Can You Save Money by Growing Your Own Food?

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It’s a logical question if you’ve got the yard space and the time: The price of eggs has spiked so high, would you be better off raising your own chickens?

What about fruits and vegetables? With tariffs on top of inflation, is it time to invest in a serious garden?

Getting a backyard flock of chickens is apparently so popular right now that there are chick shortages at some local farm stores and hatcheries, The Atlantic recently reported.

But can you actually save money by doing it yourself? When it comes to eggs, that’s going to be a no, according to professors from the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture.

“Eggs may be expensive, but backyard chickens are even more expensive,” they wrote in a paper this month. They’re also “difficult to care for and a high-maintenance investment, especially if you are new to the world of agriculture and know little or nothing about caring for livestock.”

Here are a few things to keep in mind: Chicks range from about $5 each to perhaps $50 or $60, depending on breed. Even if you pay about the same price for a chick as a carton of eggs, you’ll need lots of other things to translate that fluff into food.

Expect to spend around $1,500 to get started with the chicks themselves, the initial heat lamp and container, a mid-priced coop, the nesting boxes, the food, the feeder, and the other necessary supplies, according to Lisa Steele, a fifth-generation chicken keeper, author and blogger.

Let’s assume your small flock of three to six chickens yields a dozen eggs a week. That works out to about $29 a dozen during your first year.

But wait — the math gets worse. Chicks don’t start laying eggs until they are three or four months old, and they may stop during the winter due to lack of daylight. Then, after three or four years, they’ll stop laying for good — but can still live for years after that. To stay in eggs, you’ll need to buy more chickens every few years.

Ok, so if eggs are too hard, what about growing your own fruits and vegetables?

That’s also complicated, though potentially more cost-effective. It’s hard to find definitive data, but according to one 2014 cost-benefit analysis published by Oregon State University, the average garden produces $677 worth of fruits and vegetables and costs $238 in materials and supplies.

Still, your success is very dependent on where you live, what you grow, and if the weather cooperates, among other things. And there are many problems that can roll back or wipe out any actual savings, especially if you’re not very experienced.

So what? Growing your own food can be healthy and therapeutic, benefiting your mind and body. But don’t assume it’s going to save you money. As with any investment, it’s worthwhile to assess both the initial and ongoing costs. And make sure to consider what’s arguably the most important factor: Your time.

Related Reading

•   The Cost & Benefits of Raising Egg-Laying Chickens (Wilco Farm Stores)

•   Egg Markets Overview (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

•   Estimating Costs and Benefits of Vegetable Gardening (University of Florida Gardening Extension)

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