But before you read on, you should know:
* My estimates are conservative. Quite conservative. Although the food we produce is organic and ultra-fresh, whenever possible, I compared the cost of our produce with prices at our local chain grocery store. Yes, it would be more accurate to compare what we produce with farm fresh, organic produce (or even grocery store organic produce), but frankly, we can't afford to buy organic. But if I did use farm fresh organic or grocery store organic with what we produce, this would greatly increase the value of our home grown food.
* When I couldn't find a particular food locally, I looked for a price online - always trying to choose the lowest price I could find. I did not include the cost of shipping I would have to pay if I chose to buy these items online.
* My garden is small: The main bed is 12 x 14 ft. with wide pathways; I also have a bed about 33 x 3 ft.) (To see how I laid out the garden this year, click here.)
* My garden is still producing! I still have carrots, parsnips, collards, kale, Jerusalem artichokes, in the ground. And, of course, the chickens are still laying eggs. I used totals from December 8, 2013 for my calculations.
* I didn't harvest as much of certain things (like herbs) as I could have, simply because I couldn't use as much as I grew.
* I had to exclude the value of certain items that I can't buy locally and couldn't find online.
2013 TOTALS:
Total Pounds of Food Produced: 538.12 lbs.
Total Estimated Cost of Purchasing that Food: $1,770.89
Total Cost of Producing our Food: $278.00
Money Saved: $1,492.89
BREAKDOWN OF COSTS:
Seeds: $75
Seed starting containers: free
Seed starting soil: $10
Fertilizer: $10
Compost: free
Water: $80
Chicks: $9
Chicken Bedding: $10
Chicken Feed: $84
BREAKDOWN OF PRODUCE:
Total Estimated Cost of Purchasing that Food: $1,770.89
Total Cost of Producing our Food: $278.00
Money Saved: $1,492.89
BREAKDOWN OF COSTS:
Seeds: $75
Seed starting containers: free
Seed starting soil: $10
Fertilizer: $10
Compost: free
Water: $80
Chicks: $9
Chicken Bedding: $10
Chicken Feed: $84
BREAKDOWN OF PRODUCE:
Eggs, 815 = $163
Chicken meat, 20 ½ lbs. = $40.79
Apples,
13 1/4 lbs. = $25.00
Basil,
3/4 lb. = $7.44
Beets,
1 lb. = $2.49
Blackberries,
3 lbs. = $15.84
Blueberries,
7 1/2 lb. = $79.20
Buttercup
squash, 2 1/2 lbs. = $2.22 (I can't find this type of squash locally, so I used the average price for summer squash)
Butternut
squash, 44 1/2 lbs. = $39.60
Cabbage,
6 lb. = $2.94
Calendula flowers,
8 lb. = $48.00 (online price)
Carrots,
4 1/2 lb. = $8.37
Chives,
6 1/2 lbs. = $64.48
Cilantro,
1 1/8 lb. = $4.74
Collards,
14 1/2 lbs. = $144.42
Dandelion
flowers, ½ lb. (I could not find these locally or online)
Dandelion
greens, 35 lb. = $52.15 (online price of fresh leaves)
Dandelion
Root, 2 1/8 lb. = $17.50 (online price)
Garlic,
½ lb. scapes + 1 lb. heads = $3.00 scapes (online price listed by local farmers);$3.49 heads
Green
onions, 1 lb. = $2.36
Ground nuts, 1 lb. = $50.00 (online price)
Kale,
17 lbs. = $169.32
Kohlrabi,
1 lb. (I couldn't find a local or online price)
Kiwi,
1 lb. = $3.99 (for common kiwi, not the Arctic kiwi I grow)
Leeks,
5 lbs. = $25.00
Lettuce,
11 lb. = $36.19
Mint,
3/4 lb. = $7.44
Oregano,
1 1/2 lb. = $14.88
Pattypan
squash, 44 lbs. = $39.16 (I couldn't find these locally or online, so I used the average price for summer squash)
Parsnips,
2 lbs. = $1.99
Passion
vine, 1 lb. = $6.00 (online price)
Peas,
5 1/2 lbs. = $13.69
Potatoes,
11 1/4 lbs. = $11.14
Radishes,
8 lb. = $9.44
Rosemary,
1/2 lb. = $4.96
Sage,
1 1/2 lb. = $14.88
Spinach,
1 1/4 lb. = $1.98
Squash
blossoms, 3 1/2 lbs. (I couldn't find these locally or online)
Sunchokes,
40 lbs. = $360.00 (online price)
Strawberry,
3 1/2 lbs. = $12.32
Tomato,
38 3/4 lbs. + 28.25 lbs. green = $96.49
red, $70.34 green
Wild
onion, 2 lb. (I couldn't find these locally or online)
Wonderberries,
1 lb. = $16.60 (I couldn't find these locally or online, so I compared them to the online price of huckleberries - a close relative)
I have to applaud you for the diligence it must have taken to keep track of everything you harvested! Especially how you actually weighed things. My children are berry gobblers so I'd have to sneak out ahead of them to snatch them first! http://www.modernhomemakers
ReplyDeleteMy kids do that, too, Joquena. But I think I weighed *most* of them first :)
ReplyDeleteI live in the suburbs and grow vegetables, my only trouble is our water bill is easily 200 a month so close to a $100 on just watering the plants makes me wonder if it is really worth it
ReplyDeleteI live in the suburbs and wonder if I am saving much since the water bill is over $200 and $100 of which is watering the plants vegetables mostly
ReplyDeleteShailaja, a couple of thoughts. First, it could be you're over-watering. We live where we get NO summer rain AND we have one of the highest water rates in the country, and we spend a bit less. Something for you to consider, anyway. Also, there are some tricks to conserving water in the garden. Check this out: http://proverbsthirtyonewoman.blogspot.com/2010/05/conserving-water-in-garden.html#.Uqn0s-KNfCY Finally, saving money isn't the only reason to grow your own veggies. Getting wholesome, organic food that's fresh off the plant is a huge bonus, as is the satisfaction of knowing where your food comes from and working to grow it :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm impressed. I garden, but our growing season is so short, I don't really get much, other than turnips and spinach. Still, there's something about working in the dirt that makes me happy. Hopefully I can continue to expand my garden in the coming years.
ReplyDeleteTeekaroo, you might want to look into winter gardening and how to extend the season with row covers and such. I need to invest in a few things like that myself.
ReplyDelete