Urban Homestead

Growing Food:

There are several reasons why now is the right time to learn to grow your own food...cost savings, certainty of production methods, supporting your local community. Lots of writing and conversation has come forth about the return of the Victory Gardenand I dont mean the TV show. Even our First Lady has broken ground on her new kitchen garden. Gardening is patriotic once again.

There are several reasons why now is the right time to learn to grow your own food...cost savings, certainty of production methods, supporting your local community. Lots of writing and conversation has come forth about the return of the Victory Gardenand I don't mean the TV show. Even our First Lady has broken ground on her new kitchen garden. Gardening is patriotic once again.

There was a time when we knew how to take care of ourselves in this way. We could grow and harvest our own fruits and vegetables, care for our own chickens, and milk our own cows. Even in the past 50 years or so, the family veggie garden was a common part of life.

Then we went and got all "citified". Stopped relying on ourselves and started buying into the myth that getting our produce from the grocery store was a better idea. And the more we purchased, the more big agriculture grew, finding new chemicals and genetic modification practices to increase yields and length of storage.

Looking back on it, I can understand why we were eager to embrace "progress". We had just come through a time when sowing a garden was a necessity due to the hardship of war. Women were tired of having to do everything, many by themselves. And picking up a bag of potatoes at the store was certainly a lot less work than growing them.

But somewhere in this cultural shift, we've lost our respect for food. We have lost the understanding of what it means to value the earth and the bounty that it provides. We've lost touch with small farmers, now struggling to survive. We've lost the ability to provide for ourselves. And this is a bad time to not know how to provide for ourselves.

The biggest hurdle we face in returning to some level of food self-sufficiency is overcoming the notion that buying produce at the local grocery is a good strategy for healthy living. As we hear report after report of harmful bacteria in our fresh and packaged food supply, consumers trust mass production less and less. Toxic sprays and other inorganic farming methods can harm the environment and our bodies. And we have no idea of the long term ramifications of modifying our food through unnatural genetic manipulation.

The good news is that it takes very little to reclaim our past. Anyone can grow their own food, even if it is in pots on a balcony or in a sunny window, you can grow some portion of the produce you need to sustain your life. Seeds, soil and pots can be found for little to no cost. Taking small steps as an individual can make a big difference and by choosing to grow your own food and frequenting local organic farms, you help strengthen your community. By not buying produce from big agriculture, you are using your money to vote for change.

Some people consider growing food to be a revolutionary statement. Consider the Dervaes... HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION - Radical Change Taking Root

Now, I have no connection to this family, but I find them amazing and inspiring. They understand the underlying empowerment that automatically accompanies self reliance...that we have given up much of our autonomy from the supply chain in favor of convenience.

I can only stand in awe of the Dervaes and others like them. I am certainly nowhere near independence. But, I know that each time I grow my own fruits and vegetables, I am contributing to the health and happiness of my family and friends. And that's worth something, isn't it?

Select References:

Gardener to Farmer:

Gardener to Farmer is a blog about growing food and savoring the process. Readers learn to plant, harvest and store fruits and veggies

Growing Food Guide:

An interactive book that teaches beginning gardeners everything they need to know about starting an organic vegetable garden in simple terms and step by step instructions.

Portland Foodie:

Path to Freedom:

"Founded by Jules Dervaes in 2001, Path to Freedom is a grassroots, family operated, viable urban homesteading project established to promote a simpler and more fulfilling lifestyle and reduce one family's "footprint" on the earth's dwindling resources."