Part-time Self Sufficiency

In case you didn't know, Bren is self-sufficient in lettuce.
A few weeks ago I watched a You tube video by Huw Richards in which he talked about "Part -time Self Sufficiency". My version of what he said -

Its not possible to be completely self sufficient - there are some things we simply cannot grow - climate, time constraints, space to grow.
However, it is possible to be Part-time self sufficient (SS)  - and you can do this in a number of ways...............for example:-
You could grow enough Tomatoes to be SS between June and November
.......enough lettuce not to buy any all year round (like Bren)
.......you could choose a day of each week to make a meal solely from what you've grown. 

It doesn't matter how small your SS goal seems to be when compared to those who say they are 100% SS, everything that you can provide for yourself is worthwhile. Even a pot of herbs could mean that you never have to buy parsley or mint etc.

Also, Huw said, factor in your time  when deciding what is worth growing. He used Chickpeas as an example. Yes, they can be grown but  waiting for them to dry, then podding for a return of 2 chickpeas per pod is a lot of time to spend to make a bowl of Hummus when you could make it from another bean that grows more prolifically.

Finally, he advised collecting recipes for the veg that you grow in quantity - like courgettes so that you don't tire of them or waste them. 

 I'd be interested to hear how many of us are P/T SS and in what.

A few of mine............still thinking
P/T SS in Courgettes, beans, tomatoes, herbs, apples, raspberries. I never buy any of these but eat my own in season. When stocks run out, I wait for next year.
SS in some sort of salad leaf all year - lettuce, rocket, baby spinach, chard, kale. Always a few leaves to add to a sandwich.

This is going to take some thinking about.
But to start.
I’m ss in chillies (frozen, dried, powder & sauce) part time ss in fresh.
Part time ss in carrots (fresh or frozen ) very rarely buy.
Part time ss in pumpkin, squash & courgette ( fresh, stored & dried). Never buy them.
Part time ss in herbs ( fresh, frozen ).
Part time ss in runner beans (fresh, frozen, dried) never buy
Part time ss in crab & fish (what we catch) never buy (sometimes gifted salmon)
I’m very part time in lettuce, tomato, sweet peppers, onions, garlic, spuds. If I’m harvesting I don’t buy.
Probably part time in broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage (green, white & red ), sprouting, beetroot, parsnips. French beans, ( very rarely buy them )
Fail miserably at ss in peas. But would love to.

I tend to eat seasonally so when my Tom's, cucs, French beans, kales, soft fruits etc have run that's it until next season.
Luckily I've got plenty veg, apples and soft fruits either in the freezer or dried to last ages.

It's mostly because I've been spoilt by the home gown taste.

I am only partially SS in tomatoes and cucumbers, and that's only when I can harvest them. After that, I'm only SS in pickled gherkins for about six months - I always run out before the new cucumbers are ready to harvest.

I should have lettuce and salad leaves more readily, and I will be able to now. I am plotting a plan to have a rotation system of window boxes added to the fence outside the kitchen, for herbs and salad. It gets enough daylight for some herbs, but definitely enough for salad. That should also make me SS all year around in salad and herbs.

For the rest of it, I simply don't know yet. I'd like to report back this time next year, with this new large garden, I just don't know what's possible yet!

Onions, leeks sand garlic for me. Totally self sufficient in all. Have been for the last couple of years by growing autumn and spring planted varieties. Dunno why though as you can buy a big bag of red onions in Lidl for 80p! 
I think its because I can always have alliums growing in the beds 365 days a year, so approximately half my plot  is always planted with summat 

Last years onions are keeping really well this year with only a few sprouting.

I would say I'm SS in lettuce, courgette, beans (haricot & broadies, too hot for runners), cabbage (except red), fresh tomatoes (and normally sun-dried & passata too), peppers, chillies, leeks, parsnips, aubergine, pumpkins, herbs, beetroot, kale, chard, soft fruit, & niche stuff like figs, cherries, artichokes & asparagus. I don't see this as part time SS because we have it when in season and don't buy out of season. If a crop fails we go without, with the exception of tinned tomatoes.

Part time SS in apples, pears, plums, peaches - the trees are young and the harvest improves year on year. Garlic sometimes lasts the year, sometimes not. 

I buy potatoes, onions & bananas all year round, and at Christmas I buy a red cabbage. In the hungry gap (now) I'll buy one item of veg a week to supplement what's in the freezer/store.  This week a big fat fennel bulb, last week a bag of carrots.

I'm sure I've forgotten loads

I've just been reading a Brits in France forum talking about the rise in food prices and was amused by the general agreement that obviously nobody eats seasonally anymore and it would be quite impossible to do so.

In the twelve years we've been here I've seen a real shift in the supermarket fruit and vegetable stock from seasonal and mostly French, if not regional produce, to everything available from everywhere all year round. At the same time there has been a reactionary a boom in local vegetable growers, many of them are youngsters who've escaped the city or are returning to their roots, mostly growing organically (which doesn't carry as big a premium as in the UK), selling direct forom the field, through markets or box schemes.
We've eaten seasonally (plus bananas ) since we arrived and our diet is certainly not boring, although you do have to be imaginative with pumpkins , and we only eat meat/fish a couple of times a week. 

Sorry, not sure where I'm going with this post, but I thought it was interesting and tied in with the thread. If we can be self-sufficient or part time self sufficient, then surely the countries in which we live can be too?

I love masterchef.... but was really annoyed recently when a young Polish woman said that she loved London as she could get what she wanted all year round as in Poland you could only buy what was in season.
We should be more like Poland!
I haven't eaten a fresh tomato for some time.... can't wait to pick the first one.

I am SS in tomatoes. When fresh isn't available I will only eat the frozen ones. The same for beans - dried if fresh isn't available.
Garlic - I use elephant garlic mostly as that is what I can grow.
I will only eat the herbs that I can grow - rosemary in the winter, chives and onions in pots. Mints now.
I won't buy kale or chard. Same as PP really. I will go without and eat something I do have.... or pick elsewhere. Had some lovely wild garlic this month.
Blackcurrants - spares are made into jam or frozen. I wouldn't buy them.
I can never grow enough lettuce - I need some tips from Bren.
I would love to be able to grow enough beetroot for the whole year but hardly managed to get any due to rodent issue.

I love masterchef.... but was really annoyed recently when a young Polish woman said that she loved London as she could get what she wanted all year round as in Poland you could only buy what was in season.
We should be more like Poland!
I haven't eaten a fresh tomato for some time.... can't wait to pick the first one.

I am SS in tomatoes. When fresh isn't available I will only eat the frozen ones. The same for beans - dried if fresh isn't available.
Garlic - I use elephant garlic mostly as that is what I can grow.
I will only eat the herbs that I can grow - rosemary in the winter, chives and onions in pots. Mints now.
I won't buy kale or chard. Same as PP really. I will go without and eat something I do have.... or pick elsewhere. Had some lovely wild garlic this month.
Blackcurrants - spares are made into jam or frozen. I wouldn't buy them.
I can never grow enough lettuce - I need some tips from Bren.
I would love to be able to grow enough beetroot for the whole year but hardly managed to get any due to rodent issue.

Glad you mentioned Elephant garlic Scarlet. I have been building up stock from the original, incredibaly expensive three cloves I bought about three years ago. By keeping half for eating and half for planting each year, I now have enough growing that should make me self sufficient once its harvested. I love it's mild flavour and actually prefer it to traditional garlic, of which I have loads.