How much land do you need to feed a family of four?
Allow about 88 m² per adult for vegetables and potatoes: 56 m² of vegetable garden with paths and 32 m² of potatoes. Four adults need about 350 m² (roughly 3,800 sq ft), and beginners should count up to 1.5 times that, about 530 m². Fruit trees, hens and any larger animals come on top of this.
Land for vegetables and potatoes by household
Children count as part of an adult: a child aged 7–14 is 0.7, and a child up to 6 is 0.4. These are called adult equivalents.
| Household | Adult equivalents | Experienced | First two years (×1.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 adults | 2.0 | 176 m² | 264 m² |
| 2 adults, 1 child (7–14) | 2.7 | 238 m² | 356 m² |
| 2 adults, 2 children (7–14) | 3.4 | 299 m² | 449 m² |
| 4 adults | 4.0 | 352 m² | 528 m² |
What this number leaves out
- Grain, oil and sugar. These are the hardest foods to grow on a small plot, so most families keep buying them.
- Fruit. An adult eats about 75 kg a year, and that land comes on top.
- Animals. Hens need little room. A goat needs about 1,200 m² of grazing and hay ground.
Start smaller than the number
The figures assume a mature garden. In the first year, plant about a third of the plan: 50 m² of tidy garden beats 300 m² of weeds. Setting your goal as a percentage helps too, and 30 % of the family's food in the first year is an excellent start.
Yields depend on climate, soil and experience, so treat these as planning figures. Our free calculator works this out for your household.
How much food does a family need: needs and goals
How many vegetables, potatoes, fruit, eggs, milk, meat and honey your family eats in a year, and how much land and livestock that takes
- Food needs calculator
- Area calculator
- Animal feed calculator
- Calendar of food on the table
- Record: what we really eat
- What we buy and what could replace it
- Family goals year by year
Sources: Jeavons, How to Grow More Vegetables; Seymour, The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency; FAO, Improving Nutrition through Home Gardening.
Updated: