The Tower, A Purpose Built Survival Home.

Its a good question and one I don't entirely have an answer for.

I'm in zone 3, at 3500 feet, on what is geologically a heap of gravel. Something I've learned is that most carbohydrate crops need a long growing season with lots of sun, which are two things I can do nothing about in my location.

So I've pretty much given up on growing serious food value crops like potatoes, grains, etc but thinking more in terms of 'force multipliers' things you can add small amounts of to bulk food preps like rice or wheat to make thing taste better and add nutritional value. Things like peppers, tomatoes, spices...and things that can be grown continuously during the summer to add something fresh like lettuce, peas, chard, etc.

But this is something I'm fairly new at. Until I had the greenhouse I really wasn't growing anything here successfully.

As for sourcing, not a lot of natural foods here, Western forests can have a lot of trees and bushes and not much to eat.

But, there are enough rosehip grown here every year to provide vitamin C for hundreds of people.

There is significant amounts of whitetail deer, wild turkeys, grouse, pheasants and squirrels. More than enough to meet my needs forever.

The problem is that during SHTF I suspect all game within walking distance of any human population is going to be hunting to extinction....until the human population falls....and then later followed by a great increase in game population.

So for the short term I am planing on eating stored food, augmented with whatever I can hunt and forage but not counting on a lot in that regard until after they dying time.

 

You will be happy to know that even in your (and my) location, there's hope!

Many grains can be successfully grown in poor soil and cool weather: https://modernfarmer.com/2015/08/how-to-grow-and-harvest-grains-in-your-backyard/

Ditto for potatoes. I have grown potatoes in partial shade on my porch, in pillowcases with just a few inches of soil at the bottom. As the plants grew, I added straw and rolled up the pillowcase to hold everything in place. At the end of the growing season, I kicked the bags over and harvested beautiful potatoes!!!! To reduce watering needs and to keep the soil cool, I kept the pillowcases close together.

Here are a few more food plants that don't require full sun to produce:

(potatoes are on this list, too!)

https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/shade-tolerant-vegetables-zm0z11zsto


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Although many on the grains list requires sun, some are adaptable and will produce even in less than optimal conditions...especially if you can find varieties that can grow with less sunlight.

For example, wild oats which are edible and do not require full sun:


https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=chla5


https://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Foraged_Wild_Oats_12044.php#targetText=Wild oats may be used,as domestic oats are used.&targetText=The seed can also be,salads or as a snack.



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Aerindel.

I'm in zone 3a in Alaska and potatoes are a mainstay for most farmers and the original homesteaders in these parts. I'm about 2,800 feet on rocky soil as well. I did have to bring in topsoil, and our potato harvest has been stellar each of the past 5 years. I plant in late may when I am sure there will be no more frost and I am harvesting now. I recommend you try a small raised bed and plant some Yukon gold, which thrives in zone 3. If this turns out successful, then go big. Potatoes aren't a natural food source for most of the critters, and are pretty low maintenance.

 

Great suggestions.