Backyard Farming

Urban mini-farms are becoming more popular in backyards.

How much yard would you need if you wanted to live off the land and provide a family of four with food? With backyard gardens making a comeback, people are wondering about food self-sufficiency and what can be realistically grown in the average back yard.

The image above lays things out in an interesting and thought-provoking way that helps illustrate some of the demands we place on the productive capacity of the Earth as we eat our way through life.

The authors estimate that a family of four could become food self-sufficient on about 2 acres of land, depending on things like soil fertility, and whether your diet is vegetarian or not.

Even if you can't become entirely food self-sufficient yet, a backyard garden is always a good thing regardless of the size.