Chapter 8: Growing Your Own Food

Food Autonomy: How Realistic Is It?

Growing your own food is deeply satisfying but requires honest assessment. A family of four in France consumes approximately 600–800 kg of fruits and vegetables per year. Can a home garden produce this?

What a Family of Four Eats (Annual Estimates)

Food Category Annual kg Can You Grow It? Garden Feasible?
Vegetables 200–300 Yes ✅ Core focus
Fruits 100–150 Yes (trees + berries) ✅ Takes years
Potatoes/starches 80–120 Yes ✅ Space-intensive
Bread/grains 100–150 Difficult (wheat needs ~0.1 ha per person) ⚠️ Not practical
Dairy 100–150 Goats possible ⚠️ Major commitment
Meat/fish 60–90 Chickens, rabbits, fish ⚠️ Moderate effort
Eggs 15–20 (300–400 eggs) Yes (6–8 hens) ✅ Easy
Oils/fats 15–25 Sunflower, olive (wrong climate) ❌ Not practical
Sugar 15–25 Honey (beehives) ⚠️ Specialized

Realistic target: A home garden can supply 60–80% of your fruit and vegetable needs, plus eggs, herbs, and some meat (chickens/rabbits). Complete food autonomy requires significant land (1+ hectare) and is a full-time activity.

Garden Size: How Much Land Do You Need?

Space Requirements by Crop

Crop Yield (kg/m²) m² for Family/Year Growing Season
Tomatoes 5–10 10–20 m² Jun–Oct
Zucchini 3–6 5–10 m² Jun–Oct
Beans (green) 1.5–3 10–15 m² Jul–Sep
Peas 1–2 10–15 m² May–Jul
Lettuce/salad 2–4 8–15 m² Mar–Nov
Carrots 3–5 10–15 m² Jun–Nov
Onions 3–5 8–12 m² Jul–Oct
Garlic 1–2 5–8 m² Jun–Jul
Potatoes 3–5 30–50 m² Jun–Oct
Leeks 3–5 8–12 m² Sep–Mar
Cabbage family 2–4 10–15 m² Jun–Mar
Squash/pumpkin 3–6 10–20 m² Sep–Dec
Spinach/chard 2–4 8–12 m² Apr–Nov
Herbs — 2–5 m² Year-round
Strawberries 1–2 5–10 m² May–Oct
Cucumbers 3–6 5–10 m² Jun–Sep

Total Garden Sizing

Garden Size What It Provides Effort (hours/week)
50 m² Herbs, salads, tomatoes, a few others (supplementary) 2–4 h
100 m² Good variety, 30–40% of vegetable needs 4–7 h
200 m² Most vegetables + some fruit, 50–70% of needs 7–12 h
400 m² Full vegetable garden + potatoes, 70–90% of produce needs 12–20 h
1,000 m²+ Full autonomy including grains, feed for animals 20–40 h (nearly full-time)

Recommendation: 200 m² of well-managed garden is the sweet spot for a family of four — provides substantial food with manageable time investment.

Permaculture Principles for the Autonomous Garden

Permaculture design maximizes yield while minimizing inputs (water, fertilizer, labor):

The Zone System

Zone Distance from House Use Examples
Zone 0 House itself Indoor growing Sprouting, windowsill herbs
Zone 1 0–10 m Daily harvest, intensive care Herbs, salads, tomatoes, greenhouse
Zone 2 10–30 m Regular care, 2–3x/week Main vegetable garden, chickens
Zone 3 30–100 m Occasional care, weekly Fruit trees, potatoes, grain trials
Zone 4 100+ m Minimal care, seasonal Managed forest (firewood), wild harvest
Zone 5 Periphery No intervention Wildlife corridor, biodiversity

Key Techniques

Raised beds:

No-dig gardening (Charles Dowding method):

Companion planting:

Succession planting:

The Greenhouse: Extending the Season

A greenhouse is transformative for food autonomy in temperate climates:

