Growing Field Crops
Often overlooked in preparation is growing field crops. The most likely field crops to consider growing are wheat and potatoes for people and field corn and alfalfa for animals.
You may be surprised to know that grains like wheat can be grown in every part of the United States. Planting thirty pounds of wheat on an eighth of an acre can yield up to 250 pounds of wheat.
Tools for Growing Field Crops
Table 23.1
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Growing grains and grasses requires certain tools for planting and harvesting. A grain hand-crank spreader is useful for planting a small plot. For harvesting, you’ll need sickles and scythes as well as sharpening tools. A grain cradle is helpful for harvesting more than an acre (see table 23.1).
If you plan to grow potatoes, you’ll want a potato fork or scoop.
Crop Choices
Wheat
Generally, wheat can be divided into winter and spring wheat and soft and hard wheat. The type you grow will depend on your climate and growing season. Hard wheat is best for bread.
Potatoes
There are excellent varieties of potatoes to choose from for the home gardener. Potatoes will yield ten to twenty tons per acre. Potatoes are grown from seed potatoes cut into chunks that contain an eye, where a new plant grows. Historically, a farmer would save and store part of their potato crop to be used for planting the following year. Proper storage must be cool (50° F or 10° C) and dry. Potatoes crops, along with tomatoes and eggplants, should be rotated.
Field Corn
Field corn is grown much like table corn, and harvesting corn to feed pigs is not complicated since pigs will eat all parts of the stalk and ears. Corn seed provides feed for chickens and other fowls.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is an easy-to-grow, cool-season perennial used to make hay for livestock or as a cover crop and soil conditioner. Growing alfalfa requires more space than the typical urban or suburban home plot. However, you may want to consider it in your preparation if you have enough land, particularly if you have livestock.
Table 23.2
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Crop |
Pounds of Seed per Acre |
Yield per Acre |
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Alfalfa |
18—20 |
3—4 tons |
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Barley |
100 |
40—50 bushels |
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Buckwheat |
50 |
25—35 bushels |
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Field corn |
8 |
65—90 bushels |
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Grain sorghum |
6 |
55—80 bushels |
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Oats |
8 |
35—50 bushels |
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Rye |
85 |
25—35 bushels |
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Wheat |
90 |
15—35 bushels |
Crop Yields
Table 23.2 lists the amount of seed of field crops needed per acre and the yield per acre. For addition resources about growing field crops look in the resource section.