Somebody recently asked me how much percentage of the food I eat is home grown. I was stumped. I’m the first to admit that I’m terrible at maths. I more of a dreamer, a thinker a ponderer of thoughts. It’s known to people close to me that I’m no calculator. It’s probably why I was more inclined in my teen years, to fall in love with the two subjects that I still am fascinated with to this day, biology and photography. But I digress.
Someone also asked me why don’t I post every meal I eat. Surely you eat more than just rabbit? Well of course I do. It’s summer so we eat a lot of store bought wild shot kangaroo, which is the most sustainable source of red meat in Australia. Next to that is chicken. (No brainer that we buy organic free range….blah blah).
I guess the key difference is that we contribute a good deal of everything else on the plate from produce sourced from our soil. For example, today I made a prawn salad. And to show the ‘maths’ I’ll break down the meal.
Store bought:
Australian Prawns (raw)
Balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
vegetable oil
goats cheese
boccinchini
Home grown:
Prawn marinade of garlic, chilli oil, kaffir lime leaves
Baby kiffler potato
tomato
apple cucumber (from mums garden)
cos lettuce
black lettuce
mixed leaf lettuce
chicory leaf
rosemary
So you can see it’s not all or nothing. I lack the ways an means to catch the prawns, and yes they’re not local so they’re a special treat we’ll have maybe a few times over summer. But what we can do is provide a lot of things to go with it, that we can grow ourselves. I think that’s a thing with peoples perception of living semi self-sufficiently. It’s intimidating because people think they have to do everything or they feel they’re not doing the system any justice. Well it’s not the case with us, otherwise we’d starve. Man cannot live on rabbit and water alone. ;-)
We’re not perfect. Far from it. However we are trying to make a difference in how we live, by minimising our impact on the world by growing/hunting/fishing/foraging as much as we can within reasonable means. What ever percentage that might be.
Hi,
I know exactly what you mean about maths and percentages…yuk! However, looking at your pics of prawns, I’m wondering whether it’s still possible to go yabbying around Ballarat? When I was a young girl, my uncle took us to his favourite little hunting ground which was a dam somewhere near the township and we spent hours collecting yabbies by using meat on fishing line and hauling them in. Do you go collecting yabbies with your family?
We hunt wallaby on our land, but not all the time – then it’s bought locally. We do what we can in other words, so that we’re not disconnected from the majority of our food supply – and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Yeah I have a few private properties to yabbie in but it’s not always easy to get permission. But when I can we love to cook them up!!
My feeling is that every little bit counts. Whether its just growing a few pots of herbs or a fully fledged vegie garden (or somewhere in between like most of us) you are contributing to the greater ‘food bowl’. There shouldn’t be any derision for the amount of food grown but encouragement.
If you only grow herbs in pots, well done! Perhaps your children will get interested in growing their own food and when they have their own place. To them growing herbs will be second nature and they will expand to grow their own fruit & vegies.
My parents never grew any food despite living on an acre block in the country (landscaped english garden!?) but now my husband and I have our own place, we have three vegie beds an orange tree & a newly potted passionfruit. I am enthusiastic but largely the growing process is trial and error for us. Hopefully our children will find growing their own meals (or part of them) second nature and put our little plots to shame!
I couldn’t agree more. I enjoy taking care of my own food supply, it may not be all of it but it’s better than nothing. If I had more soil and more time I’d probably try to grow it all! But for now I do what I can in our small yard and with the resources available to me. And besides, it’s just fun to get into the garden!
As the person who asked you what percentage of what you eat you get first-hand (unless someone else asked you, too), I figure I want to weigh in here.
For starters, I don’t consider it a failure to buy food you can’t get your self. I’m a fan of interconnectedness, and everybody should definitely have coffee, chocolate, avocados, and prawns. I asked you because I first asked myself — my husband and I hunt, fish, gather, and grow, but I haven’t exactly been overwhelmed with our success. I did a rough estimate of all the calories we got first-hand, and figured out it was a mere 11% of our total needs. (The post, in case anyone wants to check my math, is here: http://starvingofftheland.com/2011/12/my-year-in-calories-the-2012-challenge/ )
I asked you because you seem to do things well, and I was curious how much bigger your number was than mine. This year, we’re aiming for 20%. And not because 11% is a failure, but because we think we can become better hunters, foragers, fishermen, and gardeners, and it gives us a concrete way to measure.
Anybody else out there have a rough estimate of what portion of your total food needs you get the old-fashioned way?
Recently I was asked the same query interviewed on the wireless recently.
The more I think about the question the more I’m convinced that any percentage is better than none. And I’m content! The fact that there is a determination to do better among some members of the community is inspiring to say the least. Maybe there is hope for us after all, albeit a miniscule percentage of the western population attempting such a lifestyle.
I wonder if it’s not only that we grow and hunt to provide for ourselves, but also is it our duty to act as an example for others. Is out role to lead by action and doing no matter or short comings, difficulties or victories we may encounter along the way.
Revolution always start small and from the margins. I love the idea that a small amount of backyard growing across the country, if it spread to every backyard, would force the agribusiness monolith to take notice and substantially reduce their profits/ability to destroy the earth for their short term gain. I love that my heirloom tomatoes, beans, peas, rocket etc in the front yard are a small two fingered salute to the Monsantos and Dows of the world. It’s non-violent resistance at it’s best! And the bigger the veggie patch gets, the bigger and more satisfying the salute!!
