At first, it may seem like a lot of work, or you might think that you don’t have the skills, time, the space, etc. to do it. Let me try and convince you that you can indeed grow yourself a delicious green salad or a bowl of sweet strawberries in just a few moments a day, and it can be fun to boot! There is also a really compelling environmental reason to give it a try, not to mention that food straight from the garden is full of good nutrition and you know exactly where it came from, unlike what you might pick up at the supermarket. Growing plants is an inexpensive endeavor. All you need to start are some seeds, some small pots (often times available for free at local nurseries) to start the seeds, some good potting soil or compost (you will probably need to buy this at first, but with some practice you can make your own), and some water. Sow the seeds and watch them grow.
If you have other little hands around the house, it is my experience that kids love getting their hands dirty so make it a family affair! Ultimately, it is incredibly satisfying to pick and eat something from a plant that you grew yourself, so spread the wealth!
The environmental benefits are huge too. On an individual level, planting outdoors in the soil or in pots, can attract pollinators and other insects, which can attract birds, both of which are beneficial to your local environment, which can translate to a much larger global impact. Not convinced that your small garden efforts can have global consequences? Stay with me while I throw you some stats. As of early 2022, there were approximately 7.9 billion people in the world (www.worldometers.info). According to findanyanswer.com, the average person eats about 1.5 pounds of food/day. That is a lot of food! It is no wonder that the amount of land designated for crops is quickly growing. But where does the land come from? The removal of forests (also called deforestation) is estimated at 420 million hectares (a little over 1 billion acres) from 1990-2021. The reasons vary from urban expansion to expanding grazing land, but the establishment of new cropland is responsible for over half of that deforestation according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO; fao.org). Increasing the food output is necessary to support the population, but deforestation resulting in habitat loss and the build-up of greenhouse gases stresses our already fragile climate. So what is the answer?
If you could grow just a pound or two of your own food in your own yard or patio containers, and a lot of other people did it too, then it could relieve some of the pressure that commercial growers are feeling to produce ever increasing amounts of food. Not to mention that it will attract beneficial critters to your garden which will be good for the plants there, as well as those in your neighbor’s garden.
There are also organizations that provide all kinds of supporting information on what to grow and how to grow it and one of our favorites is the Grow It Yourself organization out of Ireland (giy.ie).
So there you have it. Growing your own food can be fun, nutritious, and environmentally friendly both on local and global scales. Why not give it a try? Better yet, let’s do it together!
Комментарии