I sympathize with clay, the soil in my area is caliche, which I learned to my dismay, needs a pick axe and a lot of determination.
The best combination of high nutrition food for my purposes is first, a hot weather apple tree. Very productive—I got about 10 gallons of applesauce this year. And gourds grow well underneath it, saving space. Pinto beans do very well on a trellis, and serve a double duty by blocking sun from a western wall in summer.
A real secret of the southwest is Amaranth, which very few people have discovered yet, but is a nutritional miracle plant. The greens are some of the highest nutrition greens around, and a seed head can produce a liter of fruit-grain. Very high in protein and amino acids.
It compares favorably with corn, but is far less susceptible to insects.
Its cooler weather cousin is quinoa.
BTW, if you want a giggle, instead of a milk cow, offer to meet your husband halfway and get a milk goat. It will be worth it to see the expression on his face.
“BTW, if you want a giggle, instead of a milk cow, offer to meet your husband halfway and get a milk goat. It will be worth it to see the expression on his face.”
Never! I guess you haven’t seen my ‘goat rants’ on any of the gardening or ag-related threads, LOL! I was an indentured slave on my Aunt’s farm each summer while growing up. Granted, she taught me a lot (she was ‘organic’ before the word was even invented), but I can’t stand the smell of goats, the taste of goat meat unless it is heavily seasoned in a giro, the smell or taste of goat milk, and goat cheese is even worse! And they are stupid, vile, mean-spirted animals with no redeeming qualities!
So, no goats. Meeting him half way will have to be with sheep. I’d love the wool for my crochet projects and they could mow the lawn for him. :)