What would you grow in a small field

[SarzWix]

Cereals of some kind sounds like a good idea then, but it's going to be really hard work to process it by hand... If people nearby are growing it, might you be able to hire their equipment? Also, you'd need to check out the proper growing seasons, it might be that May is too late to sow it.

[Two_Sheds]

Turn sunflowers into biodiesel? (scroll down the page quite a way)

Or just grow sunflowers for cooking oil: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_.../oilpress.html

[Dottie]

Quinoa, excellent protein and easy to grow. But if doing quantity you'd want to use some kind of threshing machine to harvest, might be able to hire one locally?

[Two_Sheds]

You'd have to REALLY like quinoa to grow a field of it. I'd eat it only if there was no cardboard left in the entire world

[arpoet]

Bees! with all the wildflowers and sunflowers you should get some good honey.

[stella]

I would love bees but what would happen to them September to May?

[Nicos]

Bees are a fantastic idea!!!...There must be a local happy to look after them for you split say 50:50 for the honey or something like that???

[stella]

no all the locals have been farming for years and are elderly and are giving everything up to sit in the village square in the sun or in the winter to go to their childrens houses in the town to warm themselves with the central heating

[Glutton4...]

Grass it, fence it, and rent it out for winter grazing?

[Nicos]

Plant chestnut trees impregnated with truffle spores! shhhhh.....

[Hilary B]

How far into Spring do frosts last? If you get 'frost free' (or at least 'bad-frost free) reasonably early, how about almonds? The trees are hardier than olives, they are tolerant of a dry summer, and as long as the blossom survives, they should give a respectable crop. They also start producing relatively quickly, as trees go.

[stella]

Fencing it is way beyond our budget at the moment. Also there are very few cattle in this area and those that are around spend most time in a barn underneath the farmhouse.
We spent 100euros last year on trees and only 1 survived the hot summer as there is no water so we have to carry bucketfuls by hand. I am a bit wary of spending more on trees even Monty said he was still waiting for his truffle trees to produce.

[Dottie]

You'd have to REALLY like quinoa to grow a field of it. I'd eat it only if there was no cardboard left in the entire world

I love quinoa and couscous, both so light to eat and tasty if you add spices.

Artichokes, you often see fields of them when in France. Lovely flowers and come back bigger and stronger every year.