Would Growing Your Own Food Translate to Life Onboard ?

[David_Old_Jersey]

Saw an advert locally (no link, sorry) for a new business venture. It was a bit short on details but basically revolved around them using your garden to grow vegetables in exchange for sharing the crop. (i.e. no land rent).

No idea on the economics of the idea nor what the proposed crop share percentage is. Am guessing that the business has some form of retail or food outlet as hard to see them competing wholesale against large scale farm producers.

The attraction to the garden owner (in addition to getting free Veg) is that someone manages a large chunk of their garden for free.

Was thinking that for someone with a regular circuit might be an option in the right areas for both a food source and to provide goods for sale (£££ ). But as someone who has difficulty recognising a potato unless in chip form am not sure if it would be possible to plant the right "stuff" that would only require a return for harvesting - or at least minimal tending over a limited period of cruising in one area.

Anyone here from Kansas? or Idaho

[nautical62]

Well, from Iowa here.

I'm not familiar with the specifics of the buy in your speak of. What I will say is that I know people who have done everything from huge mechanized farming, to organic farming to communal small plot sharing to producing for a farmer's market. What I've seen is it all requires a lot of work with minimal potential returns. It's a hard business.

The biggest return I've seen from crop sharing is that with all this fresh produce thrown at them, people have an incentive to eat healthful food.

There have been a few small farmers here that have been saved by the organic movement. They sell largely to the Chicago market wanting more organic foods. For some of the more fashionable restaurants to pay 50% more for organic pork may mean little in their final costs, but be the catch to get more customers.

Personally, I think learning to catch your own seafood when out cruising is more likely to help the finances of your cruising goals.

[rjrap]

The way I have seen this done is that they manage the garden because they want the crops grown organically and they dont trust other people to do it right. There are regulations governing this. They sell "shares" of the garden to the public which gives them 1 box of veggies a week. 2 shares= 2boxes.......etc. 1 share is about $400 for 26 weeks.

[Ram]

Here is a young guy who is making it work in the Lake Worth Fl, area Backyard Community Farm

Its goes something like, you let him use your backyard to make a garden and he and you split the veggies 50/50 , its a good idea that seems to be working in the city-
I personnlly have been growing a large part of my own food in the winter months wile back in S. Florida- seems people think its a lot of work, but the truth is it s very easy and requires very little time - and its something I like doing-

[David_Old_Jersey]

RJrap - Selling boxes / shares - that makes sense, customers already lined up and at retail prices

nautical62 - "a lot of work with minimal potential returns. It's a hard business". .........I can see how a traditional farm would be with the need to compete wholesale neaning scale and investment. and time / effort........just curious as to whether this business model could adapt to the life aquatic if you didn't need a full time job or a high income..........

Ram - "Very Little time"? do vegetables require regular care? once a week, once a month? and what? weeding? spraying? excercise? (My garden has...........gravel and that's no accident!).


Or maybe try Goats?

[lorenzo b]

Check out a book called Sailing The Farm written back in the 70's about growing your own food onboard, it's a hoot. Those were the days, dude.

[Alan Brown]

Many years ago, while my father was living in Vermont, he decided to grow a vegetable garden. His garden was a success, but also proved that it was possible to have "too much of a good thing".

That first season he harvested a bunch of tomatoes, a few green beans, and about 1,000 zucchini squash. He had so many zucchini that every time he went into town, he brought some with him to give away to anyone he'd bump into along Main Street.

That summer, we learned to cook zucchini in every possible way, but the best recipe was for zucchini bread. I doubt if it was healthful for us, but it sure tasted good.

APOLOGY - I admit that this post has contributed very little to the discussion at hand, but I couldn't resist sharing this fond, family memory.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Alan Brown

APOLOGY - I admit that this post has contributed very little to the discussion at hand

No problem -you are in the right thread

but I couldn't resist sharing this fond, family memory.

I had to Google Zuchinni ............Courgette Yeah, I can understand how that would get tired quick enuf

[Ram]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

RJrap - Selling boxes / shares - that makes sense, customers already lined up and at retail prices

nautical62 - "a lot of work with minimal potential returns. It's a hard business". .........I can see how a traditional farm would be with the need to compete wholesale neaning scale and investment. and time / effort........just curious as to whether this business model could adapt to the life aquatic if you didn't need a full time job or a high income..........

Ram - "Very Little time"? do vegetables require regular care? once a week, once a month? and what? weeding? spraying? excercise? (My garden has...........gravel and that's no accident!).


Or maybe try Goats?

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it takes a little work to get started , but once you have the ground built into a rich soil , there’s very little to do but watch things grow, I have quite a lot of Veggies growing at the moment , all organically I might add, and I spend almost no time at all after the first month, I don’t weed, I water very little only if needed, as the rain takes care of it, I have little bug trouble because we had a cold winter, and when I do get some bugs I have enough extra to share with them- so all I do is watch it grow and pick and eat-I’ve have broccoli heads the size of soccer balls, cauliflower, onions, kale, hundreds of tomatoes, collards, cabbage and more happening right, -

[lorenzo b]

that happens to everyone with squash plants. Just after you harvest 90% of your garden the squash plants start growing a foot a day and take over the whole area producing an incredible yield. I left Maine one fall with a van full of Blue Hubberds that ended up as an art project in California.