Greenhouse Sizing and Types

Type Size Cost Temperature Gain Season Extension
Cold frame 1–2 m² €50–200 +5–8°C +4–6 weeks
Polytunnel 15–40 m² €500–2,000 +8–12°C +6–10 weeks
Glass greenhouse 10–25 m² €2,000–8,000 +10–15°C +8–12 weeks
Attached solarium 10–20 m² €3,000–10,000 +10–15°C +10–14 weeks (heated by house)

What a 20 m² Greenhouse Produces

Period Crops Yield
Feb–Apr Seedlings, lettuce, radish, spinach Start for outdoor garden
May–Oct Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant 100–200 kg
Nov–Jan Winter salads, spinach, chard, herbs 20–40 kg
Annual Combined 120–250 kg

A 20 m² greenhouse can produce 120–250 kg of food/year — primarily the heat-loving crops that struggle outdoors in central France.

Thermal Mass in the Greenhouse

To keep a greenhouse frost-free without heating:

Cost for passive heating: €100–300 (water barrels + insulation on north wall)

Fruit Trees and Perennial Production

Fruit trees are the “invest once, harvest for decades” strategy:

Space and Yield Per Tree

Fruit Spacing Yield (kg/tree, mature) Years to First Harvest Lifespan
Apple (semi-dwarf) 4 × 4 m 30–80 3–5 30–50 years
Pear 4 × 4 m 20–60 4–6 40–60 years
Cherry 5 × 5 m 15–40 3–5 30–50 years
Plum 4 × 4 m 20–50 3–5 30–40 years
Peach/nectarine 4 × 4 m 15–40 2–4 15–25 years
Fig 3 × 3 m 10–30 2–3 50+ years
Walnut 8 × 8 m 20–40 5–10 100+ years
Hazelnut 3 × 3 m 3–8 3–5 40–60 years

A Family Orchard Plan

Trees Number Space Annual Yield Cost
Apple (2 varieties) 3 48 m² 90–240 kg €60–120
Pear (2 varieties) 2 32 m² 40–120 kg €40–80
Cherry 1 25 m² 15–40 kg €20–40
Plum 2 32 m² 40–100 kg €40–80
Fig 1 9 m² 10–30 kg €20–40
Berry bushes (red/blackcurrant) 6 12 m² 12–24 kg €30–60
Raspberry canes 10 m row 10 m² 5–15 kg €20–40
Total — ~170 m² 210–570 kg €230–460

Timeline: Berries produce in year 1–2, stone fruits in year 3–5, apples/pears reach full production in year 5–8. Plant fruit trees on day one of your project.

Keeping Chickens

Chickens are the easiest and most productive livestock for an autonomous home:

Egg Production

Parameter Value
Hens needed for family of 4 4–6
Eggs per hen per year 200–280 (depending on breed)
Total annual eggs 800–1,680
Family consumption ~1,000–1,500 eggs/year
Space needed (coop + run) 10–20 m²
Free-range space (ideal) 40–60 m²

Feed and Costs

Item Annual Cost Notes
Commercial feed (120–150 kg/year for 6 hens) €80–150 Can reduce with garden scraps
Garden/kitchen scraps (supplement) €0 20–30% of diet
Grit and calcium €10–20 Oyster shell for eggshells
Bedding (straw) €30–50 Also useful for compost
Health (worming, etc.) €10–30  
Total annual cost €130–250  
Value of eggs (at €0.30/egg) €240–500  

Net benefit: Chickens pay for themselves in eggs, plus provide:

Coop Design for Autonomy

Feature Specification Cost
Coop (6 hens) 2–3 m² enclosed, weatherproof €200–800
Automatic door Solar-powered, timer or light sensor €80–150
Automatic feeder 10–20 kg capacity €30–50
Automatic waterer Nipple system, 20 L reservoir €20–40
Total setup — €330–1,040

With automation, chicken care takes 5 minutes/day — mostly just collecting eggs.

