Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply, from Seed to Root Cellar

by Sam Coffman

Learn how to grow your own food supply, with advice from a survival skills expert. This essential guide includes how to choose and grow the most nutrient-dense crops without store-bought amendments or fertilizers, how to plan for a nonstop supply, how to store food, and how to create your own seed bank.

Whether we like it or not, the next pandemic—with the same types of supply chain disruptions that came with the last one—is likely to be just around the corner. In addition to stocking up on toilet paper and making sourdough bread, we can all become more resilient in the face of global crises by learning to grow our own food. Author Sam Coffman shows you how to select and grow the most valuable crops—those that offer the most nutrients and the biggest harvest with the least amount of effort, and are the easiest to save seed from—in the least amount of space, using few or no store-bought amendments. He also shows you how to grow food quickly (in as little as five days) in an emergency situation, choose and plant perennial food plants for longer-term harvest, grow mushrooms, forage from the backyard, and store food for the long term. 

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Food, Survival

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 14, 2025

Reviews

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely handy little guide for how to grow your own food in a survival situation. Coffman gives great tips on how, what and where to plant seeds. He has clear instructions, as well as photos of each process. This is a good book to have!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a prepper. If there is an apocalypse, I don’t want to survive, as I am too old and disabled and could not live if no electricity. But, this book really caught my eye. Though I can no longer do any gardening myself (or even get into our garden), I do get to decide what is planted there, and love eating the produce grown. And this book gave plenty of suggestions.
The book would be ideal for people starting a new garden or allotment – what to grow (for immediate and long-haul food), tools needed, types of bed, crop rotation, type of plot, water availability, sun, shade, temperatures … the list goes on. There is also a run down on the nutrition we need to survive, and some animals that could be raised for food as well as the plants (i.e. rabbits and chickens), and what they would need. Storage of produce is dealt with.
You probably won’t need everything in this book – but then you never know. Survival gardening needs planning – you can’t wait until the bombs drop or the Zombies appear. Even a few suggestion from this book will make for a more productive, efficient garden – whatever the state of the world.
Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst:

“However, a key difference between survival gardening and typical gardening is that we are growing our food because we might starve if we do not, and we need to approach the task of gardening as though our lives depend on it.”

Definitely recommended to all gardeners – preppers or not
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.

[Renée S · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
What was good: The author touches on a wide range of topics that an entry level "tomato and zucchini gardener" might not know about, such as succession planting, growing mushrooms, and creating a seed bank. This may be a good jumping off point for someone who wants to expand their gardening skills and doesn't really know what that could even look like.

I also liked how the author described creating one's own oyster mushroom spawn from only the stems of oyster mushrooms. That was actually some potentially useful information that was also new to me.

What I didn't like: Most topics were touched on so briefly that the information wasn't useful enough to act on (beyond, "maybe I would want to read more about this topic.") Some information was inaccurate, and some seemed only briefly researched, enough so that he could include it in the book, but not so much that I felt he knew what he was talking about.

Biggest pet peeve: The "Survival" in "Survival Gardening" seems to be a loosely tacked-on buzzword. Periodically, he'll make some offhand comment like (paraphrasing here), "This might help camouflage your garden/root cellar/etc. from prying eyes..."

He also writes a lot of the book in a way reliant on big box stores or feed/farm stores. e.g. He says it's important for laying hens to have more protein in their diets, and for older hens to have more calcium, but then instead of explaining some ways you can provide these requirements for your hens when there may not be a store to go to, he recommends looking for a chicken feed that has these nutrients.

[Allison Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

everything you would need to know in a concise format. super helpful from what to grow and when to how to grow in various methods even irrigation, green housing and composting.

[Paperback Pagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an advanced reader copy provided digitally by Netgalley.
Covering a huge amount on concepts and information on producing food in a survival situation.
The information in the book is enough to get you started on many projects. This book is heavier on the survival guide than the gardening guide. I would suggest pairing this with a gardening guide focused on how to grow edible plants for a more rounded idea of how to bring these ideas to fruition.
It gave me a lot of ideas for how to increase my food output and I would buy the book or give it as a gift to a survivalist also interested in growing food.
Sprouting, growing for highest and quickest calories, composting, guerilla gardening, straw bale gardening, edible insects, and many more topics are covered.

