Grow Food Anywhere

Most "grow your own food" content is aspirational nonsense from people with acres of land and years of experience. This is for desk workers who've never grown anything, live in apartments or small houses, and need to start producing real food with minimal investment. Focus: what actually yields enough to matter, what's a waste of time, and the 20% of effort that produces 80% of results.

Sources & Verification

• - USDA Cooperative Extension System — every county in the U.S. has a free extension office with locally adapted planting guides, pest management, and soil testing. Find yours at extension.org
• Master Gardener Programs (run through extension offices) — free hotlines and local clinics where trained volunteers answer gardening questions. Search "[your county] master gardener"
• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map — the standard reference for determining what grows in your climate. planthardiness.ars.usda.gov
• "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholomew — the most practical guide to high-yield small-space food production, especially relevant for raised beds and containers
• "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" by Edward C. Smith — comprehensive reference on growing food in various climates and conditions, with realistic yield expectations

When to Use

• - User wants to grow food but has never gardened
• Lives in an apartment, small house, or has limited outdoor space
• Wants to reduce grocery bills with homegrown food
• Looking for practical starting point, not a lifestyle change
• Interested in food self-sufficiency as a hedge

Instructions

Step 1: Assess your space honestly

Agent action: Ask the user about their living situation and create a personalized growing plan. Save to ~/documents/food-growing/my-plan.md.

Before buying anything, figure out what you actually have:

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Step 2: Start with what actually produces

Most beginners plant tomatoes and get disappointed. Here's what actually feeds you, ranked by calories and nutrition per square foot of effort:

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Step 3: Container setup (apartments/balconies)

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Step 4: The only care routine that matters

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Step 5: Scaling up — when you're ready for more

If you have ground space and want meaningful food production:

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If This Fails

• - Community gardens — if your space genuinely can't support food growing, search "[your city] community garden plots." Many are free or under $50/season, and experienced gardeners on adjacent plots are the best teachers you'll find.
• Just grow sprouts and microgreens indoors — if outdoor space or sunlight is truly zero, a jar of mung bean sprouts on your counter produces edible food in 3-5 days with no light needed. Cost: $3 for a bag of seeds that lasts months.
• Gleaning programs — many areas have volunteer organizations that harvest unpicked fruit and vegetables from farms and yards. You help pick, you take some home. Search "[your area] gleaning network."
• Cross-reference: Cook From Scratch skill — if growing isn't viable, the biggest food savings come from cooking skills. A stocked pantry and basic techniques cut food costs more than any garden.
• Cross-reference: Benefits Navigator skill — if food cost is the driver, SNAP benefits and food bank access may be more immediately impactful than growing. Use both together for maximum effect.

Rules

• - Never recommend starting big — one to three containers is the right first step
• Focus on what actually produces food, not what looks good on Instagram
• Always mention the sunlight requirement first — no sun = no food (except sprouts)
• Be honest about what's realistic for apartment dwellers vs. people with yards

Tips

• - Grocery store herbs in pots are alive. Buy a $3 basil plant and it'll produce for months on a windowsill.
• Seed starting indoors is a waste of time for beginners. Buy seedlings from a nursery for your first season.
• Compost doesn't need a bin. Bury kitchen scraps 8 inches deep directly in garden soil. Done.
• The #1 mistake is planting too much at once. Start with 3 things. Add more next season.
• Many cities have community gardens with free plots. Search "[your city] community garden" — waitlists exist but they're often shorter than people think.
• Potatoes are the ultimate survival crop. You can grow 100 lbs in 4 large containers on a patio.

Agent State

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Automation Triggers

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