These economic and social extremes and shortfalls are the tip of the iceberg....birth pangs, if you will.
Now may be the time to find out what it's like to plant 3-5 acres of corn by hand, weed it by hand, harvest it by hand, and then up the scale next year....
Corn is extremely valuable as an animal feed, even and maybe especially sweet corn. The grain is obviously of great worth. The stalks can be fed whole to cattle and goats, or chopped and packed fro silage, OR they can be squeezed of their juice, which can be boiled down for sugar....and THEM fed to the critters. Sweet corn, left to dry in the er, makes excellent feed, as well as the sweetest corn flower for the best pancakes and cornbread you've ever had.
The weeds gleaned from the patch can be fed to every animal on the farm for the duration of the growing season.
Sugar beets may also become a valuable crop for the homesteader, easily grown by hand in large quantities, with many of the same feeding values as corn. The beets make fine fodder for cows and likely goats, just being left in the ground for winter pasture. They could also be dried and ground as a supplement for chickens, pigs, cows, etc.
Rye and wheat are easily sown by hand, and make a quick pasture for all grazing animals, including chickens.
We tie our cows and goats on a tether, near the woods or the gravel road, or around open areas in the yard, all during the grazing season. This cuts down on mowing as well as the feed bill.
Grass clippings are always welcomed by the chickens with glee. Fed to the cows and goats in carefully guarded moderation is profitable, but be very careful never to let them have their fill, especially when first being introduced to this rich feed. They will bloat and die while your back is turned.
The garden itself is a rich source of chicken feed. All scraps and weeds can go to the chicken pen on the way to the eventual compost pile. Same with the bug population, as it makes itself available.
A little extra effort, some thinking outside the box, and a lot of efficiency are the keys to feeding our animals, and ourselves as this thing plays itself out.
