$5000 worth of groceries for $10, 10 hours and some dirt

I like this idea that this can be the foundation for GAMCOD.

And GAMCOD is the foundation of permaculture.

In fact, by limiting it to "$5000 worth of groceries for $10, 10 hours and some dirt" we can plant apple seeds and harvest those groceries decades in the future.

But I think the core of all this needs to rest in what can be harvested the very first year.  What is the MOST forgiving to a brand new gardener.  Especially the new gardener that has an acre or more.  

Sunchokes can be harvested ten months out of the year (july through april).  Kale can be harvested ten months out of the year (not for the harshest winter months).   Walking onions can be harvested all year.    If these became staples, there would be a hundred ways to prepare them, and all of the other foods are simply nice to add in provided that you put in a little more time, and had the gumption on the time frame to harvest.



I have shared the story of how a guy grew a massive garden for his family, but 95% of it ended up rotting because nobody would cook for the family and his family all wanted to eat the food at restaurants.  I love this story.  It demonstrates the true challenges.  


The GAMCOD project is a collection of stories.  Different gardeners approaching all this stuff from a different direction.  Some people will start with a quarter of an acre - just a bit of back yard.  Others will section off a patch from a lot of acres.  Some people will have to buy seed and some people will have some left over.  Some people can do some trades or use a seed library.  


With the new staples and a patch of dirt ...   the dirt would, in time, become soil.  With zero irrigation or weeding.  And if people didn't feed like cooking, then it will all wait ... and spread ...  and when they got a pinch of gumption they could give it a try.  Maybe for a potluck or something.  Or thanksgiving.