Gardening is sometimes not all that economically. I do it for pleasure, but there is no way my family could survive on what I grow. Moreover, it is not economically that feasible. Much of this may be my own lack of skill at gardening, but even from a business approach gardening entails a great deal of "sunk costs." I have grown many plants from seeds, but many fail. The costs of small vegetable plants themselves have skyrocketed. Go price pepper, eggplant, or tomato plants at Lowes or Home Depot. I suppose my compost piles would suffice if they were better, or natural fertilizers would be cheaper, but I find myself having to employ purchased insecticide, plant food, and top soils to achieve any sort of success. Add to this the cost of watering!
The most successful garden I ever had was grown when I lived overseas. All of my domestic gardens are for the joy of it, or to obtain fresh herbs. But the cost of raising one tomato plant today quickly eclipses any economic gain.
You are correct. I used to heat my home with wood and after ten years I got a full central heating system. My comment was there was a reason civilization migrated away from wood heat.
Gardens are a LOT of work too. So is making your own clothing. There is a reason a “specialized” society is so full of plenty.
But when you grow your own, there are health factors. Also, with our greenhouse we hope to be starting our own plants from seed as our neighbors do. Our neighbor GAVE us 20 tomato plants this year.