We're first-generation farmers — no family land, no generations of know-how handed down. Just two years of figuring it out ourselves, mistake by mistake. We totally messed up our first garden. We bought a chicken coop that turned out way too small and had to sell it, then scrambled to build a new one while our chicks were outgrowing their brooder by the day. We've lost animals along the way, and we've fallen head over heels for others.

Through all of it, we've kept moving toward one goal: raising our own food and building a life that relies less on everyone else and more on us.

Today, we grow 80% of what we feed our family — and we're still working through this list ourselves. Consider this checklist your starting point to see what areas you can be self-sufficient in today!