# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Gardening >  Best overall garden food crop?

## bulrush

What are the top 1 or 2 garden crops to grow in a primitive situation?

Ask yourself, will you focus on calories per pound, or vitamins per pound? How easy is the crop to grow? How much is it eaten by wild animals? How easy is it to preserve? Will it preserve all winter? 

If you can take a wild plant and cultivate it, that counts also. 

I would say potatoes. They have a lot of calories, plus a few vitamins, and can be made a variety of ways, and they keep for a long time in a cool cellar.

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## trax

I'd agree with potatoes, the other benefit being that they'll grow pretty much anywhere.

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## Rick

You would want a ground crop so bad weather won't beat it down. Potatoes would be good. So would squash.

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## Beo

I agree with potatoes, and the second would be beans. 
Rick squash is nasty so I'd pass on that.

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## Sourdough

Potato's and Moose Meat. Yummm

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## Rick

You grow moose in your garden? :EEK!: 

Beo - I thought about beans but you'd want to go with bush beans and even then the plants could be broken down by a strong wind. I was just going with his primitive scenario.

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## nell67

Asparagus,mmmm! prefer the wild variety,freeze it,or can it,whichever you prefer.And Beo,you better not say my food is nasty! LMAO!

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## Rick

You bet! I could do that.

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## Beo

Asparagus... ahhhhhhhhh nasty!!!

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## nell67

> Asparagus... ahhhhhhhhh nasty!!!


I'm gonna beat you with an ugly stick,big brother!!!!! :Big Grin:

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## Beo

Been hit by half the forest, didn't you see my pics with the flintlock :Big Grin:

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## nell67

Yep,but I'm using the ugly stick,not the forest :Big Grin:

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## Rick

Nell, small switch across thigh. That should do it. He'll scream like a girl.

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## nell67

Ouch,Rick,been there,that hurts like heck,dont wanna hurt him,just make him see the light???Some people are too picky about what they eat,LOL,gotta son like that. He is 21,5'4" and  _finally_ weighs 105 pounds! Dont know where he got that from :Confused:

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## Beo

Well I'm 42, 6'4" and weigh 235 pounds. All lovable inch of me wants a switch whipp'n :Big Grin:

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## Rick

Back up, kinky.

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## nell67

Remember who you're talking too here big _brother_,hold on a sec,and I'll pm prrrfukt with your request :Big Grin:  :Stick Out Tongue: ,LMAO!!!!!!MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

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## Sourdough

[QUOTE=Rick;28122]You grow moose in your garden? :EEK!: 

Well KIND'OF, Plant tatters, Moose comes to eat vines, Pop'D'moose. Moose and tatter potpie. Yummmmmmm :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Rick

That's a lot of meat. Why not just eat one leg at a time. It's not like it'll hobble off very far. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## trax

> That's a lot of meat. Why not just eat one leg at a time. It's not like it'll hobble off very far.


You should see the size of the pie plate he uses, talk about deep dish! I just realized that I like all the veggies listed here! With my opinion of veggies that's more rare than last night's eclipse.

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## nell67

> You should see the size of the pie plate he uses, talk about deep dish! I just realized that I like all the veggies listed here! With my opinion of veggies that's more rare than last night's eclipse.


Now here is a VERY smart guy!!!

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## trax

> Now here is a VERY smart guy!!!


Just keep posting, you're doing fine.... :Big Grin:

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## nell67

Thank you darlin,I try :Big Grin:

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## marberry

depends on the soil , light , and when u want ur first harvest .   fast harvest : potatoes , tomatoes    medium : beans , corn    long : apple tree , raspberries

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## Chris

I've read before that per acre potatoes provide the most calories of any other crop. 

Of course, you also need vitamins, as such, sweet potatoes may be better, or at least necessary for an additional area

Squash would also do well, they keep for a very very long time. I have a few good squash recipes, and they do have nutrition. 

Apples can keep for a long time. The colonists used to sink barrels of apples in lakes over the winter and they would keep until Spring.

However, for a truely long lasting food that is a nutritional and caloric powerhouse, look to your nuts.  :Wink:  Pecans and Walnuts having the most nutritive value (Walnuts highest in omega 3 fatty acids, pecans highest in antioxidants). In their shells they'll keep for a very very long time, they can also be easily baked into breads like pan forte and or fruit cake, which can then themselves last a long time.

If I were planning a homestead garden that I wanted to possibly be able to provide for my family I would.

1. Plant potatoes, both kinds
2. Maybe a squash or pumpkin patch.
3. An asparagus patch - asparagus is one of the few perennial veggies, not having to save seeds and plant it every year is a very good thing. 
4. A raspberry patch, extremely hardy, tolerant, and also perennial raspberries. High in nutrition, grow in any soil, and spread like mad, and come back every year. 
5. I would plant numerous fruiting trees, focusing mostly on nut trees. However I would include apples or pears as well. 
6. I would also consider black currant bushes. Black currants are extremely nutritious, ridiculously high in antioxidants and vitamin C (ridiculously high), and can be made into jelly without any additional store bought pectin.  
7. Finally, I would consider grape vines, purely because of the ease of making raisins, which also provide great nutrition and last a long time. Fruit that can be dried easily is highly beneficial.