Dave, totally loving your words! It is a bit of an anti-establishment this DIY life style. Let’s stick it to them!!!
The veg garden is going well I hope!
Yep… veg garden is doing pretty well… hoping to have sufficient expansion to allow some extra late summer planting. my waltham butternuts got hit with both blossom end rot and powdery mildew, but apart from that all is pretty good!
carrots, leek, kale, beans & more peas to go in over the next few weeks. and the home reatred ducklings should be ready in mid march!
there is always so much more that I want to do though – one of the many benefits of gardening is that it teaches you patience!
how are your expansion plans for the few other community plots you have going?
I find that all the pumpkins I grow self mutilate themselves by rotting a few fruit and flowers. I just figured they where just keeping the strong ones. I’ve got a heap of pumpkins growing this year. It’s going to be a pumpkin filled winter!
No expansion as yet. Just the yard at home and the garden at my friends place. But one day I’ll have a block. And it will be grand.
It’s an admirable challenge to eat 100% home grown, but for most of us it’s not one we can rise to all of the time. I love it when I can whip up a salad or a potato tortilla using only stuff from the garden and chooks, but it’s rare. However we do contribute something from the garden for almost all of our meals, and that’s good enough for me. What I think is more important is to know where your food comes from that you do buy. I’d say I know exactly which paddock over 90 % our meat comes from, and the same for any fruit and veg, most grains and dairy that we buy. We can’t all hunt, grow and gather all the time, but we can buy our food direct from the people who do. That makes all the difference.
KAFFIR LIME LEAVES. You had me at the Kaffir lime leaves.
Well done, you. And I’m dying to know (as a roo-less Brooklynite) what does kangaroo taste like?!
How good are they! Such a great summer flavor for marinating with!
Kangaroo. Well it’s a similar texture as beef, but almost a sweeter taste, that’s much more interesting than beef in my opinion. Being wild it’s very lean. It’s not an animal that can be farmed. And it’s in tune with the Aussie landscape so it’s very sustainable.
I would add that at the beginning of the growing season I make choices about what I will grow in my small garden, and what I will purchase from the farmers market or grocery store. I plan space accordingly because I know I can’t do it all, and that’s ok. I guess it helps me to be conscious of my food and where it comes from. Beautiful pics, by the way!
What she said…..;-)
Really well written Rohan ans I can definetly relate to it. I often wonder the same thing. And I’m always looking to up the percentage. We do the best we can for veggies on a half block and this summer hasn’t been as good as hoped, but it seems we all share the same belief that anything is better than nothing! If my wife ate game meats over autumn I could nearly do 100% on our meat intake with bumper bird seasons forecast and rabbits a plenty. This year I’m thinking of trying it myself as a bit of a silent protest to the anti gun / hunting lobby that believe they are morally superior to those who have the desire to harvest their own meat. Haha! Time to start getting the next beds ready for the veg to go with!
‘we all share the same belief that anything is better than nothing’
Exactly mate! If you do ANYTHING you’re helping the cause. And when you start you can only grow and take on more growing.
‘a silent protest to the anti gun / hunting lobby that believe they are morally superior to those who have the desire to harvest their own meat’
It’s funny how so many anti hunters think. Apart from raising your own meat it’s the best alternative. The only reason I hunt is because I don’t yet have my own farmlet on which to raise stock.
I hope you’d still hunt occasionally even if you had the means to raise your own!?There’s nothing like watching the sunrise over a duck swamp, watching your dogs work on some quail, or the cool, crisp mountain air and scenery when stalking sambar deer! Some things just can’t be beat!
I’ll always hunt. Always.
Speaking of which….are we still on for that quail hunt????
Most definitely on for the quail and ducks. We’ll also get a feed of hares too!
I thought I’d add that i think in this over complicated and crowded age it’s near on impossible to be 100% self sufficient. Work and new technologies seem to take up more and more of our time, and our backyards are getting smaller, but being able to contribute something to the dinner table, no matter how small is something we should all be proud of!
Yes big believer in every little bit counting! Having lately moved we were just doing two little tomato plants and now have added a few yummy herbs and next a small vegie patch is on the to do list- it means it’s managable and achievable rather than impossible if we were to try n tackle it all in one swoop:)
Thats the ticket Selina! Baby steps is a manageable approach. I hope the tommies where yummie!
The tomatoes are just coming ripe now- first ones today, lovely little cherry ones, our two year old helped pick them which he was very enthusiastic about, and we ate them straight off the bush- sensational! :)
I love doing that with my girls. Regarding Cherry tomatoes……when the girls help ‘pick’ not many cherries end up in the basket. Sometimes my 3 year old requires a fresh tee shirt after her feasting…..seeds dribble down her face like its ice cream. I’m just happy they’re eating fruit!
We’re a fan of kangaroo here too. I really want to find someone who can provide me with fresh roo that isn’t packaged in loads of plastic. All I can get is the packaged in styrofoam supermarket kind or the vacumm packed imported stuff. Know any hunters in NSW that would be willing to barter/trade jam for roo? ;-)
If you can get hold if a farmer that has a destruction permit you might be able to shoot your own….