Most important to Grow in the garden for food

[Manda_Rae]

If you had limited funds what are your top most important things to grow in A garden for 4 people.
Zone 5b
I have these seeds I've collected and grown over the years.
Tomatoes (roma, paste, beef steak, cherry)
Peppers (Sweet and Cayenne)
corn (4 varieties)
potatoes (white & red)
cucumbers (pickling, muncher burpless)
zucchini 2 varieties
carrots (3 varieties)
Radish
beets
Green beans (jade, purple
& sugar snap peas.
Cabbage -seedlings
Broccoli -seedlings
What other types of beans and peas are recommended. There are so many varieties its marking my head spin.
I have Black turtle beans i just got and sowed.
What kind of squash should I get?
What else am I missing?

I also have tons of herbs we grow

Bonus points if I can feed the chickens too!

 

[Manda_Rae]

I'm not sure why this posted twice

 

[Chic Rustler]

green beans on the fence lines
squash
potatoes
the follow up with black eyed peas after harvest.

that will keep you fed for sure. anything else is a bonus

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

if you have the ability to pressure or water bath can, I would plant any seed that you have, saving some for the next year. potatoes, squash and eating pumpkins are good as you can store them long term-onions too. you can get a lot of onions from a just one set. and potatoes, lots of potatoes from just a couple seeds potatoes

I think that corn is hit or miss, seems like you need a LOT to put extra up for storage. we do a ton of peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, spinach, melons (for fresh eating), squash, carrots, and pumpkins. I don't do a ton of herbs, just because we usually only really use salt and pepper here. most everything gets either canned or frozen or both and then there are some root veggies we store over the winter. we still have a few jars of pickles, salsa, jam and spaghetti sauce to use before the new stuff comes.

 

[Manda_Rae]

Which Squash is the best/easiest?

 

[tortoise]

What other types of beans and peas are recommended. There are so many varieties its marking my head spin.

Try Wando peas, they are the most heat tolerant heirloom variety.

Which Squash is the best/easiest?

I have found that storage quality varies by year (growing conditions?) and by type. So I plant 3 winter squashes:

• butternut (my favorite)
• acorn (usually best storage)
• pie pumpkin (usually stores well when butternut does not)

If they don't store well, you can pressure can (as chunks, not puree), freeze, or feed chickens.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

I have found that storage quality varies by year (growing conditions?) and by type. So I plant 3 winter squashes:

• butternut (my favorite)
• acorn (usually best storage)
• pie pumpkin (usually stores well when butternut does not)

If they don't store well, you can pressure can (as chunks, not puree), freeze, or feed chickens.

we do butternut and acorn here at well-most loved flavor by all of us.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Now my head is spinning. I like spaghetti squash as an replacement option for pasta. Used to freeze a lot of them already cooked, shredded zucchini and the like.

My concern is making sure you have heirloom type seeds. Never had luck reusing hybrid seeds the following year. Grew some impressive mutants.

Beans, I prefer simple black beans. They have always been prolific for me and you can store dried.

For chickens, sunflower seeds!!!! I grew the mammoth variety and air dried them in the garage. Time to feed? Toss a head to the little cluckers and enjoy the show

 

[Manda_Rae]

Now my head is spinning. I like spaghetti squash as an replacement option for pasta. Used to freeze a lot of them already cooked, shredded zucchini and the like.

My concern is making sure you have heirloom type seeds. Never had luck reusing hybrid seeds the following year. Grew some impressive mutants.

Beans, I prefer simple black beans. They have always been prolific for me and you can store dried.

For chickens, sunflower seeds!!!! I grew the mammoth variety and air dried them in the garage. Time to feed? Toss a head to the little cluckers and enjoy the show

I did plant some Mammoth sunflowers this year!
We all love sunflowers & the seeds. I have several varieties of sunflowers.

I can never find just Black bean seeds. There is always some fancy name for them LOL

 

[Manda_Rae]

My concern is making sure you have heirloom type seeds. Never had luck reusing hybrid seeds the following year. Grew some impressive mutants.

Also yes I always stick with Heirloom organic.