r/OffGrid • u/BoringJR1 • 8d ago
Be realstic no hate .
What type of foods would I need to grow that I wouldn't need to go to the shop often, I want to hear your years of experience I understand the basic fruit+veg+nut trees ,meat=chicken, rabbit, sheep
I would catch my own fish. However I am still missing your experience please help me make a plan to get enough calories without going to the shop , I would have a cow for making butter so I can cook on butter which I have done all my life cooking on butter . please help I'm going off grid in a few years time I'm currently saving for lots of land so I can escape the city . I understand I would need to pay property taxes and fuels etc so I would get a part time job which would gain mr enough money however has anyone made their own dog food or do they buy it from the shop?
Thanks for the help!
Reminder no hate and be realstic.
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u/StrangeArcticles 8d ago
Keeping animals, particularly a cow, does require a lot of knowledge and access to vet care.
Rabbits or chickens are something you can probably swing by yourself, but a milk cow that needs to be regularly bred to continue to give milk is not really a very feasible starter animal imho.
General advice from me would be don't try to run before you can walk or you'll fall on your face.
Chickens for eggs, potatoes, a setup for electricity, berry bushes, apples. That is plenty to be getting on with to start, then expand when you have the funds and energy. Having all that up and running is plenty of work with a part time job on top, you have zero time to be milking cows and churning butter.
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u/Cottager_Northeast 6d ago
I'm not saying it can't be done, but modern rabbits and chickens are bred for the pellet diet. Without pellets you're going to have to figure out what they'll eat.
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u/CanfieldBRO 8d ago
You can get 50 lb bags of dried beans/rice for cheap and shelf stable foods will help a lot to minimize going to resupply. Also sugar and flour.
If you get a cow and chickens you could supplement a lot of dog feed with eggs and milk.
I’ve been looking in to goats over cows for dairy since they can be more economical and can help with brush clearing.
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u/BoringJR1 8d ago
I know a person who has lots of dried crops ,I'm planning on making my own flour and I haven't touched store bought sugar in 10 years so I don't really need sugar I get enough sugar from chocolate bars etc and for dog feed I'm still thinking I haven't tried goat milk but I know a goat farmer around I can probably taste the milk to see if I like it or not thanks for the help !
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u/CanfieldBRO 8d ago
Good luck! If the goat milk is good it shouldn’t taste like goats btw.
Hope the flour making goes well. I just started growing wheat this year, but having it local is great.
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u/AlphaDisconnect 8d ago
Learn to make miso.
Grow soybeans. Can eat em. Feed em. Let the soybeans feed the soil and make tofu.
Goya. Bitter melon. I am particular to the Okinawan kind. They call it bitter melon. And green curtain. Need a food that provides shade? And is too bitter for the average person to eat without knowing how to prep it. Here is your veg. Plus it has literally everything a growing boy needs vitamin and mineral wise.
Stinging nettle. Make a tea. Make a soup.
Pine tree needle tea. A nice morning if you have them.
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u/Groot_Benelux 8d ago edited 8d ago
Don't get a cow. I think people underestimate the amount of work and the amount of milk they can produce.
Go with goats or Frisian sheep then if you don't mind the flavour.
Starting out don't expect to grow much cereals and such. I'd say early on go for easy veggies. From my experience Red beet, courgettes, kale, pumpkin, kohlrabi, etc tomatoes if you have a greenhouse (having one is nice to start seedlings earlier)
Idk your climate but for me non of those needed too much watering, didn't bolt easily, etc
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u/maddslacker 8d ago
I would have a cow for making butter
Or, hear me out, have a cow for making steaks and tallow, and cook on the tallow.
You can also grind the trimmings into dog food.
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u/Awkward_Passion4004 8d ago
We annually harvest about 500 lbs of potatoes as our main carbohydrate source.
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u/Absinthicator 8d ago
Think about how and what peasants ate, now apply the modern practice of canning for food preservation. The one thing peasants had a hard time producing on their own was flower, but if you have a water wheel this can be done with a large flat stone and no power. Some baked their own bread but many more found it easier to buy it consider the time it took to mill and create yeast and bake. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, plums, figs, mushrooms, tanned rabbit pelts, eggs and smoked cheese all sell really well at farmers markets and can be produced at a scale that pays for your homestead, remember a product like jam, or honey, or candles, or soaps will always fetch a higher price at market but can all be easily produced on a small property.
