You could build raised beds and practice Square foot gardening to get multiple crops each season. Once built they are easy to care for as you never step on the soil. I'm in a colder zone and I usually get 2 crops, or 1 continuos crop in most beds. I plant alot of root crops, squash, beans and peas, and broccoli. I also plant alot of Tomatoes and Peppers. Berries are also one of the things that are easy and cheap to grow yourself.

You can also use edible plants as lanscape plants. Asparagus has pretty ferns, Rhubarb large colorful leaves and stems, Blueberries have beautiful firey red fall foliage, and many herbs make atractive plantings, too.

How you garden is as important to your productivity as what you grow. If you compost, you will always have free fertilizer. If you use wall o waters and row covers you can start your plants earlier. You can grow vegetables in decorative containers on a deck or patio to make use of even more space.

Just start small and then expand as you have time and ability. Hope that helps.

Ben

You can a very big garden on a half-acre, sunfall permitting. A lot bigger than most people would have time for or could eat from.

plant what you like to eat! raise rabbits instead of chickens.

I also was going to say "raise rabbits"! They are quiet and if you tend to them there should be no problem with "smell". Keep one buck and one maybe two does and you will have more than enough fresh meat year round if you like(they reproduce quickly). They also will produce wonderful manure that you can collect and mix into your compost pile (which also should not smell if tended right).

Raised beds are very good because of the reasons mentioned above. You can always enclose the garden to keep your dogs out. As for high production veggies string beans whether bush or pole produce oodles, you can save room and still grow cukes on a trellis as well as peas, then there are root crops, carrots, radishes, beets(which also have edible greens) lettuces, bush summer squashes....just lots of yummy things! For more info on gardening there are lots of garden sites/groups where you can get all the advice and suggestions that you could ever want! I'm certain there are alot of them right here at the Garden Web!

Good luck!

Cathy

Adding to Ben's list - eggplant are beautiful in bloom. Scarlet runner beans grow up so they use little space. The flowers are pretty and the beans taste good.

and don't overlook the possibility of flowering plants. deciduous perennial plants such as hostas, baby's breath, phlox, bleeding hearts and pooppies. plants of good market value.

luck to you.

-d.

fruit trees. Nothing will give you more food for less time and money. Not to mention, fruit is one of the costlier foods at the store. You can get dwarf varieties, or, for maximum use of space, you can espalier them along a fence or on wires on a property line. I would never live without fruit trees.

I also don't think chickens take up that much space. Plus, if your yard is fenced, sometimes you can let them out to eat bugs.

Oh, and you might think about having some kind of berries, like blueberries or rasberries. You can just stash them here or there. And Rhubarb. Strawberries are pretty low care too. Asperagus.

If you have a small deck or patio, think of putting a pergola over it and grow grapes or kiwi or some kind of other vining fruit that grows in your area instead of an ornamental. You will get lovely shade and food.

I would have at least one cold frame, and some raised beds for veggies that have to be planted each year. I plant any permanent plants in beds in the ground.

Oh, and definately compost. Very important. Snag neighbor's bags of leaves in the fall. Maybe try a worm bin if you can't have some kind of small animal (chicken/rabbit)for manure.

That's all I can think of for now...