Land size to feed your family (pic)

[Taidaisher]

Awesome post.
Informative and colorful.
That is going to be saved on my hard drive, printed in both color and black and white, with at least 1 of each being laminated for protection from the elements and thrown in my BOB, and other preps.

[GrizzlyGuy]

Their estimate of solar panel square footage is overly optimistic for most folks. They are assuming an average of 7 sun-hours/day, and as you can see in this map from NREL, only the folks way down in the southwest get that much:

[Ripon83]

And practically no power when the suns not out.

[CAL.BAR]

In short... there isn't enough land in the entire US to house it's population in self-sufficient fashion. (I think we already knew this) The days of rugged independence and freedom are over.

[gatesbox]

In my mind there are only two scenarios where this graph would be helpful..

1. Choosing to live off grid. The issue with feeding the entire population is not a concern because the percentage of people who choose to live off the grid will remain low. I have seen fairly significant coops that seem to feed more than one family with the suggested land area, although I think I'd want at least five acres if I was trying to live via subsistence. My families ranch sat on five acres personally owned in the Willamette Valley, and additional land leased. We were very comfortable eating mostly off gid via cattle, chickens, a hog or two, and usually some bees. I'm sure it would have been sufficient.

2. The beleaguered SHTF scenario. If this is a long term issue where subsistance is required it seems likely that there would be a devastating reduction in population. Additionally there would be a need to maximize and make do, in the unlikely event that folks were choosing to remain in an urban or suburban location one could maximize growing area with vertical growing and alternative means of food production, smaller livestock....probably still unlikely to subside for more than a year, although public land could be collectively used for food production.

[CAL.BAR]

[QUOTE=gatesbox;7480359]In my mind there are only two scenarios where this graph would be helpful..

1. Choosing to live off grid. The issue with feeding the entire population is not a concern because the percentage of people who choose to live off the grid will remain low. I have seen fairly significant coops that seem to feed more than one family with the suggested land area, although I think I'd want at least five acres if I was trying to live via subsistence. My families ranch sat on five acres personally owned in the Willamette Valley, and additional land leased. We were very comfortable eating mostly off gid via cattle, chickens, a hog or two, and usually some bees. I'm sure it would have been sufficient.

Self sufficient? Did you grow your own cotton, weave your own cloth, generate all your own electricity? Use a car/vehicle? refine your own gasoline? Make your own toothpaste, deodorant, medicine, medical care? Please - self sufficiency is a figment of history. Anything close to modern living requires a great deal more societal cooperation than anyone ever imagines. And that societal cooperation requires even more land and resources.

[ExAcHog]

I love how people just feel the need to totally pick things apart.
Great post PC.

[redrex]

Did someone say Hydroponic? Dude, that is so 70's

Seriously though, Aquaponics is the solution that you are looking for. This is hydroponics but with the addition of fish to the growing cycle which allows you to stop using all of those chemicals for added nutrition.

You get a small pond, tubs, above ground pools, I've seen it all. You raise fish like tilapia in it. And unlike an aquarium there is no filter. You pump the water with fish waste into the plants. The plants eat the waste and clean water flows back to the fish.

The cycle goes like this.

1. Compost grows black soldier fly larvae
2. Chickens eat larvae
3. Put chicken coop with wire floor over fish pond
4. Fish eat chicken wast and Duck Grass
5. Water pumped from pond to garden.
6. Water from garden goes to "Still tank" where you grow Duck Grass
7. Very clean water now goes back to fish.

You eat:
Chicken, eggs, fish and vegetables. Heck you can even eat the Duck Grass if you needed to.

Plus Duck Grass is turning out to be quite the plant. It grows super fast, its good for you and it has sugars in it that make it a better alcohol producer then corn!

Check out this guy who turned his backyard in ground pool into something that can feed his whole family. They added a couple of goats for milk. It's freaking amazing

http://gardenpool.org/

[glockman19]

The world is overpopulated...There are not enough natural resources to feed the entire planet of 7 billion people.

What we really need is a Good old pandemic or World War...to thin out the population.

[Benster]

i guess i need to trade my horses in for some cattle.

[llamatrnr]

Did someone say Hydroponic? Dude, that is so 70's

Seriously though, Aquaponics is the solution that you are looking for. This is hydroponics but with the addition of fish to the growing cycle which allows you to stop using all of those chemicals for added nutrition.

You get a small pond, tubs, above ground pools, I've seen it all. You raise fish like tilapia in it. And unlike an aquarium there is no filter. You pump the water with fish waste into the plants. The plants eat the waste and clean water flows back to the fish.

The cycle goes like this.

1. Compost grows black soldier fly larvae
2. Chickens eat larvae
3. Put chicken coop with wire floor over fish pond
4. Fish eat chicken wast and Duck Grass
5. Water pumped from pond to garden.
6. Water from garden goes to "Still tank" where you grow Duck Grass
7. Very clean water now goes back to fish.

You eat:
Chicken, eggs, fish and vegetables. Heck you can even eat the Duck Grass if you needed to.

Plus Duck Grass is turning out to be quite the plant. It grows super fast, its good for you and it has sugars in it that make it a better alcohol producer then corn!

Check out this guy who turned his backyard in ground pool into something that can feed his whole family. They added a couple of goats for milk. It's freaking amazing

http://gardenpool.org/

This, + don't forget worms for your fish, chickens and garden . . .

[k1dude]

Will Malthusian Theory be put to test in our lifetimes? What exactly IS the carrying capacity of the world? We're at 7 billion and arable land is decreasing.

[seanbo]

In short... there isn't enough land in the entire US to house it's population in self-sufficient fashion. (I think we already knew this) The days of rugged independence and freedom are over.

WRONG!!!!!

U.S.A. — area is 3, 718, 695 square miles which is 2, 379, 964, 800 acres.

Divide by 2 and =1,189,982,400 2 acre lots.

[Full Clip]

Land without water is just dirt.

This.
Would be interesting to see their guesstimate on water use to sustain all of this. If SHTF, the tap is gonna run dry at some point... and we folk down in So Cal gonna run outta cement pond water right quick.

WRONG!!!!!
U.S.A. — area is 3, 718, 695 square miles which is 2, 379, 964, 800 acres.
Divide by 2 and =1,189,982,400 2 acre lots.

Uh, have you actually seen what much of the U.S. consists of? Ever been to states like Nevada? It's not farmable without major resources and equipment, so your simplistic math is a wee bit of a fallacy.

[problemchild]

I love how people just feel the need to totally pick things apart.
Great post PC.

I'm guilty of that too. I mean I tore that 15 dollar chinese grain grinder apart that was posted a week ago. Ive looked at grinders for a while now and pretty much know what works and doesn't. I shouldn't have been so hard on the guy. I really do not care what people say. Im not keeping track and I consider everyone here a friend.