Back to the basics

Growing your own garden, livestock etc. Is it any cheaper? What do you think?

My old business partner 2 years back planted a garden, bought some chickens and ducks, and tracked the expenses. No way was it cheaper then buying at the grocery store. He did have some nice vegetables but the labor and deer control and bug control and watering and weeding, etc. Growing your own is great if you have cheap labor(kids), and a bunch of kids to feed, or have nothing else to do with your free time. I did it for a few years when the wife was excited about it, the deer won, and the potato bugs.

Kevin

I grew up growing our own garden, livestock, etc. Today...I grow a garden just for the fresh vegetables for a couple of months....I used to "can" my own veggies, but they would only last through Feb., but they sure did taste better! Beyond that....the fruits of my labor beyond a "summer garden' would not seem to be "fiscally"feasible. I wish it were like it was when I was growing up....fresh food is so much better!

Yeah, but we were the free labor! And I sure remember all the jars in the basement from my mother canning. Something the U of Maine Extension teaches to young people now. Just parts of the good old days.

Kevin

The good old days are still alive & well in Freetown. I do a garden size wise just to fill my own needs--like stated, when all the kids were here it was a LOT bigger. For my consumption, beefers & chickens have gone by the wayside although then the productivity outweighed the $$$$ & time.