http://www.care2.com/greenliving/you-dont-need-a-farm-to-be-a-farmer-start-growing-today.html
You Don’t Need a Farm to Be a Farmer: Start Growing Today!
The struggle to live with a lighter environmental footprint can be filled with complications. So many of the choices we have to make can send us into such a tailspin of information and fact finding that it’s oft times easier to give up.
Is buying a new Prius better than driving my old gas guzzler? Should I replace my old tube tv with a newer LED TV? Should I buy local conventionally-grown food versus organic food grown halfway across the country? Most of us want to do the right thing, but frankly, it can be a little overwhelming to figure out what that is.
So today’s post is going to be quick, simple, and hopefully, pretty much foolproof as far as it’s impact and ability to make your little corner of the world a little better.
Grow something.
Yep, grow something, and more importantly, grow something you can eat.
Now those of you who are living in rural areas are probably wondering why this would need to be said, but for the growing (pun intended) number of city dwellers, and even suburban dwellers, the concept of harvesting your own food is not necessarily something that seems “normal.”
There are several reasons to grow. For starters, it’ll get you off your couch and out into the fresh air. Next up is a sense of accomplishment as you see those tomatoes, green beans, and whatever else you’ve planted sprout out of the ground and become food for you and your family. Of course there is the ability to have this be a family affair, educating your kids that it’s not natural for veggies to come frozen or shrink-wrapped along the way.
But probably the most important reason to grow your own is that you will quickly understand what fresh fruits and vegetables are supposed to taste like. You’ll recognize that the store bought, chemically “enhanced”, truck delivered produce you’ve been consuming, are a poor substitute for the yummies you can bring forth from your own soil, and you’ll want nothing to do with those bad boys again. My grandmother, who lived most of her life on a farm, used to say that the only way to eat corn was to boil it in the field while it was still on the stalk. A bit extreme, but my guess is she was right. The closer to the source it’s eaten, the better it will be.
What’s nice is that you don’t even need to have too much of a green thumb to become a mini farmer anymore. If you have a backyard, well, grab a shovel and start turning that dirt right now. But what if you don’t have a backyard? Well, container gardening has come a long way and you can even have a simple system set up on your sundeck. And if you don’t have a sundeck? Well, that picture window in the living room sure gets a lot of sun doesn’t it?
Let’s say you live in an apartment though and want to have a plethora of produce. OK, you don’t have 40 acres to plant, but you do have a lot of neighbors right? Why not start a co-op of sorts where each unit plants a specific “crop” and you can share your goods every month or so. I have no idea how that would work honestly, but the bottom line is that even just growing one item, you’ll be making an impact, and the possibilities are endless.
For some good information on farming without a farm, check out garden girl tv, garden nerd gardening, and my personal favorite (although it really has nothing to do with gardening) city chicken, for all those urbanites clambering to fowl up your neighborhoods.
Growing your own food will save you money, give you access to healthy food, and decrease your environmental footprint by placing your veggie market no farther than the back door. It’s probably not for everyone, but having said that, more of us are capable than we probably think.
Have a cool backyard farm tale you’d care to share? Post it up and let us know what you are growing and where.
Dave
Dave Chameides is a filmmaker and environmental educator.� His website and newsletter are designed to inspire thought and dialogue on environmental solutions and revolve around the idea that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.� “Give people the facts, and they’ll choose to do the right thing.”
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11 comments
add your comment »Catherine - a note on growing veggies alongside your driveway. Your car exhaust is blowing right on them and settling into the growing food. Since the food is being coated on a daily basis as it's forming, it's not something you can wash off in the sink before eating. If this is the only area available for you to put your containers, you might want to at least make sure that they're on the side of the driveway away from the tail pipe. Or plant flowers along the drive.
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I have a container garden love it I bought these plastic containers drilled holes in bottoms.I started 5yrs ago with 3 now I have 13 all along my driveway. I grow herbs vegs &flowers. I also have 2 Topsy Turvy plants one with tomatoes the other with strawberries. So easy
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True, forgive me; the world does not revolve around Canada and the Northern States. *sheepish grin* Also true; this is the perfect time to start next spring's beds. True once again; there are plants we can bring in over the winter. I too have read about pepper plants actually being perennials. I plan to bring in my Habanero plants. I've been eyeing some herbs and geraniums as well. First frost is very near; pitter patter...
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Living in sunny California, I was actually thinking about the timing of this piece, but then it occurred to me that the seasons are different everywhere so while it may be good timing for some, it might not be for others. That said, it's still a good reminder and I'm glad you enjoed the piece at least. I'll try to remember to repost it in the spring.
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this article isn't too late at all - climates throughout the world vary so much. where i live in central texas, it's the perfect time to start a winter greens garden. i have sprouted lettuce and spinach seeds up in my office waiting to be transplanted to the back yard - all i have to do is make a bed for them. there are other fruits and veggies that survive well here over the winter, including some citrus, peaches, plums, and avocado plants. it's always best to do research to see what will work in your area.
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At first I also thought this article was coming a little late. Then I realized that if you're going to break ground for a garden, now's a good time to do it. At least in Wisconsin, by the time the ground warms up enough in the spring, you don't have a lot of time before it's time to plant. You know that all sorts of other things will happen in that short window, and you won't get the garden dug up in time to get any seeds in. But dig now, and in the spring you only need to freshen it up a bit before planting.
Now is also the time to bring in garden plants that might surive the winter indoors. I'm told sweet peppers can be moved into the house and will keep growing, but I haven't tested this yet.
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By the way TickleMe Plant can be grown indoors yearound.
They even have TickleMe Plant Party favors
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It's a great article, however, I think it's timing is poor. Heavens, the leaves are falling off the trees up here! I was hoping this was going to be an article giving new fangled indoor growing ideas for winter time! Sorry, it's just poorly timed for a great many of us.
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I have a little, urban back yard with a 10' sq garden. This year I put in one - only one! - zucchini plant. It exploded and took over the entire garden. I couldn't give zucchini away fast enough. Nobody could come to the door without getting a zuch. I called it, "The gift you can't refuse. Really. Take it." A couple days ago we had zucchini at dinner yet again, and my hubby laid down the law. No more zucchini. "I'll eat what's on my plate, and that's it. NO MORE. I don't care if it's still producing, go cut that thing down!" I'm also told not to plant it again next year. I really thought just one plant wouldn't be uncontrollable!
I do plant in every available inch in my yard, but along the back fence I do flowers. Cars go through the alley all day, and their exhaust settles on the plants. I don't want to eat that. I use the flowers as a net to catch the exhaust before it gets to my veggies.
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I am a senior and live in a 3 story apartment building with a nice deck.This summer I planted a Salad Garden in an old tote tub that I had laying around.In it I had planted the following;radishes,green onions,luttuce, parsley, and one pepper plant.I also had an tipsy turvey and had my tomatoe plant growning in that. I had several salads from that and made a batch of chillie sauce from the extra tomatoes.I evan had several houseplants which I had started from seed out on my deck growing. People say in the building that too much work and I say give it a whirl and I guarantee that you will do it every year.I did come from a grow your own food etc family.I totally enjoy it very much.Come on people give it a try.You will love it.
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