Growing up, my family always had a fairly large garden that produced a variety of fruits and vegetables. I’ve recently moved to a new home with a yard big enough to house my own garden. It’s been quite the learning experience to grow my own food. From groundhogs and deer, to birds and squirrels, it’s been a battle of wills to ensure we can harvest what we’ve planted. Needless to say, gardens are a good amount of work! But it’s extremely rewarding to grow (and eat) homegrown food. This brings me to how a garden can really make you “green” and save you money. For starters, you don’t have to run out to the store to get tomatoes, strawberries or a variety of other produce. So you save transportation costs and energy – in both getting the food to the stores and then going to the store to bring the food home. In terms of being “green,” there are no pesticides when you have your own garden. You can control what you put – or don’t put – on your food. And trust me when I say you can taste the difference!
Now I realize many people may not have the time or resources for a garden. So here is an alternative, buy a share in a local farmer’s harvest. After reading an article this past spring about local food and its impact to the environment, we decided to sign up. Each week, we pick up a quantity of fruits, vegetables and herbs and the program runs from the first week in June through mid-October. We’ve been thrilled with our share! The food is so fresh and has forced us to try new foods and recipes. I highly recommend checking www.localharvest.org, where you can learn more.
I'd love to hear your gardening tips!
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