The #1 Survival Crop You Need to Know How to Grow

I grew up in the coalfields of Virginia, in the 1950s & 60s, we as a people would never have survived the winters without potatoes and hogs. There were there were 6 basic crops that everyone grew to survive winter; cabbage (kraut), pinto beans (soup beans), onions (strong yellow storage) field corn (cornbread) and potatoes. And everyone raised and killed a hog for winter. If you had a large garden space you could grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and green beans for canning but a lot of families just grew enough summer crops to eat fresh with the majority of garden space going to winter food. We also foraged a lot. Nobody ever went anywhere on foot without a bag in your pocket in case you saw something good to bring home.

I grew up in a family of 10. Half of our huge garden every year was potatoes. We had a root cellar off the basement and it was piled full every year. That, plus fishing and a deer or 3 in the freezer was how my working parents kept 8 hungry kids fed.

We planted 35# of seed potatoes last year and got over 350# at harvest. We planted 5 different ways to see what would work the best here on our new homestead. We will probably get half again that this year as we now know what works best here. We still have potatoes left and hope to get spring planting in in the next couple of weeks. Go Go potato

"Boil em, mash em, put em in a stew."🤣 I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Keepers of the Old Ways Festival in Dothon!

I have gardened for. 50 years and I can not imagine a garden without potatoes. They have always been one of my must have. It always amazes me how productive and simple they are

Important to grow your calories... This year I expetimented growing taters in raised beds, fabric bags and in the ground. Massive results with all.

I'm currently cooking up my butternut squash that were picked in the fall. They're still just about perfect...even better than unsweet pumpkins. I love growing potatoes in a trench with green slime, fish, worm+ compost, wood ash and hay on the bottom of the trench, then filling in dirt and compost as the indeterminate Russets grow.

David the good is the BEST!

Its like a treasure hunt when digging them, I love it.

I have pictures of me helping Dad plant potatoes on our farm in 1941! Yes, I am That Old! Dad would have been 125 tomorrow ~ 3/18/23. Yes, of course, the pictures are B&W! By the way, I still plant potatoes! For my convenience, I grow them in washer & dryer tubs. Works great! Maranatha!

David, I am growing lettuce because it is one of the more expensive food items I purchase. Plus, it is high in folate, which is necessary for proper detoxification in the body. I will try sweet potatoes this year as summer gets crazy hot here. You have been an inspiration for me to grow more varieties of veggies. Cheers.

I always grow potatoes! When I lived next to a potato farmer, the kids and I would go glean his field when he was done. Oh my! Fresh from the ground is the best!!

Got about 500 potatoes planted, 800 onions, 800 Garlic from last fall, and will have a couple hundred sweet potatoes slips by May (Purple, White and Orange American), and usually grow a couple hundred black bean plants, red beans, along with peas, all kinds of greens, etc. I credit you my brother for making me concentrate on calorie crops, Prep your grains and buy them now, as they are semi cheap compared to the future and you can plant them. Also I am still eating off of pumpkins and some squash from last years harvest but they are starting to go bad, God Bless and good luck in that great Alabama soil you got,

Started growing potatoes last year. I really enjoy it. ☺️

When I saw the thumbnail, I was afraid you were dead. Then, I watched the video all the way to the end and didn't see anything like "in loving memory of David the Good", so I figured everything was okay. I'm glad you're alive, and I liked the potato video.

Fun fact, St. Patrick's day is the first day of spring at northern latitudes. We now have 12 hours of sun in Saskatchewan, yay!

Excellent, David. I just read your book, Compost Everything. You turned a potentially dry subject into a fun and informative tour de force. I love your content. Keep up the great work and keep the faith!

You are the only one I have saw plant potatoes the way my dad taught me as a young child. Thank you!

YES David our Lord told me several years ago Plant allot of Potatoes so I did a couple different ways experimenting The ground always gives me the best yields 🥔 👍 Thanks for sharing n hope people listen to you God bless 🙏 🇺🇸

Many on Youtube have share insight on how and what to plant. None comes close to your Youtube video. “The #1 Survival crop you need to know how to grow.” It is short, simple, and precise that no one can dispute. To all those who read this, Take heed of how you hear. “Grow or Die.”