garden crops homesteaders and preppers need to grow to become self sufficient for winter food storage
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10 Crucial Crops The Self Sufficient Homesteader NEEDS to Grow, Harvest, and Preserve

Posted on by Three Wondrous Acres Homestead

Are you new to the magical, incredible, laborious-yet-rewarding realm of homesteading?

Whether you’re simply dreaming or just getting started, or maybe even an experienced homesteader who wants to explore other important crops, food production and preservation is truly the heart of self sufficiency.

Part of homesteading is becoming at least semi-self sufficient, which means that your family is pulling away from commercially produced food, household items, or personal care items in some way. This may be as simple as growing a basil plant or making your own shampoo. However, if you want to step up your self reliance, this is where it all begins.




You might want to bookmark this page (just “star” it in your browser!), pin it, or share it to your Facebook wall for later, because we’re about to go over the 10 crucial crops that you need to learn to grow as part of a self sufficient homestead! It’s quite the long read- I do apologize about that- however, feel free to add your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below, I’d be happy to sneak it in!

As for your family’s eating habits, do any of these questions seem to hit home?

Does your family eat a lot of potatoes or sweet potatoes throughout the week?

Do your children seem to live off of bread?

Are beans one of your favorite side dishes?

Does your family need a jumpstart to eat leafy greens more regularly?

If so, I’ve got it covered.

These 10 crops make up the core ingredients in many dishes that people eat, and growing these crops can drastically reduce your family’s dependence on the commercial grocery stores in your area.

Even if you can’t find enough space to grow the wheat your family needs for a year’s worth of consumption, you can still take a swing at feeding your family largely from your land in other ways!

garden crops homesteaders and preppers need to grow to become self sufficient for winter food storage




10 Crucial Crops The Self Sufficient Homesteader NEEDS to Learn to Grow, Harvest, and Preserve

In this post, we will be covering vegetable, fruit, grain, and herb crops. While animal products are important as well, we’re going to keep this post plant-based. With a flock of chickens or cattle, you can obviously add dairy, meat, and eggs to these crops to complete meals; however, we’ll leave the details up to you and give you the best crop ideas for your garden beds!

Wheat: The Most Popular Grain in the World

Wheat is in almost everything, especially processed food. However, wheat is not the evil that it is made out to be. Sure, some people are sensitive to gluten; but it is an important grain that many of us may rely heavily on. Without wheat, we would not have many of the delicious foods that we know and love, such as:

  • Bread
  • Pasta
  • Biscuits
  • Pastries & Pies
  • Gravy
  • Waffles & Pancakes
  • Cereal

Some may argue that there are recipes that don’t use any wheat at all; but they simply don’t produce the same goods. The ingredients tend to cost far more, too.



Wheat was one of (and still is) the most affordable sources of nourishment, hence the importance of bread throughout history. It is an important survival food, and is incredibly versatile. With simple additions such as salt, water, eggs, milk, and butter, you have the base recipe of many different types of wheat products for your family’s meals. With tomatoes, pasta, a few herbs, and a small amount of beef, you can have a delicious spaghetti dinner; whip up a simple loaf of bread, and you can have toast with your farm fresh eggs. I know, these are some big trade secrets I’m revealing over here- just kidding– moving along!

One of the cons to growing wheat is the amount of space it requires. A family of 4 will likely require roughly 1/2 to 3/4 of an acre in wheat, and this excludes use as feed for livestock. This should yield between 18 to 27 bushels of wheat, or 726 lb to 1,134 lb of wheat flour. This is still a lot of food, giving the family between 2 and 3 lb of wheat flour per day. This sounds like a lot, but a self sufficient family could burn through this easily (if the wheat remains pest free during growth and storage, which isn’t always the case.)




This is not a feasible situation for families who are on urban or suburban homesteads, or those who do not own equipment for managing a large crop or garden. Instead, families can grow a smaller plot of wheat to help reduce the amount of flour they buy from the grocery store. There is always a benefit to growing food, no matter the size of the harvest!

Corn: Another Important Grain & Carbohydrate Source

Corn, both dent and sweet, are important. Sweet corn is eaten as a side dish, or as an addition to a recipe (such as soups or stews). However, dent corn is commonly ground for other uses. It is used to make:




Again, this is another crop that is important for carbohydrates, and can be stored quite easily through winter. Foods that can be stored for long periods of time without refrigeration or canning are some of the most important self-sufficiency foods. Be sure that corn is planted in well spaced blocks of 4 rows to ensure adequate pollination, or your yield will suffer. Sweet corn is perfect for canning or freezing, while dent corn can be stored on the cob in a cool, dry place until it is ready for processing and grinding.

