I have a long-term goal of doing similar. Specifically, I'd like to produce as much food as 2 people need, even though we won't actually try to survive off of it. If/when I do reach that point, I'll probably trade/sell/give away any excess, or send it back into the ground as compost.
I'll share my setup in case anyone wants a real life data point: I have about 2400 square feet of garden (in 4 plots), 19 fruit/nut trees, a small vineyard, blueberry/blackberry bushes, and various animals like chickens. I also grow indoors during the winter and have an herb garden. I think we'll accomplish this goal once the trees I've planted in the last 5 years start producing full loads, but we're probably at around 40% of needs currently. Technically, I could probably get much closer now if I hunted deer, since there's huge herds in the area and I'd qualify for a DNR crop damage permit (allowing me to take many additional deer over the limit and out of season), along with other animals. I have plenty of space for additional garden plots too, but don't really have any more bandwidth for it due to working full time as a software engineer.
Worth noting that while I have this goal, I'm not really min/maxing it either. I "waste" space/energy on flowers, gourds, luffas, and other nonedible things. Also, this is just a fun hobby, not really something too serious.
I try my best to carefully manage it. All compostable biomatter goes into compost, with the only exception being anything salty. I also shovel up all the animal plop and mix that into the soil twice a year. I haven't done any scientific soil tests, but my plants seem to be more productive as the years have gone by, so I guess it's doing the trick. I have a lot of forested land, and my additional plan starting this year is to collect leaves, run them over with the lawn mower a bunch, use it as mulch during the growing season, and then till that into the soil in the Fall.
I might go the standard box method at some point, but right now I just dig a hole in a bare part of a garden and throw stuff in it till full. Then I cover it up and dig another hole. Seems to work okay.
I'll share my setup in case anyone wants a real life data point: I have about 2400 square feet of garden (in 4 plots), 19 fruit/nut trees, a small vineyard, blueberry/blackberry bushes, and various animals like chickens. I also grow indoors during the winter and have an herb garden. I think we'll accomplish this goal once the trees I've planted in the last 5 years start producing full loads, but we're probably at around 40% of needs currently. Technically, I could probably get much closer now if I hunted deer, since there's huge herds in the area and I'd qualify for a DNR crop damage permit (allowing me to take many additional deer over the limit and out of season), along with other animals. I have plenty of space for additional garden plots too, but don't really have any more bandwidth for it due to working full time as a software engineer.
Worth noting that while I have this goal, I'm not really min/maxing it either. I "waste" space/energy on flowers, gourds, luffas, and other nonedible things. Also, this is just a fun hobby, not really something too serious.