Steps towards great self-sufficiency in food

As an absolute beginner, my approach to local food production (ok, my garden and allotment!) is somewhat here and there...but that's fine.

Like most things of any value the basic idea of growing food is simplicity itself but it can get very complicated if you're that way inclined.

As far as I can see there are four areas that need consideration:

1. Planning, observing, note-taking, learning
2. Sowing, tending and harvesting
3. Storing and preserving
4. Experimentation to produce higher yields

I'll post more on each of these shortly.

I'm slowly making my way through 'Permaculture - principles and pathways beyond sustainability' by David Holmgren.

It's an fascinating read and easy to see how Permaculture has become such a big influence on the Transition Towns movement.

Holmgren defines Permaculture as:

A design system (that) leads by progressive steps to regaining control over our own sustenance and a realistic rather than romantic understanding of what it means to live within and from nature.

More, also, on this later. Right now I have to get off to work.

Peak Oil activities

I've so many thoughts, ideas, questions and feelings I want to get down on the subject of oil-depletion, peak oil, the post-carbon world...call it what you will.

I'm trying to see how I can group my posts under headings, which will hopefully help to clarify things.

Here's my working list of Peak Oil activities (POA):

• budget - work out what we have, what we spend, where we can cut-back, where we can save
• growing food - starting with the back garden, moving on to the allotment (when we get one), a spot of guerilla gardening and even the balcony at work. All using permaculture design techniques.
  
• activism - mainly focused (for now) on Transition Town (city!) status for Ely
• theory - applying Ken Wilber's Integral AQAL approach to all this
• psychological / spiritual development
• physical health
• clear understanding of the facts, theories, options
  
• more, more, more, there must be more but that's it for now, dinner is calling!