Sunday, May 28, 2006

View from Rooftop or......... how big is your garden?

My 9 raised beds total about 235 sq ft. Plus I have the borders with fruit trees, the chicken coop (providing eggs) and other edibles. But in order to be completely sustainable, eating a vegan diet, I would need about 4,000 sq ft (using sustainable biointensive practices) to feed one person. In comparison, the average U.S. diet requires 30,000 sq ft of land to feed one person. Those eating high meat diets use up to 60,000 sq ft (using conventional farming practices).




So yes, I still go to the farmers market every week and belong to a CSA. But I know I will never starve, having what I have available at home.

I encourage everyone to try and grow something to eat!

6 Comments:

At 5:42 PM, Blogger car said...

maybe I should move to San Fran to get away from all the filthy hippy tribal things in Asheville, NC! The top of the buildings look lovely there!

 
At 9:22 AM, Blogger Stunned Donor said...

What a great use of space.

 
At 11:14 AM, Blogger earlysnowdrop said...

Your garden looks very British.

 
At 4:36 PM, Blogger David (Snappy) said...

love the raised beds, and the shady area.My sister is going to have a square planter near the backdoor growing fresh herbs.I am designing it she does not know it yet what it will look like.Love your posts!

 
At 1:53 PM, Blogger Jeanne said...

Steven - I'm pretty sure there's not an inch left to work with! We have covered every corner. I have some beautiful charentais melons that I started from seed, sitting in pots, that I can't figure out where to put (I may squeeze them in vertically somewhere). And the popcorn and broom corn I started went into the compost. I might need just a little bigger yard......but not much.....its enough work as it is.

 
At 1:57 PM, Blogger Jeanne said...

snappy - You are very nice to do your sisters garden. My sister would love for me to do hers! She bought a new home 2 years ago, with a beautiful fenced in garden with lots of raised beds (actually thats what inspired me to do mine), but she demolished it, because thed beds were old and rotted, etc, and hasen't gotten around to rebuilding it yet. Good Luck and have fun.

 

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