Summary [Prepping like a Pro #5]:
This guide introduces beginner-friendly methods for producing food at home. You’ll learn how to start a simple survival garden, raise chickens for eggs and meat, and create a small-scale food loop that’s sustainable when stores go dark.
1️⃣ WHY YOU NEED TO PRODUCE, NOT JUST STORE
“Stored food runs out. Grown food grows back.”
Production adds:
- Long-term security
- Daily morale (fresh greens beat canned peas)
- Barter potential
- Skill development
✅ Growing and raising food takes time. Start while you still have snacks.
2️⃣ SURVIVAL GARDEN GOALS (NOT A HOBBY FARM)
| Trait | Priority |
|---|---|
| Easy to grow | ✅ |
| High calorie or nutrient dense | ✅ |
| Grows quickly | ✅ |
| Grows in poor soil | ✅ |
| Minimal pest maintenance | ✅ |
You’re not planting Instagram beauty — you’re planting insurance.
3️⃣ BEST CROPS FOR BEGINNER SURVIVAL GARDENING
| Crop | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Potatoes | High calorie, easy to grow in containers |
| Beans (bush or pole) | Protein, nitrogen fixer |
| Kale/Collards | Cold hardy, nutrient dense |
| Garlic | Medicinal, flavor, stores well |
| Carrots/Beets | Underground = pest-resistant |
| Zucchini | Insanely productive |
| Tomatoes (cherry) | High yield, small space friendly |
| Herbs (basil, oregano, mint) | Medicinal + morale booster |
✅ Choose 5–7 crops you’ll actually eat.
4️⃣ CONTAINER GARDENING FOR SMALL SPACES
| Container | Good For |
|---|---|
| 5-gallon buckets (drilled) | Tomatoes, potatoes, herbs |
| Grow bags | Root veggies, greens |
| Window boxes | Herbs, lettuce |
| Hanging baskets | Strawberries, cherry tomatoes |
| Recycled totes/crates | Just about anything |
✅ Dirt + drainage + seeds = apocalypse salad.
5️⃣ BASICS OF SOIL, COMPOST, AND WATERING
| System | Beginner Tip |
|---|---|
| Soil | Mix potting soil, compost, and native dirt |
| Compost | Kitchen scraps + leaves + grass + patience |
| Water | Drip systems or old-school buckets |
| Fertilizer | Organic (manure, worm tea) > chemical for sustainability |
✅ You’re growing soil as much as you’re growing food.
6️⃣ BACKYARD CHICKENS: EGGS, MEAT & PERSONALITY DISORDERS
| Step | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Legal Check | Look up local zoning first |
| Coop | 2–4 sq ft per chicken, predator-proof |
| Feed | Layer feed + veggie scraps |
| Water | Daily fresh, don’t let it freeze |
| Eggs | 1 egg per hen per day in peak season |
| Breeds | ISA Browns, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons = great starters |
✅ Start with 3–5 hens. No rooster needed for eggs.
7️⃣ CHICKEN PROS & CONS
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Daily eggs | They’re loud and messy |
| Pest control | Attract predators |
| Fertilizer producer | Coop needs regular cleaning |
| Low-cost protein | Egg production slows in winter |
✅ Chickens turn garbage into protein. Just don’t expect them to be subtle.
8️⃣ INTEGRATED GARDEN + LIVESTOCK SYSTEM
- Chickens eat garden scraps
- Their manure fertilizes compost
- Compost feeds soil
- Soil grows new food
- Excess becomes barter or trade
✅ Congratulations, you’ve created the Circle of Lunch.
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- ✅ Production > Storage when the timeline stretches
- ✅ Start small and scale what actually grows
- ✅ Grow calories, not just greens
- ✅ Chickens are fantastic, weird, and useful
- ✅ Build your ecosystem before you need it
🚩 ACTION STEP: BUILD YOUR FOOD LOOP STARTER SYSTEM
- ✅ Buy 5-gallon buckets, soil, and seeds
- ✅ Choose 3 crops and plant this weekend
- ✅ Start a compost pile or bin
- ✅ Research local chicken laws + coop designs
- ✅ Visit a local feed store and ask one question (they know things)
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