I think this is my area, right?

just NE of Chattanooga, along the mountains/.

Hi, TNG.  Welcome to the Forum from California!    Please go to the Home page and "introduce yourself."  What are your hopes, dreams and experience with gardening?  Don't be shy, we are a friendly group of novices and experienced gardeners.

Edit. Opps, I see you already did it.

Hi TNGardener.  Welcome to the forum!

Yes, you're in the Mid-South Region.  I am your Regional Host, so I'm glad I saw your post quickly.

To double-check (JUST in case I'm incorrect), you can go to this link.  Enter your zip code and the USDA will tell you for sure.

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Also, there is a link here on the forum to see where you "belong."

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t872-what-is-a-region-for-with-map

Well, my wife and I want to just get better foods on the table. 

Every single piece of meat we eat right now, is homegrown or harvested from the wild (deer, trout, crappie from the wild) and rabbit and quail we grow ourselves (eggs and meat on the latter).

As a Child, we grew up...POOR, but we were happy    We were that hillbilly family you see in the news people make fun of.   No inside toilet, no electric (other than a generator) but you know what, we were rich in many other ways.  

Our home was CLEAN, we ate only what we could gather for our self.  I learned to hunt when I was 7.   Gardening (not SFG, but we had 1/2 acre).  5 kids, 3 bedrooms.  

I got out, joined the Army, got an education, and saw the world.   However, as time has went on, I realized something.   I am not better off going to a grocery store.   I forgot what food was suppose to taste like, so I have been slowly moving my way back towards that life.

So, we are blessed to live in Area where nature and climate is capable of producing most of our foods.   We live on .3 acres, and it is not going to hinder us.   We will produce the bulk of our food, bake our own breads (we do this already) and even try growing one bed for them bunnies of ours, who love those tasty greens.

Glad you are going back to your roots and realized that the food you ate then is far better than any bought in a grocery store.

I reckon you could do some educating here from the sound of things.

My DH and kids also all started hunting at age 7.  A garden and some livestock and hunting seem grounded in knowing what your food is and what it took to get to the plate. 

Welcome home.