>>Im not sure why you believe gardeners to require soil. You mention it twice. Its as common as dirt, you know. A half acre garden will have you knee deep in produce when it starts coming in, to the point that youre exhausted from canning and freezing, and begging neighbors and family to come get some before it goes to seed or rots. Youve never set foot in an actual, private vegetable garden, have you?<<
You have me on several points. I was picturing a standard backyard garden. Very few Americans have a 1/2 an acre available for a “garden.” Which has been one of my points from the beginning.
And with a 1/2 acre, do you need a tractor? If not, do you use a mule?
No matter what situation you describe, very few (I will say the Amish and some Mormons may be so) Americans are in a position to be 100% independent of our modern supply chain.
You need food for the mule, gas for the tractor, etc. And you need protection for the whole setup.
And the net result is you are living 3 centuries back.
I repeat: GARDENS ARE A GREAT IDEA! They just are limited in reach and limited in their utility in a “post collapse” world. And there will be no “post collapse” world.
I’m less than 20 miles out from three cities of over 100k population, metro population 1.2 million. Acre-plus lots are the norm. Half acre gardens are far from unusual. A tractor? How about a tiller or an attachment to your riding lawnmower, lol? As far as “protection,” not a car comes through here that isn’t noticed, and if it’s not a known one, it’s watched. Most of us are armed, too. This is not rare or exceptional in any way whatsoever. It’s reality for the majority of conservatives, certainly on FR. You live in northern Virginia in the DC reality distortion field, in a flat with no yard from the sound of it, and mistake this for the circumstance of all. Wrong.