If home growers take a step beyond vegetables and fruits, it’s probably going to be to raise hens for the eggs. There have been quite a few accounts in the media about this in the last year or so, including in this morning’s New York Times. And then the next step for some is raising chickens for slaughter. One problem, however, according to this article, is that it could easily cost more in feed than a chicken will fetch on the open market. That looks like a losing proposition.
There still might be an argument for giving this and other currently losing propositions a try: Skills acquired today could prove valuable if the price of commercially produced food rises enough some day, perhaps due to energy or environmental cleanup costs. Think of it like insurance. Except for whole and universal life, we generally don’t get a return on our investment in insurance coverage. But we buy it to protect ourselves in the event of an automobile accident, disability or untimely death.
