By Karen Roguski
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Farming Histories
History has shown us those in the farming lifestyles have seen many years of success and failures alike. One can find these historical notations from medieval times and possibly even further back in history. These historical timelines will detail a great variance in the successfulness of farming.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Farming Inventions
The inventions of items such as the tractor, the combine, and even the gas-powered pickup truck give farmers and farming individuals a great advantage in the possibilities of success. For more details on the history of farming tools created throughout the years, the USDA has a condensed chart available here. As you will easily see the advances found in the various eras has helped farming successes in numerous ways.
Photo Credit: USDA
Farming Considerations
When looking at essential crops for your farming needs there are a number of things to consider some of which can be found below in no particular order.
- Timeframe required for growing as well as the optimal harvest timing
- Weight of the crops should homestead movement be necessary
- Anticipated yield amount per harvest
- Various seasonal crops for year-round harvest
- Time of storage needs for maintaining freshness and long term use
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Crop Planting
The following chart contains the top 20 crops that can be considered as essential for farming growth and overall survival success. This chart has looped many of the different varieties of the foods together. For example, the melon can include foods such as cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydews, and grapefruit to name a few.
Top 20 Foods and Seeds
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Food or Seed
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Season or Temperature
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Additional Information
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Potatoes
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Plant 4-6 weeks before last frost of the year
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Easy to store. Can be eaten as a primary food source when necessary
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Corn
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Crop is considered warm weather best planted after last frost of the year.
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Has many different uses and is one of the easier crops to store
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Barley
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Plant early in the spring or winter seasons
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Product is excellent means of human and animal foods and varieties
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Squash
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Comes in summer and winter varieties
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Very easy crop to grow
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Onions and Garlic
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Plant in mid to late October
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Another of the easily grown crops
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Cucumber
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Considered to be a warm weather crop
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Increase yield by continuous picking
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Okra
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Plant two weeks after last frost
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Has a wide range of uses
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Peas
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Winter plantable crop
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Has many varieties. Easy to grow
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Beans
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Plant in early summer for best results
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Easily grown and offer many varieties
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Cauliflower
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Plant in the cool season
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High yield and has a short harvest time frame
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Wheat
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Plant late September to mid-October or Spring depending on variety selected
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Multitude of various uses for both humans and animals
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Eggplant
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Plant after last frost
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Versatile of cooking options
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Tomato
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Plant in late spring and again in the summer
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Another of the very easy to grow crops
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Melon
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Plant four weeks after last frost
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Many varieties available but do require a larger growing area than many crops
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Peppers
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Plant after last frost
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Many varieties. More times harvest the more the yield
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Lettuce
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More than one growth season
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Easy to harvest and grows quickly
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Turnips and Rutabagas
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Plant late May and early summer
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Roots and Greens are both good to be eaten
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Spinach
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Cool and warm weather varieties available
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Considered one of the super foods
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Carrot
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Plant in the fall, winter, and early spring
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Super easy to grow
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Growth and Survival Foods and Seeds
As the above information has shown history, as well as the increased inventions available for those in farming, have helped and hindered the farmer overall.When one is planning their very own farm these are very important areas to look at and often create a backup plan. Planning is the key got both growth and survival.
There are many more than the 20 foods and seeds found here that one might wish to consider as many people have different tastes and desires. There are no right or wrong items in which to plant or harvest so long as the specific items used and utilized can sustain those in which your farm holds.
One of the primary things to always consider prior to the initial planting is to plan, plan, and plan some more. Proper planning is one of an essential thing to ensure long-term success for both growth of the farm as well as the survival of all those to be living in the farming area.
We hope to hear from you the reader. Share your concerns, successes, questions, or any other topic that the Family Survival Farm blog sparks with each and every one of you.
