One of the biggest reasons people want to homestead in this day and age is to be prepared for some kind of disaster. But what should you grow that would actually help you survive?
Obviously, you will need food, and not just edibles, but calories. And rows and rows of herbs and kale are probably healthy, but they’re not going to keep you alive for very long. You need dense calories, high yields, and hearty crops that can grow through winter.
Potatoes are an ideal long-term survival plant. You can grow them discreetly, they are high in carbohydrates and calories, and keep well through the winter with minimal processing.
Breadfruit is not commonly known in the Western world, but again, if you live somewhere that you can grow it, do. It is highly caloric and delicious, with a soft, mildly sweet, savory flesh that can be slow cooked in a fire, boiled, or fried.
Cassava, also known as yucca and tapioca, produces the most calories per square foot of any other crop in the world. It is much like a potato, and its thick husk will preserve the root for a very long time. The best thing about cassava? You can simply hack up the large bush that grows above ground, and stick in the ground to grow a whole new crop for next year.
Beans have protein, which is difficult to grow, and have high yields and produce very quickly. They also fix your soil with nitrogen, and can be easily dried and kept through the winter.
Crucifers like broccoli and cabbage are highly nutritious, more filling than other greens, are cold-hearty crops and can keep relatively well through the winter, when stored properly.
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that you can grow avocado, do. It is high in essential fatty acids, and virtually one of the only ways to grow fat. They are caloric as well, and can keep you alive and thriving for a long time.
Apples are relatively high-calorie for a fruit, and can have a very high yield. They will also keep very easily through the winter.
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