The Value of Growing Food

It’s good for you- the physical act of gardening, the mental acts of designing and problem solving and the higher nutrient content of food that has had to adapt to an environment (ie- grown without tons of pesticides, fungicides, etc..) all contribute to a more healthy physiology. 

It’s fun, interesting and fulfilling.

It teaches you communication skills.

Helps reduce the effects of poverty.  You can contribute excess food to people in need... But more important in my book is that once you learn how to grow food, you can teach people who don't have a lot of money how-to do it, thus alleviating one stress in their life; affording wholesome food.  

Can save money. 

Empowerment.  (Need I remind you that food is on the first level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?  Many people from my generation don’t even know what a tomato plant looks like, not too mention how-to grow one.  If we can’t even take care of our basic needs on our own, then how are we supposed to take care of the higher needs?)  

You feel more connected to the earth and your community.

You can teach people in impoverished places how-to grow their own food and improve their lives incredibly.

You can teach children, because they have fun doing it and we are clearly going to live very different in the future... It’s better to have the option and skills to grow your own food than not. 

Cut down on your carbon foot-print.  It currently takes about 10 calories of energy to produce and ship each calorie of food eaten from US Supermarkets.  

Conserve dwindling water supplies.  Believe it or not only about 3% of water on this planet is potable.  Much of that water resides in underground reservoirs and watersheds.  We have inadvertently made it very difficult for water to find it’s way back into many of those reservoirs before they dry up. In addition, private companies are trying to possess those reservoirs and control the water supplies.  By using water conservation techniques to grow your food you will inevitably use less water than normally used to grow mono-crops.

Help break our dependency on factory food, which among other things, causes humans and animals around the world to live and die with exhaustion, disfigurations and horrendous infections. 

Help reduce top-soil degradation (if you add compost, bumper crop or nitrogen rich plants like alfalfa to the soil).


Rest assured that the hands feeding you are 

After reviewing these reasons, ask yourself, "What is the value of growing food to me?"