The math of a 4-foot hedge

You can't control the global food system. But you can opt out of part of it — with four feet of soil.

A typical family spends $200 to $400 a month on fresh produce. A 4-foot bed, managed with the right method, can replace a meaningful slice of that — greens, tomatoes, herbs, roots — for the cost of seeds and water.

Families using the 4-Foot Farm Blueprint report cutting $2,000 to $3,000 a year off groceries. At 15 minutes of work a week, that is one of the highest-return moves a household can make.

And unlike a sale, it does not end. Every season the bed pays you back — right as prices climb again.