The only other thing I would consider, is planting some sugar maples. Sure, it takes a long time for a tree to mature to the point where you can get syrup, however, you never know, maybe one day having some sugar to barter would be a very good thing, and even if the S never HTF the trees are beautiful in the landscape so no loss there.

Things I would not consider because of their disease or storage problems, or being high maintenance, or requiring special growing conditions, or not providing enough calories per sq/ft, etc: Strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, any cruciferous veggie (brocolli, cabbage, etc), cucumber, zuchini, watermelon, eggplant, corn.

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## Smok

cabbage is another top one

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## flandersander

i believe he said that but you're totally right.

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## bulrush

Nell, the ugly stick got its ugly from Beowolf, not vice versa. 

 :Smile:

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## nell67

> Nell, the ugly stick got its ugly from Beowolf, not vice versa.


Umm bulrush,you are talking about my brother here!

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## Beo

I got this lil-sis,
Bulrush, First Off: You judging dudes now? That's a whole new thread of wierdness.
Second Off: There must be no mirrors in your house cause you ain't winning no prizes there for beauty ya cream puff. And Third Off: see the first one ya freak.
Chris great post thanks.

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## trax

Chris, thanks for filling in the entire post with interesting and helpful information, because initially I only read the first couple of lines and then I looked....wasn't getting any help from my nuts so I went back and read on. I wonder what the women reading the thread looked to.... :Cool:

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## nell67

You want me to answer that Trax??? :Big Grin:  I could tell you,but.... :Smile:

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## bulrush

> Bulrush, First Off: You judging dudes now? That's a whole new thread of wierdness.
> Second Off: There must be no mirrors in your house cause you ain't winning no prizes there for beauty ya cream puff. And Third Off: see the first one ya freak.


Now don't take me too seri...mmm, cream puffs.

That's ok. I can scare the warts off a toad if I focus myself.

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## Rick

Butt? You were looking to butt?

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## nell67

> Butt? You were looking to butt?


Ummm that would be a NO!

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## trax

> Butt? You were looking to butt?


If she's not answering me smart boy she sure ain't answering you...

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## nell67

> If she's not answering me smart boy she sure ain't answering you...


I would answer you Trax,but I have a feeling I would be in line for a serious spanking!!!!!! :Embarrassment:

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## Beo

Bulrush I was jk too... bro hardly ever take me serious :Big Grin:

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## Chris

Have you seen these:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archiv...potato1001.htm

I sometimes buy peruvian purple potatoes at the supermarket, and I know you can find seeds for them online:

http://www.burpee.com/product/vegeta...rrivals&page=1

Definitely a better potato to grow, you get the high calorie yields but also good vitamin/antioxidant content.

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## nell67

Never seen those before Chris,they taste like other potatoes?

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## Chris

Yup, the taste is the same. More or less like yukon golds or red skins. 

At my grocery store they have the purple ones, but only in little packages of baby "jewel" potatoes. I may try growing my own this year so that I can get larger ones instead of just the babies.

I like using them for the wow factor with company. Make a purple potato salad or mashed or something, maybe with some squid-ink pasta. People get wigged out. 

Heh... that'd actually be a pretty crazy dish... squid ink pasta with a green pesto sauce, mashed purple potatoes, and how about some of that orange cauliflower on the side?

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## Rick

Bulrush - I tried to look at this from a little different perspective so I did some foraging through my Peterson Field Guide. I used your criteria but I also wanted a food source that I could either store over the winter or turn into flower, can or pickle. Something that would be easy to identify, and something that would be available throughout most of North America. Here are a few selections that might be good primitive crops. Some I have tried others I have not: 

Water Lillies (Nympraea spp.) - They can be steamed or cooked. Can be turned into flower and the roots produce a tuber that can be used as a potato. 

American Lotus , Nelumbo (Nelumbo nutea) - They can be steamed or cooked. The roots produce a tuber that can used as a potato or sweet potato. Seeds can be eaten like nuts or turned into flower. 

Wild Mustards (Brassica spp.) - They can be steamed or cooked. Eaten as a salad. Used as a condiment or pickled. 

Purslane (Portulaca orleracea) - Can be eaten as a salad, steamed or pickled. The seeds can be ground into flour. 

Common dandelion (Taraxacum officianale) - Salad, steamed, cooked, coffee or fried into a fritter

Cattails (Typha spp.) - Salad, cooked, raw, tubers can be used like potatoes, or pickled. Root stocks can be turned into flour. 

Greenbriars or Catbriers (Smilax spp.) - Eaten like asparagus, steamed, salad, made into a jelly. Made into a soft drink. Used to thicken stews or used as flour.

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## pgvoutdoors

I may be off a bit, but a friend of mine that I help with his garden last year, said some types of squash can last over a year.  It may have been an Acorn Squash.  Anyway he said that it had a waxy outer layer and this kept the air form reaching the meat of the plant, in turn keeping it from rotting.  He had one in his basement for almost two years.  I'm not much of a gardener, but I know the Native Americans raised squash.