Cornbread is a great companion for soups or beans, tortillas make excellent wraps for burritos and wraps, and grits are great paired with some over-easy eggs, salt, pepper, and butter. Corn products are great for replacing wheat products for variety, keeping meals interesting and delicious.

Potatoes: One of the Most Beloved, Starchy Vegetables

If you’re an American, you probably share the same sacred relationship with potatoes that many of us do! Potatoes provide energy in the form of carbohydrates, they are cheap, easy to grow, and crop heavily in very little space. The Irish Potato (what you know as the standard potato, such as Russets) was an important food source for many Irish people in the 1800’s; the Great Potato Famine of 1845, caused by Blight, caused the Irish population to plummet by nearly 25%! The potato was a very important food source for the Irish; over a million people passed in the wake of widespread crop failure, with a million more emigrating out of the country. I will include a video below that will cover this more in depth, if you are interested (I am a history buff myself!) This history lesson is an important one for all homesteaders: we must, must, must rotate our crops yearly, and vigorously protect our plants from disease and pests when we can. In addition, disease and pest resistant varieties should be used when possible.





As stated earlier, potatoes produce heavy yields in small spaces. Even an urban homesteader could produce hundreds of pounds of potatoes from a shockingly small bed; 200 lb of potatoes can be harvested from just one 100′ row; this would be roughly the size of a 4 ft x 25 ft bed! The rock bottom price of commercially grown potatoes is evidence enough.

Potatoes are used to make:

  • Mashed Potatoes
  • French Fries
  • Chips
  • Hash-browns
  • Soups & Stews
  • Roasted Veggies
  • Potato Salad
  • Casseroles

Potatoes store through winter quite well, and are frequently canned, prepared and frozen, dehydrated, and even  powdered.  They may begin to sprout in storage, but these potatoes can be prepared first. They are simply an incredible addition to your homestead garden; but you must be careful when planting, as they are finicky plants. They will not set tubers well during periods of high temperatures (80’s and higher), and they do not tolerate a freeze or frost. If your late spring or early summer ramps up into the 90’s quite often, potatoes may not perform as well for you. This is only a warning– this is my case, and I still grow them. I may not get enormous harvests due to the heat, but I do get something worth growing.

Radish Seedlings as cold hardy salad greens

Salad Greens: An Important, Year Round Source of Leafy Greens

Salad greens are excellent for getting your dose of rich, green leafy vegetables. I realize that this isn’t a particular crop like the others on this list are, and that it can potentially include dozens and dozens of plant species.

However, the beauty of salad greens is that you can mix many different varieties in a single bed, and practice “cut and come again” gardening for your family’s salads. This means that you will get several harvests out of one plant, yielding mountains of leafy greens over the course of weeks or months. Some greens are very cold hardy, and can be grown into winter; kale, spinach, turnip greens, and many more are excellent candidates for winter gardens. If kept in a greenhouse or under a plastic covered tunnel, the greens can survive throughout the winter. This saves summer gardening space, while maximizing your yield from your land. Some varieties are more suitable for summer heat, when most lettuces and spinach start to bolt, becoming inedible.




Salad greens are used for:

  • Making Salads
  • Topping Sandwiches
  • Green Smoothies
  • Soups and Stews
  • Dehydrating

While leafy salad greens might not be highly versatile in recipes, a nice side salad can confidently accompany virtually any meal that you offer to your family; they’re both healthy and delicious.

Tomatoes: The Possibilities Are Endless, (Almost) Everyone Eats Them!

Tomatoes are one of those crops that are found in nearly every garden. Even if you don’t like fresh tomatoes on your sandwich or in your salad, you probably like them in some form or another; whether that be the tangy ketchup on your hot, salted french fries, or the rich, garlic-infused sauce on your homemade pasta.

Tomatoes are another very heavy cropper, with indeterminate varieties continuing to pump out tomatoes throughout the growing season. You will likely find yourself giving away tomatoes by the box full if you over plant them! You just need to know which type of tomato you want to plant the most of (we go over paste, salad, and slicing tomatoes in our seed saving post here) before you begin starting your seeds. Most people require paste tomatoes over the other varieties, as they are the best contenders for preservation.




