The Self-Sufficient Garden Blog
Gardens Can’t Possibly Replace Global Staples.
I always like to put myself in the shoes of those who say no way self-sufficiency gardens will rescue the beleaguered industrial food system. Just to remind myself of their viewpoint and address their concerns. One issue they’re sure to harp on is the “big four”...
The Other Half of Food in 2025
I’ve said all along that to feed 10 billion people by 2050, self-sufficiency gardens will need to provide about 50% of our food supply. But what about the other half? According to my expert analysis, 25% would come from Local Food sources, with New Industrial...
Expanding a Starter Self-Sufficiency Garden
Now suppose you’ve had success with a starter garden (producing enough food to consume a balanced diet for at least one full day, and probably for longer) and want to expand it the following year. You may or may not have an eventual goal of a garden productive enough...
The Self-Sufficiency Starter Garden
So let’s say you’ve been reading my Substack posts and have decided that you want to start up a self-sufficiency garden, and could use a little guidance. Or maybe you’ve already been growing your own vegetables for some time but aren’t sure how what you do differs...
Michael Grunwald Responds
A few weeks ago I posted an article on how Michael Pollan, the long-time famous writer in favor of all food things natural and regenerative, was ostensibly at odds with best-selling author Michael Grunwald. He holds that Pollan’s approach is less environmentally...
Podcast on One Bite Is Everything
I was recently (Feb 12) interviewed on the podcast One Bite Is Everything (OBIE) to discuss my concept of a self-sufficiency gardening food system. It was entitled, “Is a Parallel Food System Possible?” I liked that. Although I’ve often referred to it as an...
The Michaels’ Food, Land, and Climate Dilemma
R U up for a little friendly yet globally-consequential controversy? Yes? Then read on.Meet Michael 1If you’re a foodie, you’re likely aware of . Author of The Botany of Desire (2002), In Defense of Food (2009), and a steady stream of other books about food and the...
Coming Soon: The Artificial Intelligence Bubble Burst
Over years of perusing reports on AI’s challenges, both in product performance and financing, I’ve seen a steady increase in the number of economists and analysts who predict an AI implosion1,2,5-7. In fact, it’s now closing in on a consensus. What follows here is a...
The Big One
Flood? What flood? If you follow the news at all, I’m sure you’ve seen the stories about the atmospheric rivers that have picked up water from the Pacific (by evaporation) and dumped it along the west coast, causing “historic” and “catastrophic” flooding. Yet as...








