How to Grow a Survival Garden: 10 Vegetables to Grow in Hard Times

Why Growing Food is Important

As we already know, we live in an unstable world. Constantly full shelves at the grocery store create an illusion of abundance, but the truth is, when disaster strikes, the shelves are cleared in a matter of hours. We’ve all witnessed this in recent years and could very well witness it again in our lifetime.

I don’t live in fear, because my hope is in the Lord, but I believe that it is smart to be prepared for all kinds of situations. The food system is very fragile and if something within the system breaks down it could spell disaster for a lot of people, but that doesn’t need to be your situation.

Keeping an extra bag of dried beans and rice or cans of soup can give you a small cushion against hard times without breaking the bank. If you can buy an extra of at least one thing per week, it will all add up.

Another way to become more food resilient is to learn to grow your own. If you’re new to gardening, then I would suggest picking one or two crops that your family eats and that grows well in your area as a starting point, but if you have some experience and want to start really bringing in calorie dense food that will feed your family throughout the year, then this list will be a great jumping off point for you.

I chose vegetables that either have a high yield, store/preserve well or have a high calorie/protein content. A lot of them hit all of these categories, but I’ll discuss that more as we get into the list. I hope this list inspires you to try growing more of your own food in the coming years.

Follow Graceful Little Honey Bee on:
Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Want more articles about self-sufficiency? Here are a few of our favorites:

Potatoes

Potatoes are a great crop to grow because in the right conditions, they will store well for several months and have a good calorie content of 166 per cup. You can expect to get 5-10 potatoes per plant. They’re also extremely versatile making them a good staple for our diet.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are really the heroes of a survival garden. As long as you don’t live too far up north, you should be able to grow them. They’re great because they’re heat and pest resistant and store extremely well. We’ve had them last over 18 months in storage. You can expect to get 6-10 sweet potatoes per plant which equals 114 calories per cup. They are also high in fiber and antioxidants. Another great reason sweet potatoes are good for a survival garden is that the leaves are edible.

Winter Squash

Winter squash includes pumpkin, spaghetti, butternut, acorn and butternut squash. These crops are great because they store fairly well (better in cooler climates) and have a good amount of minerals in them. They are also very versatile going into anything from pasta to muffins.

Stack of pumpkins in a field. — pumpkins outdoor

Beans (Green/Dried)

I’m including green beans and dried beans like pintos here. Green beans are great because they’re prolific and can be easily canned or frozen. Dried beans are good because you simply allow them to dry on the vine and then shell them and keep them in an airtight storage container until you are ready to cook them. Be aware that you will need to cook them within two years or they will be more difficult to soften when cooked. One cup of cooked pinto beans comes in at 244 calories. This is a great crop to include in your survival garden. You can expect to get 1-2 pounds of dried beans per plant.

Cabbage

I’ve included cabbage on this list because one plant can produce up to an 8 lb (or more) head. Cabbages can last several months in the fridge or can also be frozen. These vegetables are a good source of vitamin c and can be easily fermented into sauerkraut for a good source of probiotics.

Black-eyed Peas

Also called cowpeas, southern peas or crowder peas, this crop is really amazing. They love the heat and are drought tolerant. They’re prolific and can easily be preserved by allowing them to dry on the plant. Black-eyed peas have 198 calories per cup of cooked peas. This really is the star of a survival garden in my opinion, at least here in Arkansas where is gets hot in the summer.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes aren’t necessarily a low maintenance crop since they can be plagued with pests and disease, but they love the heat and are very versatile in the kitchen. They’re high in vitamin c among other nutrients and they preserve well by canning, dehydrating or freezing. You can expect to get 10-15 lbs of fruit per plant.

Carrots

Carrots can be finicky to get to sprout, but they store well and have a high nutrient profile. Plus, they are a versatile crop working well in anything from stir fries to cakes. They are high in fiber and antioxidants making them a healthy crop to grow, plus they don’t take up much space.

Corn (Sweet/Field)

Corn is a great crop, but it does require a good amount of space and is a heavy feeder and needs a good amount of water to grow. Sweet corn is great for canning or freezing and field corn can be allowed to dry on the stalk and removed for storage, then later ground into cornmeal. You can also grow popcorn in the same manner.

Soybeans

Soybeans love the heat and are easy to grow. They are high in protein and fiber. To preserve simply blanch and freeze. They are a low maintenance crop that gives you a good return.

I hope this list inspires you to grow more of your own food and become more food resilient in hard times!

How to Grow a Survival Garden: 10 Vegetables to Grow in Hard Times