Why You Should Plant a Victory Garden This Autumn

Continuing the Victory Garden meme...

 

Wondering why you should join the Victory Garden revival?

Here are a few solid reasons: 

• Eat delicious, nutritious food: Fresh-picked produce tastes better and is more nutrient-rich. It contains phytochemicals that help boost your immune system. And studies show that homegrown food is better for you than processed items, many of which are overloaded with sugar, salt and fats.

• Know what you are eating: If you sow it, tend it and harvest it…then you have little room for doubt about what you are consuming. With a number of concerns about food safety ranging from salmonella to potentially carcinogenic pesticides dominating headlines, home gardeners have the greatest control over what goes winds up on their dinner plates.

• Be a good earth steward: Plants purify the air and provide sustenance for important creatures, including the honeybees that are on decline to the puzzlement of many scientists. This isn't just a "liberal" issue, either. Evangelicals, conservatives, and independents increasingly cite environmental responsibility as a top concern.

• Enrich your quality of life: After all the great exercise you’ll get creating your garden, you can enjoy an attractive spot to rest, reflect and reconnect with nature. And it beats sitting in front of the television!

• Address climate change close to home: The shorter the distance between your table and where food is produced, the less gasoline required to transport it. The consumption of fewer fossil fuels means greater energy independence and potentially stronger national security. 

• Have fun!: Gardening is enjoyable. With practice and patience, even people who've never gardened before can become accomplished at raising their own food. And, yes, container gardening on a patio can be as rewarding as a larger plot. (Ask the Shibaguyz!)

Do you have your own reasons? Feel free to share!