More on food and edible landscaping

Food is one of the big three: food, shelter, security.  It's one that people can't live without.  You can be homeless, you can hide (a type of security), but you have to eat.  How do you become more food self reliant?  Depending on where you live you may have to reevaluate how and what you eat.  For example, if you live in the city you may be eating less meat if you have to produce it yourself, especially for those who live in apartments.  Raising meat is not possible.  What about those who live in a house on a small lot?  You can raise much of what you eat.  You just have to change your way of thinking and put out the effort. 

Edible landscape is one of the new trends.  You can pack a lot into a 1/4 acre yard.  There are several websites of families doing just this.  If you plant a tree, make is a fruit or nut tree.  If you put in flowers, make them edible.  Shrubs can be herbs, fruit, or vegetables.  I have only planted one type of plant on my property in 13 years that isn't useful for eating or drinking or using it for medicinal purposes.  That was a butterfly plant.  It spreads, has purple flowers, and attracts butterflies and bees.  Everything else is edible.  Even when I lived in the city over 20 years ago, I only planted edible landscaping (other than a lawn play area for the kids). 

I write a lot about my son and his family.  They have a little patio but no plants.  They have indoor plants, but none are edible.  Why not?  Because they get their food for free from the government so why put out the effort.  Did you know that with food stamps you can purchase vegetable seeds and plants at the grocery store?  It's true.  Kind of like the story...teach a man to fish and he will be able to provide for his family.