Over the last few years we have heard more and more about the quest for self-sufficiency. But, as we have discovered, the desire to provide for your own needs is far from being a trapping of modern-day life.
A very fashionable past time
Daniel Defoe defined the 'English Gentleman as having 'venison perhaps in his park, sufficient for his own table at least, and rabbits in his own warren adjoining, pigeons from a dove-house in the yard, fish in his own pond or in some small river adjoining and within his own royalty, and milk with all the needful addenda to his kitchen, which a small dairy of four or five cows yields to him'.
This together with the fruit and vegetables grown in the gardens and parks of the land owning classes enabled an almost total degree of self sufficiency.
It wasn't just the nobility that had an interest in stocking their own larders, for peasants and cottagers, growing their own food was a means of survival.
A change in tastes
Sadly, the prestige of the self sufficient esate came to an end in the 19th century, when it became more fashionable to devote one's efforts to ornamental gardening and plant collecting. Historically, the concept of self-sufficiency was synonymous with pleasure and sport - through hunting, fishing and the challenge of growing of exotic fruits.
By the 20th century, there was a dramatic decline in home produced food, due in part to urbanisation and industrialisation, together with the increasing population, and the centralisation of food production and distribution.
Back in vogue
The start of the 21st century has seen a resurgance in home grown produce - for both pleasure and profit. Perhaps we should be looking at our ancestors for tips on creating a productive and varied selection of food?
Find out more about the self-sufficient estate with our guide to the history of self-sufficiency, which provide a potted history of the ornamental features found within many National Trust gardens and parks that relate to food production and self-sufficiency. They form part of the bigger picture of Britain’s great estates and give an insight into the diet of the wealthy owners and their servants.
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