Composting: Closing the Loop

Composting turns kitchen and garden waste into fertilizer, eliminating the need to buy soil amendments:

What Goes In and What Comes Out

Input Source Annual Volume Compost Output
Kitchen scraps (vegetable peelings, coffee, eggshells) 200–300 kg 30–50 kg
Garden waste (prunings, leaves, dead plants) 300–600 kg 60–120 kg
Chicken bedding + manure 100–200 kg 40–80 kg
Cardboard/paper (brown material) 50–100 kg 20–40 kg
Total 650–1,200 kg 150–290 kg

Compost Nutrient Value

Good compost replaces commercial fertilizer:

Nutrient Content (per tonne of compost) Commercial fertilizer equivalent Cost saved
Nitrogen (N) 8–15 kg €15–30  
Phosphorus (P₂O₅) 3–8 kg €5–15  
Potassium (K₂O) 5–12 kg €8–20  
Plus organic matter, micronutrients, soil biology — €50–100/tonne saved  

For a 200 m² garden needing 500–1,000 kg of compost annually: home composting saves €25–100/year in fertilizer while eliminating waste.

The Complete Food Garden: Annual Plan

Monthly Calendar (Central France)

Month Indoor/Greenhouse Outdoor Harvest
Jan Plan, order seeds Prune fruit trees Leeks, stored roots
Feb Start tomato/pepper seeds Prepare beds (compost) Last stored produce
Mar Prick out seedlings Sow peas, fava beans, lettuce Overwintered spinach
Apr Harden off seedlings Plant potatoes, sow carrots, beets Asparagus, rhubarb, salads
May Plant tomatoes in greenhouse Transplant everything outdoors Lettuce, radish, peas
Jun — Succession sow beans, lettuce Strawberries, peas, new potatoes
Jul — Sow for autumn (carrots, beets) Tomatoes begin, zucchini, beans
Aug — Sow winter salads, spinach Peak harvest — tomatoes, everything
Sep Start winter greenhouse crops Plant garlic, cover crops Squash, late tomatoes, apples
Oct Winter salads growing Clean beds, mulch Potatoes, pears, root veg
Nov Greenhouse harvest Plant bare-root trees Leeks, stored squash
Dec Minimal Rest, compost, plan Stored produce, greenhouse greens

Expected Annual Yield (200 m² Garden + 20 m² Greenhouse + 6 Trees)

Category Yield (kg) Market Value (€/kg) Annual Value
Tomatoes 40–80 €2.50–4.00 €100–320
Zucchini/squash 30–60 €1.50–3.00 €45–180
Beans/peas 15–30 €3.00–5.00 €45–150
Salads/greens 20–40 €3.00–5.00 €60–200
Root vegetables 40–80 €1.50–2.50 €60–200
Potatoes 40–80 €1.00–2.00 €40–160
Onions/garlic 15–30 €2.00–3.00 €30–90
Herbs 5–10 €10.00–20.00 €50–200
Fruit (trees + berries) 50–150 €2.50–5.00 €125–750
Eggs (1,000+) — €0.30–0.50/egg €300–500
Total 255–560 kg produce + eggs — €855–2,750

A well-managed 200 m² garden + small orchard + chickens can produce €1,000–2,000 worth of food annually, with an investment of 7–12 hours per week.

📊 Quick Reference — Food Production:

Setup Space Annual Yield Investment Annual Cost
200 m² vegetable garden 200 m² 200–400 kg produce €500–1,500 €100–300
20 m² greenhouse 20 m² 120–250 kg €1,000–4,000 €50–100
Family orchard (8 trees) 170 m² 100–400 kg fruit €230–460 €30–60
6 chickens 30–60 m² 1,000+ eggs €330–1,040 €130–250
Composting system 4–6 m² 150–290 kg compost €50–200 €0
Total ~450 m² significant €2,110–7,200 €310–710
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