There are days when I am out in the hot sun weeding my onion patch when I wonder if growing my own vegetables is worth the effort. Why garden, when there is so much food available at the grocery store only five minutes away?

They’re are lots of good reasons for growing your own food. Here are the three main ones:-

1. It helps you eat more fruits & vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are one of our primary sources of vitamins, minerals & antioxidants. Sadly, fewer than 10% of us eat the recommended 5 servings every day.

Research has shown that people who grow their own vegetables eat more of them, but if you have ever tasted fresh produce compared to that from the grocery store or frozen it doesn’t take research to understand why! This is especially true for children. Children love eating vegetables they have grown and picked themselves from a garden.

2. Home grown produce is more nutritious

On average, today’s vegetables contain significantly less vitamins and minerals than they did in our grand-parents’ time.  Almost 40% less than in 1940.

Why?

The methods industrialized farms use to increase yields and keep prices low (fertilization & irrigation) also have been shown to decrease quality. Most of the plants used have been developed to produce large yields quickly – again at the expense of nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables begin to lose their nutritional value as soon as they are picked. Much of our produce is now picked long before it is ripe and transported long distances, sometimes thousands of miles, before it reaches our store shelves. Cold storage and processing further dilute the nutrients in our produce. Grapes, for example, lose 30% of their B vitamins by the time they reach the grocery store shelf. Asparagus can lose up to 90% of its vitamin C in only one week.

3.  Home-Grown Produce Never Gets Recalled

You don’t have to think back to far to recall food safety scares on lettuce and spinach. When you grow your own food you control the growing environment. I can’t think of any outbreaks of E.coli or listeria on home-grown produce.

Home-grown produce is healthier, tastier and safer.

If you want to give it a try, here are a few tips.

  • Start small, and plant only the foods you like to eat.
  • Pick a spot with good, daytime light and access to water.
  • Use really good, nutrient-rich soil. Buy it, and build a raised garden if necessary.

If you really don’t have space, or you’re short on time, or there’s a voice in your head saying “I don’t have a green thumb. I’ve even killed a cactus”, take heart. There is a system designed specifically for people like you.

Follow this link to read more:   Simple Gardening