[@dougroberts3643]

I've got to have my beets and broccoli. I couldn't survive without them.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I totally understand

[@JulieDobbins.76]

I would swap Irish potatoes for the greens because there are so many wild greens available to forage where I live.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You should modify for your area and availability for sure. I would say that greens and potatoes have very different nutrition.

[@colten21210]

Imma add a 7th, grow something you enjoy, for me thats peppers

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I like that suggestion.

[@growingandcooking7278]

Do you have a video on how to replicate a root cellar in Texas where we don’t have basements?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Hello. I made this video a little while back. We store carrots and potatoes in it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJbHh2yKhb92n7M

[@chrismoore8177]

Gotta follow, here in N Texas and looking to start my garden before the weather gets too hot

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Gettin' hot fast!

[@randalllevy5307]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@CountryLivingExperience]

My pleasure

[@staceydelbucchia2576]

Awesome🤗🙏

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@hillbillyhullabaloo]

Great list

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thanks!

[@cybersanta1413]

Love your channel!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you so much!

[@xxfaction6xx]

Great stuff. Thanks

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome

[@sabrinadrabing595]

Thanks for sharing!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Our pleasure!

[@raincoast9010]

Please teach your dog to stop harassing the chickens.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

He isn’t. He is a herding dog. That is his natural instinct.

[@raincoast9010]

@@CountryLivingExperience I know what that dog is, i have owned two of them. The dog might be "herding" but the chickens i am very sure feel threaten and under attack.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@raincoast9010 They don't. They are fine. They ignore him.

[@mjolnir9855]

White potatoes actually have slightly MORE calories than sweet potatoes. Per 100gm Sweet potatoes are 90 calories, white are 94. Sweet potato protein 2.1gm, white potato is 2gm. White potatoes actually store very very well. The only reason to pick sweet potato is that per 100gm the sweet potato has 1 more gram of fiber and more beta-carotene. The difference is almost insignificant, so grow those Irish potatoes because we all know they taste so much better.