This topic is something I have been giving a great deal of thought to over the past few months. There has been a lot of discussion within this forum on the benefits of having a group to rely on, as opposed to going it alone. I know a lot of folks on this forum are either already in a working MAG, are working to build a MAG, or have at least discussed the possibility of a group getting together in a major SHTF situation. Others will be in much smaller family sized groups, whether 2 or 20. So here is my question, how have you working out the logistics of feeding this group long term? I know most everyone on here has some, or a lot of food stored. But in a long term situation all the stored food will run out at some point. What are your plans at then?

At this point I don't have set plans with a MAG. I have just been working on getting some ideas going for my wife and I, with the knowledge that my parents, and if they can get here from out of state maybe my sister, BIL, & Niece, plus 1 nephew could show up. The wife and I already grow a lot of our own food, maybe 60-75% of our non meat and dairy products. I don't think it will take a huge amount for us to ramp up to 100%. We have fruit trees, grape vines, and berry bushes planted and some are already producing. Our chickens are doing well and with our recent increase in flock size, have positioned ourselves to be able to bump up the size of the flock to be able to have plenty of meat for us and plenty of eggs for us and to barter. There are a few farmers around where we are that raise cattle and I feel sure I could pick up a bred heifer or two, or some calves for beef.

In a larger group situation situation, say 10-30 folks for example, food resources are going to be much more demanding. While I have between 1 and 2 acres committed right now to food production and would increase that to at least 4-5 with cattle, a larger group would need 15-50 acres, depending on soil and growing conditions and the size of the group. This will take a lot of hands to manage and a boat load of seed, fertilize, tools, storage, and preservation materials to prepare and put away the food needed to get thru a winter. Does your group have a person or three, designated as food production lead, or some such position to manage how much gets planted, where at, what kind of rotation, ect? Are certain folks mainly tasked to this, or does everyone rotate thru all jobs? What kind of planting seed storage plans do you have? For how many? For how long? Have the proper tools already been purchased, prepared, and stored? Are animals in the plans? Are there folks who know how to manage the livestock? Is water acessable for them?

I don't disagree at all about the need for more hands to defend a location, it makes perfect sense to me. I'm just trying to get my head around how to keep a larger number of folks fed, at least at a subsistance level. I know it can be done and would love to hear your folks thoughts on the matter.