Читать книгу The Self-Sufficiency Handbook - Alan Bridgewater - Страница 7

The amount of land you will need depends on the location, the climate, the quality of the land, and what you plan to do with the land. A single person could probably manage with half an acre (.20 hectare) of rich land if he or she were going to grow all of his or her own food, or grow cash crops and trade and swap for other essentials. Two people would need around 2 acres (.80 hectare), but they could probably make do with less land if they opted for coppiced woodland and made and sold products for cash. If your self-sufficiency dream involves fishing, horses, sheep, chickens, and the like, you will obviously need more land and should do some research based on the particular livestock you want to keep.

Ripening almonds on a branch.

Our first plot was a little more than an acre (.40 hectare) of remote land with poor, boggy ground and difficult access. We were in our late twenties with two babies. We succeeded simply because I earned money as a lecturer, and my regular income made everything possible. Gill was able to stay at home and do her weaving and I made pottery over summer breaks, all while looking after our two boys and keeping a few chickens, geese, sheep, and goats. Of course, it was not easy, but it worked for us because we lived off-grid and were not weighed down by utility bills.

Of course, much will depend upon your particular plans, the size of your budget, and your individual circumstances. What this all adds up to is that, while you have to start out with a dream, you also have to be prepared to make compromises. Look long and hard at options that initially seem not quite right and see if you can work around the obvious problems. The house might be in disrepair, but can you fix it? Or maybe the property is larger than you want. Can you work with the land?