We’re nowhere close to being self-sustaining, especially in the grain department, but it could happen with a bit of time & luck. The in-laws have around 80 head of cattle, all pastured, which require minimal care (a roll of hay every once in a while). I’ve thought about a goat; one could clean out the kudzu without much effort but they’re a major pain to deal with (my sister-in-law has a few).

cookiecrumb: Thank you thank you! Glad to have you as a reader! I always enjoy your tomato ranchin’ snarks. Tell Cranky to get cracking… A and I miss his posts!

FARf: It’s sad to think that people in other parts of the world don’t have the luxury of simply cutting back.

But it sounds like FAR Manor is getting pretty close to being a self-sustaining enterprise, at least food-wise. How cool is that? I’d love to hear more about how it goes with the cow. Have you thought about getting a goat? Er, no pun intended :). Apparently they’ll eat anything… weeds, grass, your sweater. A goat might be easier to manage, just in terms of its size. I envy your access to open land and your dedication to baking your own bread. We apartment dwelling city folks are a bit more limited in that arena. And on top of my black thumb, I’m too lazy to tend a whole garden, let alone 5 acres. But A has an intuitive sense for plants. We’re thinking about growing a few things in pots, at the very least, tomatoes and maybe some chilis and/or herbs. Have you thought of making an outdoor wood-burning oven for your bread? Apparently, it’s not too hard and you can do it yourself. Not sure whether it’s more efficient than your home oven, but hey, maybe it is if you use fallen twigs and branches to run it? But the flavor of bread or pizza, hell, anything baked in a wood-burning oven is fantastic.

Being pretty close (TOO close, in some cases) to the production end of things, I can honestly say the current world energy situation is driving everything food-related right now. Not all the effects are direct — a third of the corn crop is getting diverted into ethanol production, and farmers who used to grow soybeans, wheat, or other grains are also planting corn. Rice-exporting countries are facing increased domestic consumption, because other grains are getting too expensive, and thus they’re curtailing exports. Thus, the pricing pressure we’re seeing. You’ve probably heard the phrase “world food crisis” lately — for people in some countries, it’s come to that.

It’s very likely that the crowd at FAR Manor will be helping the in-laws grow a *lot* of the food we’ll be eating this year; I’m seriously considering the possibility of growing herbs as a cash crop (you’ve seen what two ounces of any fresh herb goes for in the supermarket!). Mrs. Fetched’s mom is working with a cow (you have to train a cow to stand still while you’re milking it), and I’m looking forward to seeing what fresh cream in my coffee tastes like. :-) This is the person who calls five acres a “small garden,” by the way.

Eating cheap has been an aspiration of mine for some time now, and buying unprocessed foods is certainly one way to cut back on the food bill. It’s not like preparation is all that difficult — I mean, how much time does it take to toss a chicken or roast & some whole veggies in a crockpot and turn it on? Supper’s ready when you come home. Making your own bread gives you premium bread at el-cheapo prices. Etc. Backyard gardens will probably make a comeback for the same reason.

OK, rant off. I just think lots of people have long overlooked a lot of ways they can eat better for less money. They’ll probably start paying attention very soon.

Happy birthday and I’ll be looking forward to reading more of your insights and information…

~ Alex