10 Survival Crops Every Prepper Should Be Growing Right Now
With the economy wobbling and food prices climbing, growing your own calories isnât just a hobby anymoreâitâs real security. A solid survival garden isnât about fancy veggies or Instagram beds. Itâs about high-yield, high-calorie, long-storing crops that will actually keep you fed when supply chains fail.
If youâre building a garden with preparedness in mind, focus on staples that check the boxes:
â Easy to grow
â Store for months without refrigeration
â Calorie-dense
â Climate-hardy
â Low-maintenance
â Nutrient-rich
Here are 10 of the best survival crops to grow for long-term food independenceâand why they matter.
1. Winter Squash
One of the best long-term food staples out there. Huge yields, tons of calories, and they store for months without any special treatment. Cure them, stack them, forget about them.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Both the tubers and the leaves are edible. Theyâre incredibly nutrient-dense, produce heavily, and store amazingly well after curing.
3. Potatoes
The backbone of survival gardening. Cheap, hardy, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in almost any soil. Perfect for bulk calories.
4. Field Corn
Not sweet cornâfield corn. Dry it, grind it into flour, use it for cornbread, tortillas, feed, or even alcohol. A true long-term staple.
5. Amaranth
This plant is a survival powerhouse. Young leaves are edible greens, mature seeds act like grain, and the plant grows like a weed (in a good way).
6. Beans
Dry beans store for years, provide protein, and even fix nitrogen into your soil. Pole or bushâgrow both.
7. Cabbage
Hardy, frost-resistant, and perfect for fermentation. Sauerkraut is a long-lasting, nutrient-packed food that doesnât require refrigeration.
8. Turnips
Fast-growing, tough as nails, and both the greens and roots are edible. Great emergency crop.
9. Garlic
Pest-resistant, medicinal, and stores longer than almost any crop. Plant in fall, harvest mid-summer.
10. Perennials (fruit & nut trees, berry bushes)
These are your long game. Plant once, reap for decades: apples, hazelnuts, raspberries, blueberriesâtrue food security.
Why These Crops Matter
These arenât âgardening showâ vegetablesâtheyâre the foundation of real survival:
Calorie-dense staples = long-term energy
Long shelf life = no dependency on fridges
Climate-hardy plants = less babysitting
Easy seed-saving = long-term independence
Perennials = food even if you canât replant next year
Start with a few crops, learn as you go, and expand each season. Each seed you plant is one step closer to real food security and less reliance on a shaky system.
Self-reliance starts in the soil.
You donât need a perfect gardenâjust a productive one.
