GROW 4 IT
A row of cabbages in the ground.
Do you know where the food that you eat comes from? Are you eating a diet that is the healthiest for you and your family? If you are not sure that you can answer these questions affirmatively, you might want to consider planting some produce of your own. It’s not nearly as difficult as it sounds and the benefits greatly outweigh the effort. Gardening isn’t for everyone but if you have a DIY spirit and are looking for an enjoyable hobby that can yield great results and health benefits that also helps the environment, it is worth every minute.
Here are some benefits:
Plant what you like. You chose the crops and can try new things with little risk.
Save money – maintaining a garden will cost far less than buying food from store over time.
Gardens get you outside and provide beneficial exercise.
Freshly grown, ripe vegetables are packed with nutrients and flavor.
Avoid ingesting unknown or harmful pesticides and fertilizers. You control what is used to grow your food.
You can share extra bounty with your community and neighbors. Additionally, many local food banks welcome donations of produce to provide healthy options to those in need.
Gardens help to support pollinators such as birds and bees providing them food, shelter and habitat.
You can reduce the carbon footprint and transportation of the produce that you consume. You can also beat supply chain issues or lack of availability by doing it yourself.
So, how do you get started? There are many great books. websites and garden centers that can help to educate you on the easiest way to get going and supply you with materials. The primary thing that you need is an area that gets about six hours of sunlight each day. Even if you don’t have a great deal of land or are a city dweller with a balcony, you can still use containers for your crops. A small kitchen herb garden will grow successfully in a sunny kitchen window providing you with fresh cooking spices and helping to improve indoor air quality. There are also small hydroponic and aquaponic systems on the market to allow you to grow herbs and vegetables in your home without the need for soil.
If you still don’t have a place that is suitable, consider finding a community garden where you can tend to your own plot or provide support. (Here’s a tip: if you can’t get a plot at a community garden due to a long waitlist, volunteer to help tend plots for vacationers. This often yields some thanks in excess bounty and gives you practice and knowledge.) Because of the sharing economy, you may even be able to find urban or suburban neighbors who are willing to rent their backyards for would-be vegetable gardeners and farmers. A quick online search will yield such resources. There are also several great organizations working to create gardens which support communities with limited access to fresh foods. Volunteering for such a group is a way to get your hands in the dirt.