[AVS · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if we lack all the necessary food supply and remain in that state forever? The pandemic and its repercussions make us ask this question every now and then. 'Survival Gardening by Sam Coffman' tries to find the solution and sincerely shows the path on how to be self-sustainable. Although the modern lifestyle may not be able to provide this freedom, efforts in this direction do bring a new perspective altogether for sure. This book is for anyone who has tried their luck with homesteading or is willing to.
'Grow Your Emergency Food Supply from Seed to Root Cellar' justifies this claim. The author starts with microgreens, setting up a stage for how to grow food almost instantly. But as the book progresses, you are slowly introduced to growing crops at a normal pace. While the author elaborates on different techniques of growing, composting, protecting, and creating seed banks, on the other hand, he somehow forgets the word "emergency." The author does mention USDA zones and temperatures for growing crops, but in the case of sudden climate change or small calamities, details on prompt and effective ways to save the crops are lacking. Nonetheless, the author does showcase methods of disaster management in case of droughts, hurricanes, and even nuclear disasters.
The book mentions very little about the author’s expertise on the subject, but the hypotheses and claims used throughout the book would be better if backed by more evidence. Gardening is not as simple as it seems; every now and then, with or without disaster, climate remains a surprising element when you start growing your own crops. Another aspect of homesteading involving animals and insects is interesting and discussed in utmost detail. Another thoughtful gesture from the author is to include some recipes. Some other important details one cannot ignore are the diagrams and graphics provided—they are self-explanatory and seem really easy to follow.
Survival Gardening by Sam Coffman makes every effort to give that boost to start homesteading. More focus on the 'emergency' aspect would take this book to the next level. The photographs and graphics used are really helpful and do justice to the overall appearance of the book. I would generously give 4 out of 5 stars to the author for this endeavour.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Survival Gardening is a no-nonsense, well written, accessible guide to getting started with food production, readiness, self sufficiency, and improving personal and community food security written and curated by Sam Coffman. Released 1st Nov 2022 by Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formast.

Food security and transportation costs and availability are real and immediate concerns for the vast majority of people worldwide. We only have to look at the supply issues of the last few years to see how vulnerable we are to interruptions and resource scarcity. It's not possible to be self-sufficient with toilet paper and toothpaste (well, not really), but providing for part of our food needs ourselves is a great way to reduce some stress, gain valuable skills, and gain a fun and relaxing hobby.

The author has a great encouraging writing style and is willing to share his experience to help other would-be gardeners improve their outcomes. The book contains tangible advice for starting, sourcing materials, planning, seed starting, growing, harvesting, troubleshooting and compensating for less than ideal results, but it -also- contains a lot of useful and thought provoking philosophy and interesting info for ruminating about our consumerist lifestyle, our definition of community, and how we can be less dependent on unstable supply chains for our daily nutrition.

Four and a half stars. This would be a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, activity groups, community garden collections, and home use. There is an emphasis on urban and to a lesser degree suburban gardeners, but there are valuable takeaways for gardeners in all situations. It's especially worthwhile to think about doing something about our self sufficiency and preparedness *before* the proverbial sh*t hits the fan.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very detailed guide to growing a garden in an emergency situation. It covers lots of topics like quick crops, humanure (it’s what it sounds like), seed saving and much more. The one thought I had a lot was that you had better have this stuff in place ahead of time though, since he calls for buying a lot of stuff. A lot of times his recommendations call for things like electricity that I don’t know would be available in many real catastrophes. The final page covers radiation in one page and says once you know the level of radiation then here’s some crops that help remediate, and then to test the soil for pH and quality, but not how you know the radiation level or how you test your soil quality after a nuclear disaster or how long it would take or really what to do. There’s often quite a lot of equipment and supplies called for, so this is best suited for creating your garden ahead of an emergency. I would also like suggestions for where to buy all these supplies and seeds in the event of an emergency of this magnitude, if you have to stockpile seeds ahead of time then how to store them, how to water and such without running water (he talks about irrigation systems, another thing you may not be able to do in a real emergency). Thorough, good information though.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book for review.

[DustyBookSniffers - Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a time when the cost of living is rising, and food security is becoming increasingly important, Survival Gardening by Sam Coffman is a no-nonsense guide that offers practical advice on growing your own food, ensuring both a steady supply of fresh produce and potential savings.

This book covers various topics, from growing microgreens to harvesting fast-growing vegetables in as little as five weeks.

It's packed with valuable information that applies to gardeners in various climates. I found the water conservation section particularly useful, as I live in a very hot climate. The tips provided have given me the knowledge I need to implement effective strategies for my garden.

I plan to implement the section on quick-growing vegetables during the next growing season. Knowing I can harvest vegetables within five weeks offers a practical solution for anyone looking to achieve quick results in their garden.

Overall, Survival Gardening is a fantastic reference for anyone looking to grow their own food. It's full of essential information and easy to navigate, making it a resource you'll return to time and time again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for gifting me an e-book ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survival Gardening by Sam Coffman is a book everyone should have on their bookshelf, and not just for emergencies. Page after page I was amazed by the amount of information included in this guide. Coffman covers everything from plants that can be grown to meet immediate food needs to setting up a garden for long-term supply needs. He lays out options and techniques for creating a garden that works for you.