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## nell67

The butternut squash has and exteded storage life pvg,of over a year,acorn stores well for 3-6 months,others usually do not store as well.

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## pgvoutdoors

> The butternut squash has and exteded storage life pvg,of over a year,acorn stores well for 3-6 months,others usually do not store as well.


Yes, the butternut... He grows them to.  That must be it.

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## pgvoutdoors

How about rhubarb and horseradish?  They seem to grow pretty easy.

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## Rick

Both good plants but Bulrush was looking for the top 1 or 2 for primitive gardens or situations.

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## RobertRogers

I think what we see here is that a variety of plants would be better than just one mono-culture.

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## Rick

That's for sure. Folks should take time to read and learn about the events that lead up to the Irish potato famine. It an excellent lesson on just that. The transition from wheat and other grass crops to potatoes and finally the famine itself show just how easy it is to forget crop diversity even within plant types. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_potato_famine

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## coldkill13

> Here are a few selections that might be good primitive crops. Some I have tried others I have not: 
> 
> 
> Common dandelion (Taraxacum officianale) - Salad, steamed, cooked, coffee or fried into a fritter


Got any decent recipes? I've tried them so many ways and I've found that they're just so damn bitter :EEK!: ! I can only eat them if they're mixed with potatoes or spinach and drenched in a stick of butter and 1 lb of salt!

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## marberry

dont eat blue lotus flowers , theyl get you high lol.

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## Rick

Coldkill - You are right. They can be. Forget all the folk lore you've ever heard about picking early or small leaves. They can all be bitter. I generally wilt the leaves with sugar and vinegar or add it to other greens in a salad. 

Here's a great article that explains why they are bitter and several ways to get around the bitterness. It's a really long article so if you want to cut to the chase just scroll down to Understanding the "bitter": 

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/kallas82.html

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## coldkill13

Wow Rick. I dont know how you find these things but there's alot of good info about dandelions on there. Infact I didnt think that much could ever possibly be written on a weed. The trouble is I generally dont carry vinegar or sugar with me into the woods. Then again, in a life or death situation, I think I'll manage to put the bitterness aside. On second thought, I'll just start carrying vinegar and sugar with me...

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## Rick

You don't have to be in the woods to enjoy them. They can be used at home just as easy.

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## coldkill13

Hmm... I think I'll just stick to my spinach if I'm at home, but thanks anyway. I wonder if a tea can be made out of the flowers, after all, they can be used to make wine. On the topic of tea, has anyone ever tried making some type of drink out of the red berry-like things on a sumac? My dad said it turns out more like a lemonade than a tea, but anyhow I'd imagine it would be quite refreshing in the brush. I looked into it a bit and what my dad said seems to be confirmed. I've also heard that the hair-like bristles on the berry-like things can be used as a spice. The only thing is that the species that makes a suitable drink is unclear, I've heard of varrying species, some that are good, some that are not. If anyone can clear some of this up for me, I'd be grateful.

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## Rick

I've never heard of making tea from dandelion flowers but they can be battered and fried. 

For the Sumac, Rhus spp. - According to my Peterson Field Guide, "When ripe, the hard berries are covered with acidic red hairs. Collect the entire fruit cluster, rub gently to bruise the berries, and soak for 10-15 minutes in cold water. Remove the cluster and pour the pink juice through cheese cloth to strain out the hairs and any loose berries. Sweeter to taste and chill. Tastes like pink lemonade. Gather the clusters before heavy rains wash out most of the acid."

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## coldkill13

Wow, I cant wait to try that now. We sure have plenty of sumacs. Have you ever tried the battered dandellions? Is so, how are they?

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## Rick

No, I haven't.

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## bulrush

> Got any decent recipes? I've tried them so many ways and I've found that they're just so damn bitter! I can only eat them if they're mixed with potatoes or spinach and drenched in a stick of butter and 1 lb of salt!


Coldkill, you picked them too late. You must pick them before you see any hint of a flower head. Many plants become bitter or downright poisonous once the flowerhead begins to form. 

Also pick only the smallest leaves, not the older darker ones.

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## Rick

bulrush - Truly, that's an old wives tale. The concentration of sesquiterpenes determines the bitterness. I followed the same advice for a long time. Sometimes it worked and other times they were just as bitter as the older leaves. If you find fast growing plants in wet or shaded locations you'll have much better luck.

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## trax

What _doesn't_ taste good drenched in salt and butter? :Big Grin:

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## bulrush

You are right. I am reading the dandelion article right now.

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## warman87

> You grow moose in your garden?
> 
> Beo - I thought about beans but you'd want to go with bush beans and even then the plants could be broken down by a strong wind. I was just going with his primitive scenario.


just buy bush beans in a can theyll keep longer

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## Rick

See....in a primitive situation, you won't have canned beans. Unless, of course, you go to the primitive 711. (That's any 711 without twinkies).

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## GVan

> Nell, small switch across thigh. That should do it. He'll scream like a girl.


That's how Korean parents punish their children.

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