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If the stores and restaurants shut down, where would you go for food? Ultimately, you may not have any other options than to barter with others…or better yet, to be self-sufficient through growing your own crops.
As this video by Epic Gardening discusses, there are nine survival crops to grow after the apocalypse:
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1. Beans
Beans are a staple among survivalists, and for good reason. Beans come packed with essential vitamins (A, C, and K), and are also an excellent source of calcium and fiber. They are also very easy to grow and go along well with numerous different meals.
2. Corn
Corn is an excellent source of calcium, iron, and protein. This makes it an ideal crop for nutrition, and furthermore, it can provide a higher yield than many other kinds of crops. Corn grows best in the warm months, so plan on a summer harvest.
3. Squash
Squash is an excellent survival food to grow because of how easy it is and the large number of nutrients that it contains. In fact, squash is one of the most popular crops to grow in American gardens.
4. Cabbage
There’s a reason why cabbage is a staple crop around the world: it is very easy to grow and just as easy to store. It also comes packed with nutrition. Cook it in conjunction with meats and potatoes, and you can create a very nutritious and delicious meal.
5. Potatoes
The simple potato remains one of the best crops that you can grow because it can be grown in such a wide variety of climates and soil types, and they can sustain your family single-handedly even when there are no other food options to grow.
6. Kale
Kale is in the same family of cabbage and is truly a wonderful crop to grow. This is because kale comes packed with nutrition, it’s very easy to grow, and it's cold-hardy (meaning you can grow it late into the fall or even the winter).
7. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes make a fabulous addition to almost any meal, and they're much healthier than normal foods thanks to their abundance of nutrients. Sweet potatoes are also highly versatile and can be grown in colder northern temperatures and tropical environments alike.
8. Lentils
Lentils are perhaps the most underrated survival food of all time. They come packed with vitamins and protein, holding roughly eighteen grams of protein with each serving. Lentils are also one of the oldest crops to be cultivated. They make an excellent addition to many meals, including salads and curries.
9. Herbs
Herbs are incredibly easy to store and very versatile. They include options such as parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. What’s more, herbs are perennials and can come back every year to provide you with a limitless supply. While herbs are not a food staple by themselves, you can use them to provide added flavor to other kinds of meals.
For more info on these crops and tips on how to grow them, watch the video by Epic Gardening below.
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That’s a good list of survval crops. I’m growing most of those (Kale, not so much).
An important aspect of survival crops is how long they keep. Without grocery stores to run to, you’ll have only your own pantry. Most of the crops you listed work well because you can store them, long after harvest, so you can eat during the winter.
For corn, think dry / seed corn, not sweet corn (on the cob). This, you’ll grind into cornmeal or make hominy and/or masa for tortillas. Sweet corn only lasts a few weeks in the fridge.
For beans, think dry beans, not green beans. Green beans only stay good a short while. Unless you pressure can them (which we do), you won’t have them in the winter. Dry beans are a great source of protien.
For squash, pick a winter squash — butternut, buttercup, hubbard, etc. since they will keep for months in a cool root cellar. Summer squashes (like zucchini) only last a week or so.
Herbs are good for spicing up otherwise bland foods but they’ll add zero calories and scant (if any) nutrition. Dry them for use in the winter.
And then, once you’ve decided to grow survival crops, Grow Them Now. They each have their idosyncrasies and needs. Learn those now before you’re hungry and counting on every ear of corn to make it through the winter. Post-SHTF is a bad time to start learning.
If there is a nuclear exchange you will only be able to grow non-pollinating plants. Bees and most bugs will be dead.