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Hafferty is clear that complete self-sufficiency is unrealistic on the land she has (half an acre including the footprint of her house near Lampeter in Wales) but she stresses that anyone, with a plot of any size, can benefit from her approach to growing and making their own.
“You can still do homesteading-style activities without having a garden,” she says. Hafferty prides herself on her writing being practical, down-to-earth and good-humoured and inspiring people to make them feel they can do it.
She says the no dig, organic movement has gained pace since then due to increased understanding of soil health, the damage digging does to soil ecosystems, and the pointlessness of turning over garden beds.
As a no-dig advocate for the past 17 years, she has seen the practice become far more mainstream as awareness grows of how digging releases carbon and disrupts soil life.
Hafferty keeps four Welsh Harlequin ducks, originally to eat slugs, but says she regrets getting them because they need to be enclosed to protect them from foxes. She also uses sheep’s fleece as mulch, because it is freely available as a waste product. However, she is frustrated by claims that animal inputs are essential for successful gardening.
She is a strong supporter of One Planet Development, a Welsh planning policy that enables sustainable, low-impact homes in the countryside. The policy requires residents to meet their basic needs (food, energy, income and waste) largely from their land, achieve near self-sufficiency, and remain within a minimal ecological footprint. Applications must demonstrate how targets will be met, with annual monitoring for five years, and focus on land-based livelihoods, renewable energy, natural materials and community integration.
She also points out that not being fully self-sufficient has advantages. Without enough land to grow grains, she relies on a local artisan baker, a choice that keeps her connected to the local community and supports the local economy.
Hafferty believes fungi have enormous untapped potential for gardeners, both for soil health and as food. Her eldest son, Rory, is currently completing a PhD in agroforestry and fungi. Her biggest ongoing animal challenge is squirrels, which eat her nuts.
When it comes to increasing self-sufficiency, she believes beans are the most accessible and productive crop for most people. “I think the top thing most people can grow for increased self-sufficiency are beans, especially beans for drying. There is so much choice available now, even in the mainstream seed catalogues. Climbing beans and dwarf or bush beans are suitable for most spaces. I mostly grow beans for drying and storage from Welsh or Scottish seed companies because they’ll be used to a climate like mine, and more tender varieties in the polytunnels. In Somerset they all went outside.
“They are ideal for soups and stews of course, but also pâtés, hummus, burgers or patties, loaf-style roasts, even cakes. They are incredibly good for you, full of nutrition, easy to grow and taste amazing. Really accessible for everyone — and if you can’t grow them, they’re cheap and widely available in all shops.”
The book includes a guide to reliable crops and unique varieties, spanning vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers, to ensure productivity across the seasons.
Significant chapters focus on the homegrown larder, with recipes for preserves, oils, ferments, vinegars and cordials, alongside chemical-free cleaners, soaps and fragrances for the home, herbal remedies and garden crafts. Many of these products, Hafferty notes, can be made without having a garden at all.
Her aim throughout is to make her favourite techniques accessible.
“The idea of the book is to make this doable for everyone,” she says, “no matter how big their garden is.”
