Our garden: why

In yet another effort at healthy/natural living, My Beloved and I are attempting our first garden. I don't think anyone will disagree with the fact that fresh produce is best! Best in regards to taste and in regards to nutritional density! It's just best.

Planting a garden is also the way to go in today's economy. While in the past several years we've been wanting to start a garden to help live more frugally, this year we've decided that it may become necessary. I haven't delved into the economy and the state of the world (present and future) too much here on my blog, but don't think that means it isn't something we are discussing and preparing for in real life. This may be a topic that we begin exploring here down the road, but for now, suffice it to say that if food is going to get expensive (and by that I mean too expensive), then we want to have our own supply.

Back to the healthy side of things: In the grocery stores, we have begun changing the things we shop for, and by that I mean we are buying more and more organics, especially where produce is concerned... this is expensive, but to avoid the pesticides etc, it is much better.

There is another reason we are growing (hopefully) our garden this year... BPA. (You can read what Wikipedia has to say about it here. Info about BPA in canned foods is here.) Yep, almost all your canned foods and soda's are lined with plastic containing BPA, a toxic chemical linked to cancer, infertility, birth defects and more! We've recently removed as much BPA from our home as we can figure. But the last item on the list is canned foods (I know, that probably should have been first.) It's hard to get rid of canned fruits and veggies... especially in the winter. We've reduced to almost never using them, but our garden is another step to being independent of canned foods. We are hoping to grow enough to eat and can our own (in glass mason jars). We'll see how that goes.

Let me say this... we are true novices. Neither of us have ever gardened before (at least not successfully!) And we are a bit ambitious (our plans are bigger than the average beginner's should be). And I plan to share it all with you. Success or failure. Now may be the time to add that, not only have we never done this before, but we don't have the greatest set up for a garden... not great light anyway. But we press on... and hope the Lord will multiply our light. Oh, and we haven't exactly cleared it with our landlord yet. And since we are hoping to put it in the front yard (our "backyard" is somewhat non-existent) and he lives next door... we really feel the need to clear it with him first.

I'll be back with pictures and stories from this years garden experience! :)


Any one else plunging into spring with garden plans? Or seeds sprouting in their kitchens? Or anything else?

Labels: As God Provides, As it happens..., Healthy Living, In the Kitchen

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 4:01 PM