What would you plant on a two acre parcel?
Ryan wrote me asking what I would plant right now, if I were settling on a small parcel in Hawaii, and I want to grow most of my food for my family on the land, and live somewhat sustainably.
My needs for a good combination of food crops is:
1) an abundance of calories, oils, protein, greens
2) not too difficult to grow, harvest and prepare
3) delicious to eat
…and it is a big bonus if the crop has…
4) a long harvest season, or
5) is easy to preserve and store
It is very advantageous for the farmer and the land…
6) that the crops be no-till. (This means that it requires no plowing.) Plowing the land year after year is just plain not sustainable for the soil, and it is a bunch of hard work for the farmer, or his servants, animals, or machines (all potentially problematic).
If I were in various mainland climates, I might be raving about pecans, walnuts, hazel nuts, almonds, pine nuts, blueberries, apples and the other stone fruits (peaches, apricots etc.), but this article is only about the lowland tropics(below 1,000 ft):
At about 30 foot spacing, one could fit roughly 45 trees in an acre. This figure is complicated by the fact that many plants grow well as understory crops, and some (like bananas) closer together than that number. Simply put, if you mix tall and short plants, and sun loving and shade loving plants together, and so on, you can fit more than if you were to plant an orchard of one variety. That said, one needs to consider the amount of sun space and soil space that each plant needs to survive or to thrive.
The first acre would need room for at least some of the following: a house, a storage/workshop building, water tank, an array of solar electric panels, solar hot water panels, sun space for garden areas, a clothes drying area, driveway.
Of course, some areas can serve multiple purposes, and some trees can be planted above some of the infrastructure, increasing the capacity. Elevation, soil, rainfall, and wind all influence what will grow well on a property.
In order to be concise, I am leaving out most details of why I chose this or that plant, and many details about particular needs and attributes of these trees. Perhaps I will write a series of fact sheets about key trees…
I will make one exception by mentioning that coconuts and breadfruit are less productive as you increase elevation and are less than ideal over 1,000 feet or so. That said, at 500 feet or lower, those 2 would be the first trees on my list.
I would plant at least these, in order of importance:
- 18 coconuts palms (a mix of tall and dwarf)
- 2 breadfruit (of different varieties to increase the length of season.)
- 5 different grafted avocados (chosen for fruit availability year round)
- 1 key lime tree
- 20 banana plants
- 1-4 grafted mac nuts
- 2 grafted jackfruit
- 1 breadnut
- 1 Malabar chestnut
- 1 Minneola tangelo
- 5 papaya plants
- 1 small diameter bamboo (under 2″ diameter, for poles, trellises, rails, handles)
Then for greens:
- 1 hedge of Chaya
- 1 hedge of Katuk
- 1 hedge of edible hibiscus
And for alternate carbohydrates:
- cassava patch
- taro patch
- sweet potato patch
- A few yams
The rest, I would divide up amongst your favorite fruit trees: Tangerines (various), Brazilian cherry, Jaboticaba, Pomelo, Oranges, Surinam cherry, chico sapote, Mangosteen, Durian, Soursop, Rollinia, Cacao, Coffee, Mango (dry areas only), Rambutan, Lychee, Longan, Chempedak, Starfruit, Star Apple, Abiu, Lemon, Grapefruit, Marang, Passionfruit(vine), Pili nut, Wi apple, Peach palm, Acai palm, Cashew, Cinnamon, and others.
I have planted all of the above, (they all have their particular characteristics and advantages) but for sake of discussion, my personal top picks of these (all things considered) are: tangerines (various), Jaboticaba, Lychee, Star apple, Passionfruit (yellow), and Rollinia.
I would also consider adding some more bamboo plants, if you have space (bamboo plants are larger than you might think), such as: Bambusa textilis, Guadua angustifolia, gigantichloa apus, and Bambusa tuldoides.
Before planting any of these plants, get to know what conditions each require, and check that the appropriate form of propagation was used (seedling, graft, air layer etc.)
This plan would allow some more space for a few additional larger trees (timber trees, large bamboo, Pili nut, etc.) which could double as trellis for the many useful tropical vines. (Chayote, Passionfruit, Kiwano, Yam)
As you are planning this system, there are two particularly useful livestock that shouldn’t be overlooked.
- It is often a good idea to have some tropical sheep in your orchard. They will eat many of the weeds, and supply meat eaters with an occasional lamb. At minimum, they need a sturdy fence to keep dogs out, and a tarp for shelter from the rain. Sheep could be included at no more than 2 animals per acre, usually less.
- Additionally, a 2 acre parcel could easily include 30 chickens in a free range situation. “Free range” to me means they live as feral animals and find their own food and shelter.
The inclusion of sheep and chickens would provide substantially more food, and would likely save work, since they would be doing “work” during their normal foraging activities, and they provide for almost all of their needs with scant human input.
So, there is a basic plan to get you started. I’ve left out most timber plants, fiber plants, annual garden plants, herbs, groundcovers, medicinals, aquaculture, root crops, spice trees… I’ve pretty much neglected all of the understory plants, and I’m hoping to convince my wife, Karin to write a sequel to this post soon.
JT
Commented on March 23rd, 2010
You might want to consider growing pumpkins for hulless seeds. You can press the seeds for oil, or eat the seeds as a source of complete protein.
