25th October 2026
The Government's advice to keep at least three days of essential supplies at home has prompted a useful discussion about how well households are prepared for emergencies. But perhaps there is a bigger question to consider. Should we also be encouraging more people to grow their own vegetables, and perhaps even keep a few hens for eggs?
For previous generations, this was not an unusual idea. Vegetable gardens, allotments and small flocks of chickens were familiar features of everyday life. Families grew potatoes, carrots, cabbages, peas and other vegetables, often making use of gardens that today might be dominated by lawns, paving or ornamental plants.
These were not necessarily survival measures. Growing food could save money, improve diets and provide something useful to do. But it also meant that some households had a modest source of fresh produce independent of the supermarket.
Much of that tradition has disappeared, or at least become less common. Modern food distribution makes an extraordinary range of produce available throughout the year, and many people have neither the time nor the space to grow their own. Yet recent concerns about supply chains, energy costs and international instability provide reasons to reconsider whether a little more household food production would be worthwhile.
A garden can be more than an ornament
For people with a garden, even a relatively small area can produce useful quantities of food. Potatoes, courgettes, runner beans, salad leaves, herbs and some varieties of fruit can all be grown at home. Raised beds and containers offer alternatives where soil is poor or space is limited.
Scotland presents particular challenges. The growing season is shorter in many areas, and wind, heavy rain and cool summers can make outdoor cultivation difficult. In Caithness and Sutherland, exposed gardens and relatively poor soils can require careful choices about what to plant and where.
However, these conditions do not make vegetable growing impossible. Hardy crops, sheltered growing spaces, compost and suitable varieties can all help. A greenhouse or polytunnel can extend the season, although the initial expense means that they are not practical for everyone.
The aim need not be to produce everything a family eats. Growing a few vegetables that would otherwise have to be bought is a useful start. Potatoes, beans and other crops can provide a substantial harvest, while herbs and salad leaves offer fresh additions to everyday meals.
There is also a wider benefit. People who grow even a small proportion of their food gain a better understanding of seasonality, weather and the work involved in producing what appears so readily on supermarket shelves.
What about keeping chickens?
A few hens might seem an attractive next step, particularly for households with suitable gardens. They can provide fresh eggs, and their manure can be composted for use in the garden when properly managed.
But chickens are not a free source of food. They need secure housing, protection from predators, regular cleaning, suitable feed and a reliable supply of water. They require daily attention, including when their owners are away.
Egg production also varies with the breed, the birds' age, the season and daylight. Hens may lay fewer eggs during the darker winter months, precisely when households might be thinking most about food security.
There are animal-welfare responsibilities too. Owners must understand their legal obligations, including relevant poultry registration and disease-control requirements. In Scotland, anyone considering keeping hens should check the latest guidance from the Scottish Government and animal-health authorities before buying birds.
For some households, a few hens could be a rewarding way of producing eggs. For others, the costs and responsibilities would outweigh the benefits. It should be a considered decision rather than an assumption that keeping chickens automatically makes a household cheaper or more resilient.
Could communities do more?
There is an opportunity here for allotment associations, community gardens, schools and local groups to play a bigger role.
Community growing projects can give people without gardens access to growing space. They can also help newcomers learn practical skills, share tools and exchange surplus produce. Schools can introduce children to the process of growing food, while community groups can make use of suitable land that would otherwise remain neglected.
In rural Scotland, there may be particular scope for sharing knowledge about crops suited to local conditions. Experienced gardeners often know which varieties cope with exposed sites, how to protect plants from wind and when to sow and harvest in a short growing season.
Local authorities and landowners could consider whether suitable plots are available for allotments and community growing, especially where demand exists. Such projects should not be presented as a replacement for tackling poverty or improving access to affordable food. They are one practical contribution among several.
Not everyone can grow their own food
It would be wrong to romanticise the past. Growing vegetables takes work, and not everyone has a garden, good health, spare time or the money to buy equipment and seeds. People living in flats may have little more than a windowsill or balcony.
Nor can household gardens feed Scotland's population. Commercial farms, food processors, wholesalers, transport networks and supermarkets remain essential. Maintaining those systems is at least as important as encouraging people to become more self-sufficient.
But food resilience does not have to mean producing everything ourselves. It can mean having several sources of supply and possessing the skills to make better use of what is available.
A household that grows some vegetables, stores a sensible quantity of essential food and understands how to prepare meals without electricity is better equipped to manage certain disruptions than one that depends entirely on daily shopping.
A little more independence makes sense
The Government's three-day emergency advice is a sensible starting point, but resilience should not end with a cupboard of supplies.
Scotland has a long tradition of making use of available land and resources. Reviving some of that practical knowledge could bring benefits beyond emergencies, including fresh food, opportunities for exercise, community involvement and a greater appreciation of how food is produced.
Not everyone needs to keep chickens or turn a lawn into a vegetable plot. Even a few pots of herbs, a row of beans or a small allotment can make a contribution.
The objective should not be to return to a time when families had little choice but to produce more of their own food. It should be to recover the useful skills and habits that modern convenience has allowed many of us to forget.
Being prepared is not just about what we keep in the cupboard. It is also about what we know how to grow, make and manage for ourselves.