Growing at Home for Every Reason

October 1st, 2008 by carrie

Global Warming, Tainted Food Supplies, Rising Food Costs, Environmental Pollution, and Nationwide Obesity Epidemic.

These are just a few of the headline topics you may have seen over the past year. Like you, I too, found myself concerned and wondering what might possibly be done to combat these harrowing problems. With rising food prices and tainted produce dominating the headlines, as well as the proliferation of diet induced diseases, I felt more motivated than ever to share my gardening knowledge to help others. Thus, Homegrown for Health and Economy was founded on July 6, 2008.

What would you say if I told you there is a very simple, traditional, and low-cost way to combat these global health and environmental issues from the comfort of your own back yard? The answer? Home gardening. There are many benefits of vegetable and herb gardening, some of which include:

• Health Benefits
  Gardens provide fresh, healthy, non-toxic, disease free produce. The availability, richer flavor, and low cost encourages better eating habits. Gardening is also a great, low-impact form of exercise.
• Economic Benefits
  One $2.00 tomato or pepper plant can yield several pounds of produce as opposed to purchasing one pound for the same amount at the grocery store. Starting plants from seed offers additional savings versus purchasing plants at the nursery. Preserving your surplus harvest can provide grocery savings throughout the winter months- various methods such as canning, drying or freezing can be utilized. In tough economic times, these savings can make a significant positive impact on your monthly budget.
• Environmental Benefits
  Eating locally reduces emissions caused by food shipment services. Plants filter the air and produce fresh, clean oxygen. Gardens provide sanctuary to beneficial insects like honey bees and lady bugs. They also attract birds, butterflies, and other interesting visitors.
• Social Benefits
  Sharing your knowledge and passion with others gives a perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbors. Gardening provides quality time for your family - children love to dig in the dirt! Beautiful gardens brought by hard work and cooperation can bring a new sense of pride to yourself and to the community.

In order to raise awareness of this simple solution to these large global problems, I’ve done a lot of online activism. I’ve been posting answers to various gardening questions on forums and blogs, asking friends and using other sites to spread the word about the website at change.org, and e-mailing various politicians and the Secretary of Agriculture about raising awareness. I am also co-chairperson of the Environment Advisory Committee for a presidential candidate.

I hope to host an informational seminar at our local community center this spring here in Michigan. I intend on producing an informational video series for distribution on the web that explains how to start from seeds and continue all the way to harvest. I also plan on developing a short program to present to local school children. Part of the goal of Homegrown is to get other gardeners involved in educating their own local communities in ways such as these.

There are a great many reasons to start your own garden this spring, or get your friends and neighbors involved if you’ve already got one of your own. You may argue that you just don’t have the space or time for a garden. Did you know that many herbs and vegetables can be grown in pots or buckets on a small porch or apartment balcony? There are even products now available to provide automatic watering to your plants if you find you are pressed for time. Fresh, healthy, toxin-free ingredients are well worth the few hours of maintenance each week.

If you need help and advice, there are a plethora of sources online, some of which include: pathtofreedom.com, organicgardening.com and motherearthnews.com. As far as printed material, I’ve found some great tips in The Old Farmer’s Almanac and highly suggest the book “The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible” by Edward C. Smith. A good place to look for quality seed is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds at rareseeds.com. The seeds are not genetically engineered and they offer over 1200 varieties at very reasonable prices

Tags: Environment, Environment Advisory Committee, food, food prices, food shipment services, fuel prices, gardening, Michigan, online activism, Tainted Food Supplies
Posted in Articles, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health and Medicine, Poverty and Hunger