Grow your own food?

Unearthing the truth with guesstimation

Part of the Guesstimation series
Mon, May 16, 2022

Have you ever daydreamed about leading a self-sufficient life, growing all your food on a patch of land? It’s an alluring fantasy, isn’t it? But how feasible is this dream? How much land would you actually need to pull it off? Is it a garden or more like a farm? These are the questions we are answering today in the context of guesstimation - a handy tool that helps us navigate the complexities of our world.

In this 5th episode in the series on guesstimation, we’ll explore energy through the realms of physics and biology to untangle the truth about self-sufficiency.

We’ll apply the principles of the geometric mean from last time and flex our guesstimation muscles to sift through real-world complexities and prevent ourselves from getting bogged down by overwhelming detail.

Today’s “impossible problem” may change how you look at your garden, your daily food, and the energy that permeates our world. You might even find yourself reconsidering that old daydream of self-sufficiency. Are you ready to embark on this enlightening journey? Will your fantasy hold up to the rigorous scrutiny of guesstimation? There’s only one way to find out.

Let’s dive in!