I'm a 'prepper' - I haven't done a big food shop in four years but have enough meals to feed my family of five for the next 12 months
- Natasha Gahagan in the USA said she always wanted to live 'off the grid'
- READ MORE: Mother shares 'drastically different' food haul from 2022
A self-described 'prepper' has revealed how she feeds her family of five - despite not having done a 'big shop' in four years.
Natasha Gahagan, 31, had always dreamed of having her own homestead and convinced her husband, Dennis, 42, to move from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to a seven-acre farm outside of the city.
The couple moved with their two children aged four and two - and Dennis' son, 21 - and now grow all their fruit and vegetables as well as keeping chickens and goats.
Natasha and Dennis, who works in landscaping, haven't been to a supermarket for a big food shop in four years but still have enough meals prepped to feed their big family for a year.
Natasha goes to the shops once a year to pick up some basic supplies in bulk such as beans and flour.
Natasha and Dennis Gahagan (pictured with their children) haven't done a big food shop in four years yet still manage to feed their family of five
They preserve a years' worth of food in their cellar, along with ready-to-go meals which can be heated up in five minutes.
Natasha, a homesteader and part-time dental assistant, who now lives near Milwaukee, said: 'Living off the land was a dream of mine. I loved being outdoors and I had always dreamed of living off the grid.
'We don't really go to the grocery store. We try to make it. You appreciate what you have more.'
Natasha has always wanted to 'live off the land' and started to grow what she could in her garden in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
But when the family found a piece of land they could afford, they jumped at the chance and moved out to the countryside in January 2015.
The family have had an array of animals living at the farm - from cows, ducks and peacocks - but currently have goats, chickens and geese.
Natasha uses the goat milk for the family to drink and make soap to sell and says they have 'fallen in love' with their goats.
She says the family try and grow something new each year.
The family have had an array of animals living on the farm, including goats (pictured), chickens and geese
The family has a big growing season, where they enjoy the likes of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers
They also have a big storage cellar so they are always stocked up and don't need to visit the shops
Natasha said she always wanted to live in a big city and moved to a seven-acre farm outside of the city in Winconsin
Natasha says the family 'fell in love' with the goats after adopting them. Pictured with her children
They make homemade bread using the plentiful stocks in the cellar. Natasha said the family also bulk buys
'We don't have a big growing season. We grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, onion and mushrooms,' she explained.
'We have an orchard and make apples, pears, plums and mulberries. We don't grow things we won't eat.
To preserve their food, they use methods such as canning and freeze drying - and have a cellar in their home stocked up.
Natasha added: 'We could live off it for more than a year as we have 200lbs of flour stocked up.'
The sustainable mother also has a freeze dryer filled with meals she has already prepared - ready for their busy periods in spring and summer.
'I'm preserving for convenience,' she revealed. 'I preserve a lot of things for the summer when were busy.'
Natasha Gahagan convinced her husband, Dennis, 42, to move from Sheboygan, Wisconsin , USA, to a seven-acre farm outside of the city (pictured)
They grow apples, pears, plums and mulberries on the farm's orchard, focusing on sustainable practices
Natasha says the family doesn't grow anything they won't eat. Pictured: Fresh eggs on their farm
The family have an array of animals on the farm which helps them to be as sustainable as possible
Natasha hopes to become as sustainable as she can and gets her meat from farmers and relies on the supermarkets as little as possible.
They only visit once a year to stock up on supplies they can't grow or treats such as maple syrup and bananas.
'We do a lot of bulk shopping,' she said. 'There is a lot to learn all the time - that's the fun of it. It's a dream.
'The city is not for me. I love my home.'
Like Natasha, many in the UK are also seeking to grow their own food to combat the cost of living crisis.
