Top 3 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food

We live in a time where almost any food is available any time.  We have global supply chains, refrigeration, and advances in growing technologies. In most countries, if you want it, you can find it, and often at a “bargain” price.  However, as we’ve moved away from our history where most people were farmers, we’ve lost a few things along the way.  I want to make the case with my top 3 reasons to grow your own food.  Even if it’s just one pot on a windowsill.

Top 3 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food

1. Fresh Picked Food Has More Nutrients.  There have been a lot of different studies on if food fresh from your garden is “better” for you than food from a store.  The results vary a lot based on how you grow and what your soil is like.  One consistent factor is that fresh produce loses nutrients after it is picked.  So, eating food right after you pick it gets you the maximum nutrition.  If you pick food from your garden the same day, it didn’t have to wait days or weeks waiting in a store or traveling on a truck.  Also, because you can pick it at peak ripeness, I think it usually tastes better.
2. Home-Grown Food can Last Longer, so You Have Less Food Waste.  Another benefit to fresh-picked food is it takes longer to spoil.  You can significantly reduce how much food waste you have in your kitchen.  Different foods have different “shelf lives”, but eliminating transportation and storage time makes a big difference.  Commercial farmers pick vegetables before they are ripe so that they will not be rotten once they get to the store.  That can make them less tasty and more likely to spoil quickly.  I try to harvest just what I need from my garden, but some crops you have to pick what’s ripe to keep the plants producing.  I’ve had garden veggies last much longer than similar varieties from the store.
3. Gardening is a Fun and Relaxing Activity.  I have seen scientific studies about the benefits of activities like gardening.  Typically, things that get you outside, provide some exercise, and don’t involve stressful interactions show health benefits.  Some studies also show that being exposed to dirt can improve your immune system.  Kids can especially benefit from this.  I find gardening relaxing.  Plants are very forgiving, you can ignore them and they still grow.  You can talk to them and they don’t judge.  I find getting out into someplace green and getting my hands dirty can be a huge stress relief.

I have been growing food for most of my life.  It hasn’t always been a big percentage of the food I eat, or serve to my family.  But, I can’t remember a time that I didn’t get excited about the seed catalog showing up.  The possibilities for getting some tasty looking plant to grow keeps me poking seeds into soil whenever I can.

Want to get started growing your first garden? Check out our post – “5 Easy Steps to Your First Garden.“

Want some ideas for getting your kids to eat their fresh (or preserved) veggies?  Check out our post “Seven Smart Swaps for Kid-Friendly Healthy Eating!”