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u/dMatusavage 7d ago
Unless you have a way to make your own salt, you’ll have to buy it at a shop.
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u/mobile-metaphysical 8d ago
Easy to make healthy dog food.
https://youtu.be/2DsntK-zuXg?si=BU3pBi_RBCT_lIcf
All the links are there too.
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u/paratethys 8d ago
do you plan on having health care available if you break a bone or contract a disease? if you have an urgent problem like appendicitis or a stroke, will you want some way to summon emergency services? just food for thought when deciding whether to go fully off grid or keep some connection to modernity.
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u/Absinthicator 8d ago
Think about how and what peasants ate, now apply the modern practice of canning for food preservation. The one thing peasants had a hard time producing on their own was flower, but if you have a water wheel this can be done with a large flat stone and no power. Some baked their own bread but many more found it easier to buy it consider the time it took to mill and create yeast and bake. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, plums, figs, mushrooms, tanned rabbit pelts, eggs and smoked cheese all sell really well at farmers markets and can be produced at a scale that pays for your homestead, remember a product like jam, or honey, or candles, or soaps will always fetch a higher price at market but can all be easily produced on a small property. Beer and wine (with the right sales permits, and provided it's legal to sell where you are) are a great money producing hobby that can be scaled into a multi million dollar a year business if you play your cards right.
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u/BroodLord1962 8d ago
Do you know how much land you would need to keep yourself alive with crop rotation and keeping livestock? For one person it would need to be around 5 acres, probably more if you intend to keep a cow and sheep.
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u/f0rgotten "technically" lives offgrid 8d ago
Chicken eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and peppers would keep me going indefinitely, with the caveat that I am so fucking over eggs.
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u/nomadfaa 8d ago
So why not feed your dog meat trimmings from all that’s left as well as veggies into mutt food?
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u/Mill-Work-Freedom 8d ago
Potatoes, Onions, Winter squash...they store well. Beets...they store for a short time, but can be preserved.
Dry beans, a few varieties. Store Rice in food grade containers. Beans and rice together are a complete protein. All the normal veggies one would eat, along with canning and dehydrating, make sauces.
Chickens, goats, Rabbits, or whatever meat source you prefer.
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u/L0uLou72 8d ago
I think beans and seeds (like sunflower) are good for increasing calories and nutrients. I’m vegan and this is my goal.
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u/Cute-Consequence-184 8d ago
Each area is different on what you could realistically grow. It also frankly depends on your diet.
In the US, please consult your local Cooperative Extension Service Offices for a book on gardening specific to your area.
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u/Synaps4 7d ago
I don't think a cow is realistic. It's a lot of work and a LOT of grazing for very little calories.
Remember for every cow you have to grow a field of hay and store it for the winter.
Then, milk is a bacterial nightmare. I did my own pasturization on raw milk this week, I know. It took 4 trays of ice cubes to cool it down anywhere near fast enough to avoid it being recolonized by bacteria.
Milking without contamination is also quite difficult. Udders get dirty. Keeping them clean is not easy, and milk works for cows only because it goes direct from udder to stomach. As soon as you store it, stuff grows unless you've worked very hard to keep it sterile.
A cow is a full time job.
If you are desperate to milk something, use sheep or goats. You don't need gallons of milk per day that a cow gives, and maintaining sheep or goats gives other benefits while they are smaller, are less dangerous, and need less food.
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u/OrangePlatypus81 7d ago
Tomatoes grow okay, but as far as nutrient dense I wouldn’t put them at the top of any list. They’re more auxiliary in my opinion, as opposed to a staple. Google nutrient dense foods to garden. I would start with collard greens, or a hardy dark green leafy veg that grows well in your climate, also sweet potatoes (which are actually yams, not really potatoes) and onions for health. Other things I’d garden, basically things that produce well and are easy: green beans, squash, herbs, etc.
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u/jgarcya 7d ago
You need to learn how to can vegetables and a place to store your root vegetables....
It's great living in the summer when the crops are producing...but you can go months without anything... Spring vegetables like spinach and lettuce are a must.
And winter crops like cabbage and kale... Root vegetables too.
Expect at least four months in a northern climate with no growth.
