"The Dirty Dozen"... These are crops which can be grown in a garden with hand tools and low tech gardening techniques. Some of those plants can be grown using guerilla gardening techniques. Corn Green Beans Squash (Pumpkin) Peas Kale Sunflower Tomatoes Okra Onions / Garlic Spinach Potatoes Sweet Potatoes
I would include wheat, because that would give me two grain crops that have different growing seasons and harvests. That would reduce the risk of total crop failure and provide a more varied diet! Also, any kind of beans, not just green beans. All winter squash not just pumpkins. Kale is good, but so are mustard, turnip greens, rape, and collards. Also, collards have the advantage of not freezing...at least around here.
I guess people can make their own variations as suits their climate / geography / personal circumstances. I think the self sufficiency criteria that the plants could be produced by gardening with basic hand tools, rather than being farmed reliant on mechanisation was the guiding factor. Some suggested Amaranth as a grain option for high yield production on small garden plots. Intensive rice production may be viable in places that have good access to water.
For preppers, one of the most important factors when selecting what foods to grow is storability. Most veggies and green leafy stuff require canning, pickling, drying, freezing, etc. The grains, seed, winter squash, beans, peas, onions, garlic, and potatoes are much easier to store.
I tried growing potatoes in new Mexico. Bright green butterfly larvae I have never seen in new Mexico appeared and started gorging them selves on the leaves.
