Have You Ever Tried Gardening?
Are more people taking up gardening lately? It sure doesn’t seem like it. As expensive as food has become, I just don’t understand why more folks aren’t growing at least some of their own food. We do it so we know where our food comes from and who handled and what was put on it.
Health and Safety: So much of our food comes from other countries that may or may not be contaminated with poisons, industrial toxins and/or bacteria. Not every country has the level of sanitation that we in america are accustomed to. Personally, I’d rather keep the money in our local economy or my own pocket.
Barter : We love to trade our produce and eggs with our friends for things that they produce or services that they provide. Developing a local barter economy can save more than money. In hard times it can allow you more flexibility than you would otherwise have. For example you may need meat. The family down the road or across town may want to trade some of your produce for some of the meat butter milk or cheese that he or she is producing.
Cha-Ching: Food in the pantry is money in the bank. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the price of food is going through the roof. Fruit and vegetables are easy to can, freeze or dehydrate. You can grow them in the spring and summer, harvest and process them in the fall and eat them as needed.
Living it: In our case, in addition to growing our own vegetables, we are able to grow a lot of our own feed for our livestock. That leaves more money in our pockets. We enjoy the feeling of freedom that producing our own sustenance gives us. There is a certain comfort in knowing that it is possible to grow much of what we consume. It also provides a level of security should times not always be so plentiful.
Try it: Gardening is certainly not for everybody, but you may want to give it a try. Even if it’s just a tomato plant in a pot on your patio or a pot of basil in your kitchen window, give it a try! You may discover a whole new paradigm.
Steve
Excellent post.The only thing missing on the list is how good fresh food tastes. no comparison.
Why yes it does. Picking it and eating it fresh from the garden is amazing.
Here in Fort Collins (Northern Colorado) local food is heavily promoted, with home-grown preferred, and CSA-sourced a close second. I see a yards around town being converted either partially or completely to food gardens. In my own yard I have reduced lawn by about a third, with some raised beds and ornamental space given over to food. It always amazes me how much a small space can yield…
That’s great. I wish more folks around America at least give it a try. We would all be better off.