There are tons of different ways to use tomatoes, making them one of the most versatile foods in this list. Try imagining any of these foods without them:

  • Pasta Sauce
  • Pizza Sauce
  • Stew
  • Tomato Soup
  • Chili
  • Ketchup
  • BLT
  • Salads
  • Fried Green Tomatoes
  • Tomato Juice
  • Salsa
  • Taco Salad

Truthfully, I love nothing more than to pick a warm, juicy Cherokee Purple Tomato from the garden, wash it off, slice thick medallions from it as the juices leak off of the edges of the wooden chopping board, and lay the embarrassingly thick slices over a still-sizzling beef patty with a thick slice of American cheese; homegrown tomatoes make the best cheese burgers. And no- I did not intend to upset your winter blues with my summer garden daydreamin’, but I’m seriously missing those fresh, warm tomatoes from my backyard!

Beans: Ensuring Human Survival for Thousands of Years & Counting

It’s no secret that beans are one of the most valuable, widely consumed foods on the planet. They have been cultivated by humankind for roughly 9,000 years, and their cultivation predates ceramics. Tucked away in Peru, the oldest known beans were found within the passages of the Guitarrero Cave.




Beans provide fiber, carbohydrates, and protein; thus, they are filling and can be prepared as a meal by themselves. They can be prepared in thousands of ways, in various stages of growth. In addition, they are quite delicious, even as a standalone entree. The list for beans is extensive:

  • Slow Cooked
  • Ham & Beans
  • Refried Beans
  • Hummus
  • Baked Beans
  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Casseroles
  • Salads
  • Dips
  • Tacos
  • Protein Enriched Pasta Dishes
  • Bean Burgers
  • Breakfast Hash
  • Curries
  • EVEN BROWNIES! (It’s true!)

Beans are very easy to grow, as long as you pay attention to their sunlight, temperature, and water needs. They need plenty of water and light, or they may not thrive, flower well, or set many pods. If they are subjected to cold weather, they may die. For many pole beans, excessive summer heat will prevent the plants from producing pods. For hot summers, bush bean varieties are ideal. Bush beans also mature all at once, which is beneficial for processing time. Pole beans are better suited for early summer and early fall harvests in warmer zones.

Once dried, shelled beans can be stored for a long time! They store for a minimum of one year, which is usually sufficient for most families. Beans can get a family through winter, when the garden is dormant and the hens have quit laying due to shortened daylight hours.

Blueberries: The Super Fruit with Incredibly Versatility and Flavor

Blueberries are known for being rich in antioxidants; but did you know they’re also chocked full of Vitamin C, manganese, and fiber? They even supply you with some potassium. These fruits can be tart fresh or raw, but they undergo a delicious transformation when cooked. Not that I don’t love them fresh from the plant, but I absolutely swoon over a hot, homemade blueberry pancake! They can offer tons of flavor throughout the year, especially during the winter.

Blueberries can be dehydrated, canned, frozen, or freeze dried. All of these are excellent storage methods, but I prefer them frozen- I feel like this is as close as you can get to fresh berries, and it is the easiest method of preservation. Blueberries, fresh or preserved, are excellent for:

  • Cereals (cold and hot, like oatmeal)
  • Pancakes
  • Parfaits
  • Breads
  • French Toast
  • Sweet Rolls
  • Jams, Syrups, and Preserves
  • Pie Fillings
  • Cookies
  • Fruit Salads
  • Fruit/Dessert Pizzas
  • Muffins
  • Tarts

Blueberries grow on a perennial bush, making them a permanent part of the edible landscape. They require plenty of sun, acidic soil (pine mulch is excellent for blueberries), and the correct climate for the cultivar that they belong to. Some blueberry bushes are better for colder climates, while others are preferable for the warmer zones. They also require faithful pruning in order to yield a nice bumper crop. Blueberries tend to keep on producing throughout the season, allowing you to eat and preserve them as the year progresses.




Carrots: The Sweet Root Veggie that Loves Winter’s Chill

If you haven’t grown carrots yet, you should be told that they are a cold weather crop. Carrots can do okay during the hot summers, but you may find yourself longing for something a little different in your summer carrots’ flavor profile. The best crop of carrots is harvested in the fall months (or spring, if you live in an area with a long, cool spring). Frosts and freezes encourage the development of what we might consider a kind of “plant antifreeze” within the carrot. This results in a higher sugar content within the root, similar to how Brussels sprouts become sweeter with a frost. Carrots can really blow you away with their production, reaching yields up to 120 lb within a 100 ft long row on average; I plant carrots in double rows (sometimes triple, if it’s 18″ wide), which increases yield. Most families can expect 20 lb of carrots from a 3×3 sized bed. The type of carrot chosen makes a very big difference in yield, too!

