A quick internet search will claim that you need a mammoth five acres to be self-sufficient – eek! You can get by with much less - five acres or more is far beyond the reach of most people, and in reality, it is more land than most people can comfortably manage. We have just one acre of land, and only a third of that is for growing vegetables and fruits. The chickens have a separate area, and the rest is dedicated to fruit trees and (as yet unused) grazing land. The area of land you need to be self-sufficient depends on the type of land, growing conditions, and what you want to grow. Using tricks such as vertical gardening and sticking to high-value crops can maximize the amount you harvest from available space. For some small homesteading inspiration, check out the Urban Homestead – a self-sufficient family with just a fifth of an acre!