What self-sufficiency means for my family

Self-sufficiency is presented in many places and situations. Families can be self-sufficient in different ways and in practice this can mean quite different things in different families, but still the word has a certain echo for each of us.

Here I go through the self-sufficiency of food production in our family. Self-sufficiency does not necessarily mean a year-round situation, but some ways of self-sufficiency can only be reached during the growing season or only during the autumn.

 Delicacy Mozart from last summer grown season.

Beans last May. I want to increase self-sufficiency for these for next year, the whole winter.

What does self-sufficiency mean for me and my family?

• Food is grown in selfmade compost mulch, in own yard or on a parcel, without any industrial fertilizers or chemical pesticides. I cannot use the term "organic" because I am not a registered organic producer, but I try to do the breeding with the same methods and restrictions. There are some differences in materials and seeds, because everything is not available in organic form, etc.

• Herbs, potatoes, carrots, yellow, red and garlic are needed for the year.

• Frozen currants, gooseberries and raspberries.

• Curb apples, plums and crickets.

What does self-reliance add to?

• Independence.

• Sustainable.

• Money savings.

• Tasty products.

• Security of production methods and food purity.

• Happy leisure time with family.

What's new in next year's plans for self-sufficiency?

• More beans.

• Peas.

• More yellow bulbs.

• Setting up strawberries to have more homegrown strawberries in the future.

Recently I evaluated the yield needed – let’s see how the plan works.