Large Garden - Wanting to use to be self sufficient :) any books/video recommendations please?

The standard work for self-sufficiency has always been John Seymour's large tome, but as you will see, there are plenty of other more modern versions:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Complete-Book-Self-Sufficiency-realists/dp/0751364428

If you are living in a semi-urban environment, in a garden rather than with fields, then a goat won't be a space-effective way of using what you've got. It would also be cruel to keep just one, so having 2+ would be even less efficient. Rule out the goat!

Chickens are easier and you're entitled to keep them, so no one nearby can prevent you, but don't get a cockerel unless you don't mind upset neighbours. What's 'reasonable' in the country isn't necessarily so in town.

Ducks too can be incredibly noisy, so learn about the breeds and which will be quieter. They're messy and, like many breeds of chicken, they need keeping away from crops. Like the chickens you'd have to balance what return you'd see against the space they need.

Now for the difficult bit: you may not save as much money as you hope and you might not enjoy some of the jobs. For example, will you be OK killing poultry if they stop laying or fall very ill? Many people find that unacceptable, but every bird gets old and unproductive. Then, continuing to feed them isn't 'eco.' Also, if you have to traipse off to the vet with every sick bird, you'll be into a loss before you know it. At best, expect to break even with hens.

As for the growing stuff, it's most cost effective to give priority to expensive produce that your family really enjoys, so that's not necessarily root veg. A well-managed fruit garden will possibly be worthwhile, and so might fast-growing salad crops or high-cost/hard to source veg.

A polytunnel is a must for plants like peppers and tomatoes, but don't overdo it, as a great many plants prefer the outdoor life in summer. In the last few hot summers I've struggled with whitefly in my tunnel.

You don't say what spare time you have available, but with 5 children it won't be as much as some enjoy and they will surely take up some garden space too. I wouldn't say it's wrong to have an overall plan in place for your plot, but don't try to set it all up in one go. Start small and build up gradually, bearing in mind that some things take perhaps 3 years to be productive, while others only take a few months.

Best of luck. From previous threads, I know few people on this forum think you will save a lot of money, and you definitely won't make more than you'd get stacking shelves for Mr T, but there are plenty of other reasons for growing your own.

Niv wrote: »

Obviously you can use the picture in the link to help you target which things you can be self sufficient on (my guess is not corn or electricity!).

Now battery storage is a reality, becoming self-sufficient in electricity is much closer. There's just one problem, and that's the minimum £12k investment for the smallest system!

Strawberries only do about 3 or 4 seasons and then the plants need replacing, usually by taking runners (small plants on long stalks produced after fruiting) off as soon as they've rooted into the soil or in pots you've provided.

So you could probably start a new bed if there are runners.

Having been a teenager in the late 60s, I have a vague idea what a marijuana leaf looks like, and the nearest thing to that I can think of that creeps and could be mistaken for a weed, is hops. I have a wild one that sprang up in the shadow of a large oak tree, so it never gets very rampant, but the one in my old front garden just about took it over and had to be removed.

The only other creeping, fast growing weed I can think of is convululus, but the leaf doesn't match your description.