According to David Pimentel, a Cornell Evolutionary Biologist, a family of five would require 200 hectares of land to support their hunting and gathering needs. That’s nearly 500 acres of ideal habitat to provide adequate plants and animals for the family. With modern agriculture, much of it nearly unsustainable, the family of five could have their food needs met with 2 to 5 acres of production. Obviously, these are estimates as it is impossible to come to an exact number because of the variables of climate, soil, geography and growing practices.
These numbers and this Food Challenge Project have made me think about the difficulty of sustaining yourself from the land year in and year out. The preparations and obligations to truly subsist on the land are a hard truth and not easily attainable. As my fish and moose supply have been hit hard, I notice that the downtown garden is still full of rutabagas and turnips. The greenhouse has lettuce and kale. The energy requirements and land use lessons hit home on a local scale too.
This experiment has shown me that the bounty of today’s world has either blessed or cursed us; having experienced the plenty that is available to us, we are unable or unwilling to fully return to a true huntergatherer lifestyle. And even if we wanted to, it’s not really possible anymore. There are too many of us, and not enough land if we look at it collectively. In Alaska the landscape can still provide a huntergatherer lifestyle, but is it the most effective use of energy?
With two weeks left in the food challenge, and many pounds shed back to the earth, it is time to reflect. There have been many questions, thoughtful discussions, dinner considerations, hunger pains, and food addiction recoveries, but one thing is for certain – Food has taken center stage. And this is how it should be. Food ought to be more important than entertainment or insurance, but sadly as a society we spend more money on the latter two.
So as the Food Challenge draws to a close, I have been thinking about what my family can take forward from this experience. I am determined that we will eat more wisely, out of gratitude for all that we have, out of respect for the resources this Earth provides, and most importantly out of a desire to attain the gold standard of Health that real food provides for real people.
What’s my take away from this challenge?
For more Food Challenge stories see the print version of our newsletter. Download the Printable October 2017 Newsletter
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