The Myth of Self-Sustainability: What I’m Growing to Cut My Grocery Costs

My main objective since moving onto the land has been to achieve self-sustainability. Yes, I bought into that lie, many do, and some of us realize the lie, and others don´t, as with many things in life.

However, I no longer have that goal, as I have realized self-sufficiency is a lie, one that we are fed through social media and only promotes self-isolation, and quite frankly, it's wrong.

Additionally, most people who claim to be self-sufficient have access to the internet these days. Wow, you made the internet, so impressive.

As well as many other things, you have to start somewhere, buy seeds from someone, or someone else planted the seed. Chickens, pigs, and goats all came from someone, or somewhere, most likely the community you live in.

This, in turn, leads to self-sustainability as something that is fed to us through an external source, and is a lie; it is not something we should aim for as farmers and caretakers of the earth.

Instead, I aim to decrease my grocery store bill by 50% or so.

As well as I grow things out of the joy of growing something, and knowing what is in my food. I have refocused my aim to a more community-based approach. Supporting others in the community and creating something bigger. What? No idea, a work in process.

We buy eggs from my neighbor, and we exchange goods with each other. If something happened and there were limited goods in my town, we would rely on each other, as that is the way of farming communities, even for me, the outsider.

I know I have written before about doing it all. After being here for 10 months, I do what I can, I grow what I can, and I don't like the idea of isolating myself just to prove to no one that I can do it.

That was my ego and unrealistic.

At this stage in my gardening life, I am happy if I can pick and harvest anything. The other day, I was taking stock of what I produce on my farm and the small way I was impacting our food bill.

I do not sell my goods; I give them away to neighbors, we exchange them, and we eat most of what I grow. We still buy most things in town.

I do make my fertilizer and compost, and use mulch collected from my farm. These are things anyone can do. So, any video article telling you that you MUST HAVE is lying to you. They are probably also telling you they are 100% self-sufficient from their backyard. To sell you__________.

The only thing you MUST HAVE is a desire to do it, like most things in life. You want it, do it, chase it; there is no magic pill for anything. A little hard work and research will get you far.

In the remainder of this post, I want to share with you the garden goodies that I am growing.

Coffee

Most of you are already aware of this, as I did purchase a working coffee farm. I am still drinking coffee that I harvested in Dec/January. Soon, we will be harvesting again, as I see a lot of green coffee on my trees.

Yucca

A Colombian staple starch. Yucca grows like a weed, and since we’ve moved here, I’ve been harvesting the yucca the previous owner planted. It is also really easy to propagate: cut the tree and branches and stick them back in the ground, and it will continue to grow. That is it; yes, it’s that easy to grow. In the right climate!

Maracua

I have a huge maracua bush in my front yard. I have two bushes that produce fruit and two smaller ones that I have found scattered throughout the farm and transplanted.

One of the best habits I’ve learned since moving here is recognizing leaves while walking around. I see many random plants growing, and I transplant them to a better spot.

Maracua, not Maracuyá, sounds similar, and many are confused, thinking I am mispronouncing; I am not. Maracua is a mix of Granadilla and Maracuyá, making a sweet/acidic fruit, and it is delicious.

Lulo

Grows like a weed; well, everything does here. A citrus-like fruit grown in the Andes mountains. Here, they turn it into Lulo ice cream (delicious) and Lulo juice. One day, I found a dying Lulo tree on the hill and relocated it to a sunnier spot in my garden; it eventually blossomed into a gorgeous tree with at least 10 fruits.

Mint

Every gardener knows this is easy to grow and very similar to a weed. I love the smell, and it also helps repel bugs.

Rosemary

Why not? I love Rosemary, and it’s easy to propagate; pick off a branch and stick it in the ground — yes, it’s that easy. I have two bushes growing, which are also insect repellent and great in teas, food, and for their energetic benefits.

Basil

I have fallen into the trap of buying Basil in a grocery store in the US, and it always dies. I assumed it was hard to grow. I think the plants were not great.

I planted six basil plants from seed, and they reached my waist. I also have the perfect climate for it. I am letting them go to seed now because I am moving around some plants, but it is easy to grow from seed, great in everything, and bugs do not like it.

Lemongrass

I love the climate, so I propagate it and have it growing everywhere. Also, great at repelling bugs. Low maintenance, loves being in the sunny spots. When I moved in, it looked dead. I added some compost and mulch, and it is now much happier. All of that was free; you can also bury kitchen scraps if you are not into composting.

Bananas/Plantains

I have approximately 50 trees, which self-propagate with minimal maintenance. Additionally, I live in the perfect climate. I harvest a bunch every few days and give them away to anyone who wants; I have so many.

Squash

I planted some squash seeds, and I was concerned when they all died, so I relocated them to a more suitable location. They like a sunny, drier spot, now growing like crazy. Two huge ones will be ready to harvest soon, and I found two the other day in a place I had forgotten I had planted.

Marigolds, Sunflowers

I always plant flowers among all my garden beds, making them perfect for pollinators. I also love having fresh flowers around. I never buy seeds. Instead, I save seed.

Oregano/Cuban Oregano

I plant lots of herbs, but Cuban Oregano is succulent and grows everywhere. It smells great, but bugs don’t like it, and it’s slightly stronger than Oregano. I have both because sometimes the Cuban Oregano is too strong for dishes.

Chives

Everyone here grows chives; I am still harvesting from a plant that was here when I moved in.

Guadua

The strongest form of bamboo grows only in South America. I have a Guadua forest.

So far, these items I no longer buy at the grocery store make a small dent in the bill, but not a significant one. The biggest savings are with the coffee and bananas/plantains. However, I do have a ton of other plants that are starting to produce, such as ginger, turmeric, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, guavas, garlic, cocoa, and papayas.

I know I live in the perfect climate to grow anything, but all you need to do is learn what grows well in your area, and you can do the same. I walk around and see what my neighbors are growing, and I try it and see what works.

I am also experimenting with things that people have told me won’t grow, such as cocoa. So far, I have six trees, and they are doing well. I have also found two more on the land that are huge! Sometimes, I noticed the locals don’t grow what they can’t sell, so they stick to what makes them money.

Yet, my goal is to have a biodiverse piece of land with no pesticides, achieved through the use of permaculture techniques and working in harmony with the land.

You will also notice that a lot of what I have is not something I planted, but rather something else, such as a person, a bird, an animal, or something outside of my control, which backs up my theory of the myth or lie of self-sustainability.

A little of what I have been up to and thoughts on farming. Go plant something (or not); I promise it’s easier than you think!

XOXO

S.