I really enjoyed the content of this book. You’ll find helpful tables showing how long you can expect sprouts and microgreens to grow, step-by-step instructions for growing and storing mushrooms, and how to choose nutrient-dense crops. Coffman doesn’t just stop at growing food though, he also talks about garden bed methods, compost options, pest management, even how to build a root cellar. He also touches on how to set up a garden for small spaces, so no matter what type of space you’re working with you can implement the strategies from this book.

You don’t need to be a prepper to reap the benefits from this guide. It never hurts to be prepared for emergencies beyond our control and food security should be a top priority.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for providing an ARC for my honest review.

[Bookguide · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an ARC I read through NetGalley in January, but didn’t manage to read it all the way through before it was archived. More fool me! It’s one of the best food growing books I’ve ever read and I loved the survival gardening slant. It was made all too clear during the early days of the Covid epidemic that we at the mercy of our food delivery system. Disruptions to the supply chain caused by the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal or simply strike action on the critical path can cause chaos and shortages that affect us all.

It was so good that I intend to buy a copy for myself. It would make a great addition to anyone’s gardening reference shelf, but it’s also perfect for someone who has never been interested in growing food because, due to climate change and other disruptions, we could all be thrown into a situation where we need to be a little more self sufficient.

One of the main messages of this book is to practice what you need to do to become self sufficient before you are in a situation where you need to do so. This means setting up growing spaces, whatever that may mean in your individual circumstances, then practising to see what grows best and what simply won’t grow. For instance, I was told that cauliflower doesn’t grow well in our soil, but plenty of other plants in the cabbage family do. I have to say, I haven’t tested that myself, but advice from locals is indispensable. Another tip that I wouldn’t have thought of is to look at the menus of local restaurants that use seasonal local produce for ideas through the course of the year, though it occurs to me that local farmers may be using glasshouses or polytunnels that allows them to grow produce that won’t grow in the field.

“… the more you act as though there was no alternative to a specific set of skills, the better you will become at those skills.”

Being prepared doesn’t just mean stocking up on tinned food, pasta and toilet roll. If we have the right seeds and equipment ready before the worst happens, we can not simply survive on boring basics, but eat fresh vegetables just a couple of days after any disaster. For instance, by growing microgreens (like the mustard and cress we all grew at school), we can add valuable vitamins and nutrients to a bland diet.

This can help fend off food fatigue, This is what tends to happen in disaster situations where people are forced to eat the same things repeatedly. Even if what they eat is nutritious, they tend to start eating less, simply due to boredom. This can even progress into a psychological aversion to certain foods, rejecting them despite their physical needs. This is why it’s recommended that aid workers should provide a variety of food, preferably including fresh produce and local specialities.

I’ve had a not entirely successful allotment and home vegetable garden for many years now, have watched Gardener’s World since the 1970s and regularly watch growing-related and permaculture YouTube channels, but I still learnt a lot from this book. New ideas, new techniques, new points of view. Or had familiar ideas explained thoroughly for the first time.

On the whole, the explanations are easy to follow for someone who has no expertise in gardening. There are clear diagrams and instructions for building various projects which became confusing to this non-builder, but would definitely make complete sense if I actually wanted to set up a water retention system or worm farm. Certainly a major improvement on IKEA’s wordless so-called instructions.

There is only one point where I noticed that the author has more conventional scientific horticultural knowledge as well as practical experience. This was the sentence “Vermiculture will also help lower soil pH and improve cation exchange capacity, reduce erosion, and help prevent soils from becoming crusted.” In my time as a translator, I have worked on translations for a horticultural university and at the time I knew what ‘cation exchange capacity’ was and I really ought to know if lowering pH makes something more or less acidic, but I am 100% certain that the vast majority of readers will be completely flummoxed by this sentence. Given the author is an expert, it’s really quite an achievement that this is the only sentence in the entire book that has me scratching my head.

An interesting subject I’ve never read much about is keeping black soldier flies and their larvae (BSFL) in a composting system that can also digest meat scraps and even dog and cat faeces and ‘humanure’. The flies themselves repel houseflies, and the BSFL naturally climb, so can be tricked into feeding themselves straight into a chicken run, aquaponics fish tank or a bottle (presumably to be kept somewhere warm with a lid on until they hatch and can be released into your compost heap. The only disadvantage is that they need to be kept above 4°C and prefer summer temperatures in a moderate climate, so need shelter or buying anew every spring; not so great in a disaster scenario.

Another new bit of information for me was when to cut down cover crops, which is one of those things the seed packets don’t typically mention, or suggest digging in; as a no-dig grower, that’s not the idea at all. He says to cut cover crops down once at least half the plants are in flower, before they set seed, when the plants have grown to their maximum size, hence creating the greatest amount of biomass. Yay! Covering the remains with cardboard can also be used to speed up the breaking down process.

