The Journey to Food Freedom: A Year of Growing and Foraging 100% of My Own Food

Living Off the Land: My Journey to Complete Self-Sufficiency

The dream of complete self-sufficiency—growing all your own food, never relying on grocery stores—is a fantasy for many. The convenience of modern food systems makes it difficult to step away. But I had a burning question: Could I leave the industrial food system behind? Could I grow and forage 100% of my food for an entire year?

This is the story of how I set out on that life-changing journey, the challenges I faced, and the lessons I learned along the way.

Starting from Scratch: No Land, No Experience, Just a Dream

Choosing the Right Location

I had little experience in growing my own food. While I had experimented with raised garden beds in San Diego, my nomadic lifestyle had prevented me from settling down to cultivate a long-term food source. To make this challenge work, I needed to stay in one place for at least two years.

I chose Orlando, Florida, for its year-round growing climate and because I had met a strong community of permaculturists in Audubon Park. This neighborhood was already turning front yards into gardens, making it the perfect place to start.

Creating a Community of Growers

Without land of my own, I needed to convince neighbors to let me transform their lawns into gardens. The deal was simple:
✅ I’d do all the work.
✅ I’d cover the costs.
✅ They could eat fresh food from their yard.

The response was overwhelming! Within a few months, I had more offers than I could handle. I created six small plots within cycling distance and began growing more food than I could eat.

Learning the Skills: Farming, Foraging, and Building a Homestead

Gaining Knowledge and Hands-On Experience

Since I was a beginner gardener, I had to learn everything from scratch:

• Attending Orlando Permaculture meetups
• Volunteering with Fleet Farming
• Taking foraging classes
• Reading books and watching online tutorials
• Visiting local farms and nurseries

Building a Tiny House Homestead

For a place to live, I built a tiny house in the backyard of a community member in exchange for turning their grass lawn into a thriving garden.

After ten months of preparation, I was finally ready to begin my one-year challenge.

The 365-Day Challenge: Eating Only What I Grew and Foraged

The Rules Were Simple (But Tough!)

For one full year, I committed to:
❌ No grocery stores or restaurants
❌ No packaged or processed food
❌ No food shipped from other places
❌ No farmer’s markets
❌ No food from friends’ gardens

This meant every single meal had to come from my own gardens or nature itself. Even my supplements, medicines, and vitamins had to be foraged or grown.

What I Grew and Foraged

Nutrient-Packed Greens & Vegetables

• Leafy greens: Moringa, katuk, chaya, purslane, collards, kale, and perennial spinaches
• Root crops: Sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, carrots
• Vegetables: Seminole pumpkins, eggplants, garlic, onions, peppers, and herbs

Protein Sources

• Legumes: Pigeon peas, southern peas
• Foraged mushrooms: Over 20 wild species
• Fish and wild game: Caught from lakes, rivers, and the ocean
• Sustainable meat: Harvested roadkill deer in Wisconsin

Fruits & Natural Sweeteners

• Fruits: Papayas, bananas, coconuts, wild berries
• Honey: Raised rescued bees for natural sweetness

Homemade Ingredients

• Caffeine: Made tea from Yaupon holly, a native plant
• Salt: Harvested sea salt from ocean water
• Cooking oils: Extracted from homegrown plants

Challenges and Struggles

Food Shortages and Nutrient Deficiencies

• Struggled to get enough fats and protein
• Some weeks, I felt weak or fatigued
• I had to constantly adapt my diet to what was available

Pest Problems

• Cucumber worms destroyed crops
• But growing 100+ foods meant I always had something to eat

Social Isolation

• No eating out meant missing meals with friends and family
• Often had to explain my lifestyle choices

What I Learned: Nature Provides Everything We Need

The Key to Success: Growing Resilient Crops

Instead of growing my favorite grocery store foods, I asked local farmers:
💡 “What grows so well that I can’t possibly fail?”

Focusing on hardy, local plants helped me produce a massive amount of food without relying on pesticides or fertilizers.

Food as Medicine

I grew or foraged all my own medicine, including:

• Turmeric & ginger (anti-inflammatory)
• Elderberries (immune support)
• Moringa powder (a natural multivitamin)

Beyond My Own Plate: Giving Back to the Community

This journey wasn’t just about my own self-sufficiency—it was about empowering others:
🌱 Built 15 community gardens
🌳 Planted 200+ fruit trees
📦 Distributed 5,000+ seed packs
🎓 Hosted free gardening classes

Final Thoughts: What This Year Taught Me

1. You Don’t Have to Grow 100% of Your Food

Even growing a little bit makes a huge difference! Start with:
🌿 A herb garden on your windowsill
🍅 A few tomato plants on your balcony
🏡 A raised bed in your backyard

2. Support Local Farmers & Sustainable Food

If you can’t grow your own food, buy from local farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.

3. Food is Power—Take Control of Yours

Every bite you eat has an impact on:
🌍 The environment
🩺 Your health
👥 Your community

Question your food. Where does it come from? Who grows it? What impact does it have?

My Journey Continues…

This project wasn’t just about food—it was about creating a healthier, more connected world. Now, I’m writing a book (with 100% of proceeds donated to food sustainability initiatives) and continuing to share my knowledge online.

If this story inspired you, let’s take action together. Start small. Grow something. Share with your community.

🌱 Your journey to food freedom begins today! 🌱