Carrots require a bit of extra attention during the first two weeks, but they’re relatively easy to care for thereafter. Carrots can have spotty germination, especially if the seed is older or moisture isn’t maintained during sprouting. For the best start, level your planting bed and scatter seed over moistened soil. Many people mix carrot seed with sand, approximately a teaspoon of seed to a cup of sand, to thin out the seed while sowing. Scatter a small amount of soil over the carrots, and water very gently. Finally, cover the bed with something that will hold in moisture and warmth while keeping carrots in place. For some, this might be a wooden plank– for others, garden plastic may do the trick!

And of course, our list for carrots:

  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Boiled
  • Roasted
  • Pot Pies
  • Salads
  • Carrot Cake
  • Casseroles
  • Canning
  • Dehydrating

Sweet Potatoes: The High-Yielding, Dual Purpose, “Healthy” Potato

Sweet potatoes are a prolific 2 in 1 crop, which grows exceptionally well in the summer heat with minimal space. As a matter of fact, any place without a cold winter may find sweet potatoes to be incredibly invasive. Cut vines will root upon contact with soil, meaning that you will have a new patch of sweet potatoes if you simply toss torn out vines onto the ground! Voles and several insect species love to dine on this plant, but they are highly resilient when it comes to disease on OUR homestead. Our fight with voles, well, find out for yourself here. Let’s just say I wasn’t a happy camper that day. The bugs did dine heavily on the leaves, but not enough to harm the plants. Just enough to make them look a bit ugly; but, the leaves are beyond delicious, and it is worth overlooking a few holes in the leaves! I like to cook them up like spinach– or, you could give them a go in your salad.

As long as you can keep voles at bay, you can enjoy hundreds of pounds of sweet potatoes from a generous, dedicated sweet potato bed. One plant can yield over 20 lb if it receives everything it requires over the course of a long growing season! Even 10 large tubs in an urban backyard could yield enough tubers to keep a family fed for the winter; how amazing is that? In this post, I compiled some addicting sweet potato reveal videos, if you dare to take a look (you might spend way more time doing this than you’d intend!) They store for a very long time, as long as they are kept cool, dry, and dark. The leftover tubers can be used to sprout slips for the following spring, bringing the crop full circle.

Be sure to give sweet potatoes a try in a few different ways to keep things interesting:

  • Mashed (with Irish potatoes added is delicious)
  • Boiled
  • Baked
  • Roasted
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Casseroles (savory or sweet)
  • Pastas
  • Biscuits
  • Breads
  • Pancakes

Winter Squash: The “Old Faithful” of All Long-Term Winter Food Stores

Winter squash consists of dozens upon dozens of varieties, each offering unique colors, sizes, shapes, flavor profiles, and growing behaviors. They store for months on end, making them particularly attractive for the family who is attempting to preserve much of their winter food supply. As long as the fruits are clean and free of damage, storing them in a low humidity, dry, cool, and dark area will keep them viable through most of the winter.

Many winter fruits are very large in size; take the pumpkin, for instance. A single pumpkin may be upwards of 20 or 30 lb, providing enough servings for a family to enjoy several times in a single week. Some other popular winter squashes include the Spaghetti Squash and the Butternut Squash.

Just be prepared to go to war with the squash bugs and vine borers; As incredible, delicious, and prolific as these squashes are, I’m not going to lie about the little critters that will wreak absolute havoc. If you are new to winter squash, I wouldn’t want to send you into this without a fair warning. Nearly everyone has lost a battle (or 37) with these aggravating pests, leading to the use of a wide variety of pesticides (both organic and sometimes inorganic), trap cropping, row covers, bug traps, companion planting, deterrents, and much more. We’re all fighting the good fight, as there is nothing sweeter than the pride behind a massive winter squash harvest!

If you choose to process your squash, you could go ahead and can it, freeze it, or dehydrate it; but its long shelf life allows you to have a fresh vegetable source throughout the winter, which is preferred by many people. Here are some ideas:

  • Spaghetti Boats (spaghetti squash)
  • Squash Noodles (like Zoodles from zucchini)
  • Soups
  • Stews
  • Casseroles
  • Roasts
  • Stir-fry
  • Sweet Desserts (you heard that right, like the Mock Apple Crisp I made here!)

To finish off, I leave you with this fun video by Art & Bri. I definitely agree with his 3 choices- especially since you can forage for wild greens during the growing season, and preserve them for winter soups and stews made with these three crops!

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