Michael Nadel
Commented on April 6th, 2010
I am involved donating vegetable, legume, and grain seeds to subsistence farming programs located in a few different African nations. I very impressed with your selection of tree crops and animals, however, folks in carborhydrate and protien sources from annual crops as well. Can you recommend any web sites that might publish pictorial subsistence farming manuals that would be useful for training students at elementary schools and orphanages to develop gardening skills needed in tropical lowlands.
Electricity, fertilizers, and irrigation systems are fairly short in supply. Crops are needed for daily consumption and storage ability.
Thank you for your gracious assistance.
Michael Nadel
Mel
Commented on May 19th, 2010
Hi Scott:
If you had to pick any place on the Big Island for self-sustainability, where would you choose?
Thanks,
Mel
Scott Middlekauf
Commented on May 20th, 2010
Yes, we have a few varieties of tropical adapted squash, which we call pumpkins. They are not in any garden; they are behaving as a groundcover, spreading through the land, somewhat naturalized.
Scott Middlekauf
Commented on May 20th, 2010
Start here: http://eveningrainfarm.com/category/books-and-links/
then, try searching the following organizations: ECHO, ATRA, CTAHR,
then, find: “Hawaii Homegrown Start up Guide” at http://www.agroforestry.net
Scott Middlekauf
Commented on May 20th, 2010
The question is, “where would you locate your farm on the Big Island?”
The question can be answered in part by referring to the needs of a tropical farm: adequate rain, some soil, clean air, affordable, not too cold, and finally, access to community (for support, plant material, trading etc.)
In the state of Hawaii, the Big Island is the cheap island to buy land. If you are wealthy, you might consider Maui and Kauaii. On those islands, it is possible to have your life as a farmer without losing the sense of being connected with urban culture. The land prices are astronomical, though.
Get out your map and follow along: On the Big Island, some people farm in Kona, but I consider that too polluted from the volcanic gases, and much of it is too dry. Kona is sort of the urban side of the Big Island. I would eliminate the anything south of Volcano village due to dry conditions. In fact, the entire western side of the island is too dry except for South Kona. Generally, anything over, say, 3-4,000 feet is too cold and wet. Personally, anything over 1,000 feet is usually too wet for me, though there are many exceptions. By far, the most beautiful and productive land can be found in parts of Hawi, Waimea, Hamakua, and Wood Valley, but they are usually too pricey for the average person. Some parts of the island have annoyingly persistent tradewinds, like parts of Hawi and Hamakua. I know very little of these four locations, except that there are areas with abundant soil, lots with waterfalls, and some beautiful land. I don’t know where one finds access to community in these areas. So, if you have more money, and you don’t care for the sustainability subculture, you ought to check out those areas.
Most of the sustainable farmers move to the Puna district, due to the relatively affordable land, good climate, and high concentration of like minded folks. Puna is what I know, and where I live. Our farm is located near Kapoho, at about 300 feet elevation, near the Eastern tip of the island. Land below 1,000 feet usually has less rainfall; say, 60-140 inches per year. The land over 1,000 feet gets wetter and less sunny, and the land gets cheaper and wetter as you go upslope. That is true in Puna, as well as in the rest of the island, with many exceptions. Prices have changed dramatically in the past 10 years, but as an example, in 1996, one could find a 3 acre lot up in Fern Forest for $4,000 compared to $40,000 near sea level. As a result, some people choose to live upslope, and deal with the mildew and drizzle because that’s what they can afford. A few thinkers say global climate change will dry the island, and assert that upslope will be the only productive land in the future.
So, if you know you need the cheapest land, then you might consider Hawaiian Acres or Fern Forest. Oh, yes, I almost forgot to mention building codes. Many parts of Puna are forgiving about this. In Puna, larger lots (3 acres and up), especially when hidden from the road, are often ignored by the county, unofficially. Many areas of Puna are strict about codes, such as Leilani, Paradise Park, Nanawale, Kapoho Beach Lots, Vacationland, Hawaiian Beaches, and anything very visible. This is more or less the way of things. You see, the county knows that there are thousands of uncoded structures in Puna, and that most of the residents of these homes would become homeless if the codes were strictly enforced. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
When considering buying a particular lot, there are many things to consider that are unique to Puna ie: What lava hazard zone are you in? Is the road county maintained? Is there electricity, water, sewer? Access to phone and internet is often a challenge as well. (We are on dial-up, having run a half mile of our own phone wire through the trees). Historically, Puna has been deficient in police service, fire service, school system, hospital care, care for elderly and youngsters, road maintenance. When you buy land in Puna, sometimes all you are getting is the land itself. In a high lava hazard zone, you may not even end up with that!
In most parts of the island, the rainfall, soil, and human culture varies wildly within a few short miles in any direction. Ultimately, you need to do your own research to discover whether a particular spot will meet your needs. If you want to know what the condition of the soil is, look up. What is the color, size, type, and density of vegetation? Use your powers of observation (or hire me as a consultant). As you are looking around, focus on asking around. Talk to people. Find a realtor who is experienced with vacant land. Ideally, live where you are considering buying land. Experience the climate. If you fall in love with a particular lot, bring a tent and camp out overnight.
Two acres is enough for a family to live and eat. The reasons to have a larger lot are: pasture for livestock, more residents, a space consuming business venture (like woodlot or orchard), and privacy. Take note, sound carries much farther in humid air, many people have screened buildings, and generators and dogs are abundant.