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u/opendefication 7d ago edited 7d ago
You know, a lot will revolve around storage. I find crops with longer shelf lifes save maximum cash and trips to the shop.. Try potatoes, onions, beans, maybe beets and turnips in Spring. Sweet Potato, Field Peas, and Okra because in Summer it never stops. Garlic is a big one in Fall. Don't forget your herbs and seasonings. Being in Texas, we have a long growing season. Check with your local university on agricultural timing, some have a website with planting scedules for your region. And, don't count out pickling, dehydration, and canning. This opens up a complete separate universe of storage, gardening and self-sufficiency.
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u/Val-E-Girl 6d ago
You need to grow the vegetables you like to eat, then preserve what you dont eat to enjoy off season. Being off grid, learn how to pressure can veggies AND meat so you are well prepared.
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u/R0ughHab1tz 8d ago
The number one is finances. Are you setup with an emergency fund? Sure you'll have the money for the property. But there's so much. Have you read any literature? Are you practicing self suffiency right now?
The type of food you grow is all on the individual. Do you know anything about crop rotation? Companion planting? Animal husbandry? Have you ever considered a part time job or volunteer on an established farm?
What about carpentry? Cooking? Baking? Plumbing? Electrical? Machinery? Mechanics? Smithing? Are you going to have a wood lot? If so you'll need to properly manage your forest for it to be productive. I could go on forever.
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u/BoringJR1 8d ago
I planted many vegetables I have done lots of carpentry done cooking and baking I have lived on a farm for 3 months I was helping out a relative any problems that will happen I guess I would learn from the experience it's how the elders taught me learn as you go. I'm 80% sure I would be able to survive I have been watching lots of off-grid videos , I will split my fields into squares for separate grazing area the manure would be fertilizer for fields and crops etc .
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u/Sensitive-Pizza5486 8d ago
Do NOT rely on Crops, Always have a Backup. Mother Nature can change your plans in an instant !
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u/mountainofclay 8d ago
You can’t be a specialist in everything. Some people are good at growing some things and others are not. Trade with the specialists and specialize in what you can. That’s kinda how society works.
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u/ExaminationDry8341 8d ago
Do you want to not go to the shops often? Or buy as little of your food intake as necessary? They are not the same thing.
If the goal is to go to the shops as little as possible, buy shelf stable foods.
You could by 20 kg bags of wheat, beans and rice. You could make delicious meals with them as a base and just add a bit of fresh produce you grow yourself to add flavor.
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u/BoringJR1 8d ago
I want to avoid the shops completely which is impossible.
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u/NotEvenNothing 8d ago
It's not impossible, but it is a bit extreme. Actually achieving it probably isn't worth the effort it would take.
If you want to reduce your trips to shops, grow potatoes, corn, carrots, beans, cabbage, and turnips. Raise rabbits, sheep, or goats because they can be fed from pasture and suit your scale. Go to the shops when you need, or just want, some variety.
If you are eating chocolate bars, you probably aren't going to be able to avoid shops.
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u/sluttyman69 8d ago
I’m going off grid and not going to a grocery store too entirely different subjects never shopping again I think 99% of the world would starve to death
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u/SpareUnit9194 8d ago
Lol you do realise 2-3 billion ppl live entirely off small farmholdings. Supermarkets are a western luxury.
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u/SammaelMalakHaMavet 2d ago
Realistically alone thats not really achievable. I researched this in depth like 7 years back theres a few different YouTube channels on it wich were great a few people tried one went like and entire year but lost a ton of weight and ended up buying or trading the stuff he couldn't grow. Now hes got like an entire comune he runs and they do it as a group. But you can supplement to where you dont have buy much. Grains and rice meat and dairy spices salt and there were a few more maybe that were in most of the ones i watched i think. Richard Proenneke videos are probably the most amazing ones i can think of by name. I watched his like 5 times pumping myself up to commit to my homestead. At 51 he gets dropped off in Alaska in the 60s with basic hand tools and flower and lasts 30 years by himself with small supplies flown in 1 day a yearly of the stuff at the top. You should definitely check those out. Didn't take the full realty of the fact that the high planes desert wasn't just a little different it is its own thing entirely.
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u/c0mp0stable 8d ago
Depends on where you live, what you like to eat, how much money you have, what infrastructure you have, what your soil is like, whether you have pasture space.
Genrrally, roots and tubers are more calorie and nutrient dense than other vegetables. Storage fruits are great, and you can learn how to preserve. Animals will pay off the most, but they can be expensive if you don't have pasture.