In the section about microgreens, I was surprised to see peat compost being suggested as a growing medium, given the ecological damage caused by harvesting peat. In Britain, there has been a huge campaign in recent years to promote peatless compost.

The only criticism I have is that it would have been helpful to give the scientific names of the vegetables as they can have different common names. For instance, the photo of ‘mustard greens’ looks remarkably like what I would call ‘curly kale’ and the ‘kale’ looks like a particular purple variety of curly kale.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Coffman
We don’t know what lies ahead so we prepare for emergencies by purchasing insurance. While I believe insurance is important it will not feed us. It is up to each family to be prepared. Our household keeps at least a 3-month supply of food in the pantry but what will we do after 3 months? Author Sam Coffman has the solution. We must learn to grow our food and to preserve it. He discusses the need to look at crops that are healthy and provide the most nutrients. We also need crops that have a high yield. The crops we raise must have seed we can save for the next year…that means using heirloom seeds. The crops we raise need to be space saving. We may not have access to store bought foods. There is so much more to learn from this Sam Coffman in his book Survival Gardening.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

[Macaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical gardening book. Would you be able to survive if you had to grow your own food? We start with sprouts—they can grow within days. Then micro-greens, these can be grown in a couple of weeks. We’re given information for a garden set-up and alternate ways of watering. We’re also shown how we can grow food year round and keep chickens and rabbits. There are a lot of ideas in this book, including small space gardening. As the book recommends, if you have the space start now. Determine what works for you and use it. And don’t wait until it’s too late.

Thanks to NetGalley and Storey for the advanced copy.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t consider myself a survivalist, but this is absolutely a book I’m adding to my gardening library. It’s full of diagrams, photos and covers a broad spectrum of information. Included is the caloric breakdown of veggies/seeds/greens, etc, growing info and recipes.
It’ll be a great resource if you are growing because your life depends on it and it’s perfect if you’re an avid gardener who loves learning from different people.

4 stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the arc.

[Talia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I quite like this book. It has slightly wider appeal than one would think from the blurb - it's an interesting read for the novice gardener as well as a hardcore survivalist.

I look forward to trying out the techniques for growing sprouts, micro greens and a couple of other species.

The inclusion of recipes for each plant is quite good and many of them look healthy and appetising.

I would have appreciated more detailed step by step instructions with pictures. Some gardening knowledge is a prerequisite to this book.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot to this book, and one that everyone should consider buying after reading the Kindle version. The author provides details and steps for growing your food and replanting using seeds from those foods. He gives you a total picture of everything, from building planters to a compost bed, and it just goes on from there. Once you get everything in place, from the irrigation and so forth, you will not have a problem keeping everything going. I forgot to mention that he also discusses keeping the pests away. This is an excellent book.

[MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 / 5.0

I am not a prepper or a survivalist (furthest thing from it, I love my creature comforts) but I do want to have a better garden. This book really provided useful information in a clear manner. Once it is available in physical format, I will have it on my shelf, right next to the deer-proofing and zone planting guides, and hopefully my garden continues in improve.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to the eARC.

[Donna Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about growing food (and it doesn't need to be for an emergency). I'm a gardener already, and particularly liked the section on plants that grow super quickly, and plants that produce very good yield in small amounts of space. Both are useful for any gardener and I'll be referencing the yield section often.

(read via a NetGalley ARC)

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars really because this slim book gives you an in-depth understanding of what’s required to grow food for yourself and animals from seed to preservation. If you have minimal knowledge of gardening, you’ll need to research specific plants suitable for your climate and the care required. This is a valuable resource and will direct you in all the basics including humanure!

[Heather Sturgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to survival gardening and the importance of being prepared. Looks at what to do in the first five days after a disaster, the next five weeks and long-term preparation for survival.

[Guisel Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a lot of helpful information on what nutrients and vitamins benefit us as well as what you can grow in a garden to self-sustain. Tons of how to’s for those new to gardening (me) and ways to store food. I received this as an ARC for an honest review. #NetGalley

[Rebecca Kay Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if just growing a tiny garden this is so worth it

[Rezzi Belle Beanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is chock full of information and even helps with planning for time. It is an absolute treasure in these difficult times!! Thank you to netgalley for the ARC

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minus one star for the totally unnecessary phrase “wolf spider tempura”.

[Debumere · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute essential. It shows us how to grow for survival or rather to be self-sufficient and has many handy tips to help you succeed. With the cost of living, world on the brink, we need this more than ever. I’ll most certainly be applying this to my garden and have started making plans using the book as a guide.

FYI It is American but the general premise is the same.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for this ARC.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly helpful resource for anyone who wants to learn about gardening for survival. But you don't have to be a prepper to glean its benefits. Any gardener or wannabe will find it filled with easy to follow ideas and techniques. A winner!