In a world where convenience is so important, growing your own food might not seem like such a great idea. It will take longer than just going to the shops and buying what you need, and it will certainly take a lot more effort from you. It sounds like something people in the past would do that is just not necessary today.
However, this is not the right way to look at the idea of growing your own food. It actually has a wide range of different benefits, and once you know what they are, you might be tempted to try it for yourself. Read on to find out more.
Photo by Engin Akyurt
Fresh Food
No matter where you buy your food, it will never be as fresh as if you grow it yourself and pick it from your garden just before you need it to make a homemade Big Mac Salad, a breakfast smoothie, or to add to a delicious dinner.
Unlike the alternatives that you can buy in stores, your homegrown vegetables and fruit, or even herbs, won’t have had to travel long distances before they get to you. This means that you can enjoy them at their peak, and they will taste a lot better than anything else. It might be that once you taste the freshness and flavor of something homegrown and close to home, you won’t want to go back to buying your produce elsewhere, as you’ll realize the taste just can’t be beaten.
Pesticide Free
Something else to bear in mind when you are buying food grown somewhere else is that you can never be sure exactly how it was grown, where it was grown, or what pesticides might have been used to keep the produce looking good. It’s a sad fact that many commercially grown crops are sprayed with chemicals and pesticides to ensure the growers don’t lose their profits, but this means you’ll potentially be ingesting these chemicals, and this can pose a health risk.
When you grow your own food, you can control exactly how you grow it and what you use to protect it from pests. You can choose the fertilizers and pest control you use, which means you are taking care of your health while also protecting the planet a little too.
Cost Effective
Food prices are rising, and it isn’t a surprise now to pay more for something each time you buy it. In some cases, this can lead to people having to be very choosy about what they buy, and they might not be able to include as much fresh produce in their diet as they would like. This is not something you need to worry about if you grow your own food, and you can save a lot of money over time by simply picking what you want from your own back garden rather than buying it. You won’t have to sacrifice your vegetable intake because of cost, and you’ll be able to take proper control of your diet and your money in one go.
