Growing a garden is seriously one of the most rewarding things you can do for your family. This is true in good times, but is especially relevant in these times of relative scarcity and disrupted supply chains.
If you’re wondering whether or not you should make the effort to grow at least some of your own fresh products, here are some GREAT reasons to start right now! Get your modern Victory Garden going!
Way back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, when I was a little girl, my dad grew quite a large garden in the desert of Southern Nevada, in the middle of Las Vegas. This was before water restrictions were in place and also when the desert was still green well into late June.
We lived on a sandy, rocky acre, and a large portion of that land was devoted to our garden. We kids were pleasantly tasked with helping dad in the garden—planting, mulching, using our horses’ manure for compost, harvesting, and helping mom preserve the goods as well. It was a wonderful childhood, and I’m blessed to have learned a lot.
I can remember picking a ripe tomato right from the vine and sprinkling it with the salt that dad kept in the garden for that purpose. We’d eat the sweet corn right off the stalks! And the watermelons! I never have ever once eaten a watermelon sweeter than the ones from our garden.
I could go on and on about the vegetables in our garden. They were SO good.
These days, gardening in our home backyards is becoming more and more important! And if you don’t have a backyard, city communities are starting to band together to create community gardens…and there’s always patio/container gardening too, if you’re renting and aren’t allowed to plant. I spent many years gardening this way..
There are SO many reasons for growing your own backyard garden, also called a Victory Garden in old-fashioned terms.
Do you know where the title “Victory Garden” came from?
Well, back in 1917, just prior to America entering WWI, Charles Lathrop created the National War Garden Commission. This organization helped mobilize citizens here and in Europe grow their own foods so that more food could be used for soldiers and our Allies. Then again, during the days of World War II, Victory Gardens emerged strongly again. Source
Before this time, pioneer settlers were tasked with growing their own food as well. And before that…well, everyone grew their own. Growing our own food has gone out of fashion in these modern times of Big Agriculture. We’ve lost touch with our food, and dare I say? Even how our food should taste.
But I digress. I could go on about this forever. Find out WHY you need to start growing your own food NOW.
Find out beginning steps to starting your garden and all the reasons WHY you need to start growing your own food NOW. Victory Gardens are a thing of the past, but it’s time to bring them back! Take charge of your personal food supply and grow some vegetables! #gardening #vegetable #howtogrow #forbeginners #beginner #garden #plan #howto #ideas #selfsufficient #homestead #healingharvesthomestead
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Let’s get into the modern reasons why, right now, you should be growing your own food!
There are so many valid reasons why we should be re-learning the traditional skill of gardening for food for our families. But here are the main ones, and each is relevant to the modern American family.
1) Disrupted Food and Supply Chain—Less Available Food for the People
Since the COVID pandemic of 2020 has practically shut down the American economy, causing high rates of unemployment and stay-at-home orders, our food supply chain has been seriously and negatively affected.
According to Fox Business, there are four main reasons for this:
*COVID outbreaks in meat packing plants.
I actually watched a farmer in a video the other day lamenting the fact that over 700 pigs were needlessly killed and buried. Meanwhile, stores have far less meat on the shelves for those of us who purchase meat. I felt terribly sad—both for him, farmers in general, and us: the people.
*Changes in work for “guest” workers who typically harvest crops
*Changes in buyer’s patterns (More people are purchasing pantry items and foods to eat at home, while eating out less.)
*Delivery issues and changes in demand for certain items.
People are not eating in restaurants and are now eating at home to a much greater extent. Based on the traffic increase to my bread baking articles and other recipes, I do believe people are beginning to want to learn to cook and bake from scratch! It’s not quite a necessity yet, but it could soon be. Now is the time to be learning how to cook from scratch!
Our world is completely different these days. I’m sure you’ve noticed.
There are fewer basic pantry supplies on store shelves, less meat, and less fresh food available in many markets. In our local Costco the other day, apologetic signs about the lack of meat abounded in the meat section. The bakery happened to be shut down as well.
I don’t know about you, but seeing the state of grocery stores right now makes me want that huge garden available right in my backyard or in my community.
Homegrown eggplant is the BEST!
2) Your Family’s Food Security
Closely related to number one is your personal food security. When you can grow your own food, you can feed your family. If you’re able to keep a few chickens, this is a great idea too.
Another thing about growing your own food is you’re able to help others in need. Some people just can’t garden, and if you have a nice one going, you can be the neighbor who helps.
I once had a lady bash me for wanting to be self-reliant because she thought it was a selfish thing to be. The fact of the matter is, the more self-reliant you are, the more you can help others out. This is a tried and true belief.
We’ve personally been able to provide a ton of much needed eggs to our local food bank in the last couple of months, along with standard cans and pantry supplies…and when our garden comes in, we’ll have fruits and vegetables to share there too.
Being self-reliant helps you. AND it helps others.
3) Fresher, Healthier Food
Most Americans are blissfully unaware of the journey from the growth of their food to its arrival in the grocery store. They don’t see the fact that the foods are picked green, often sprayed with some kind of chemical (ethylene gas in the case of tomatoes), and shipped for long distances.
They don’t understand how mono-cropping (growing only one crop on a piece of land for years) hurts the health of the soil, not to mention toxic pesticides and fertilizers used to grow most of our fruits and vegetables.
Americans don’t realize that the nutrient value of our foods is significantly depleted due to these factors. According to the Scientific American, a study comparing vegetables grown in the 1970’s with those grown in 1999 show undeniable declines in the amounts of proteins, minerals, and vitamins.
The scientists that conducted the study point fingers at big industrial agricultural practices that undermine nutritional value through hybridization and other reasons.
Now fast forward another twenty years. The nutritional value of our modern grocery store fruit and vegetable options looks pretty bleak, doesn’t it?
Wouldn’t it be great to feed your family fresh food you grow yourself that is far more likely to be jam-packed with essential nutrients?
CLICK Here to Get the Free Herbalism Email Course! 4) The Veggies Taste SO Much Better When You Grow Them Yourself
I remember those huge, juicy, bright red tomatoes I picked as a child. The sweet taste of a “real” tomato bursting in my mouth and across my taste buds is etched into my memory. And every year I’ve been able to grow a garden ever since, I have enjoyed this freshness and unmatched flavor.
Honestly, I can hardly stand to eat most vegetables in the grocery store because I KNOW from personal experience how much better home grown good tastes. I wish every single child in America could know the taste of fresh foods.
When your foods taste good, you eat more of them. I have often wondered if the reason kids don’t like their vegetables has to do with how they’re grown? We loved our garden fresh vegetables as kids! These days, we’re just not getting the delicious flavors from modern produce.
Nothing beats fresh, juicy vegetables!
Get the Newsletter and Never Miss a Thing! 5) You’ll Have Food to Preserve for the Winter Months
If you’re growing a garden, it’s likely you’re going to have excess vegetables and fruits. This is a wonderful thing! In that case, you can preserve your food for later.
You can dehydrate most fruits and vegetables, freeze them, can them, and my favorite: ferment them. These food preservation methods are excellent ways to get your fresh produce to last into the winter months. If you plan well, you could potentially grow enough for a whole year!
NOTE: Check out the complete “Fermentation” section on my website. There’s a lot of information there to get you started safely.
**I love Melissa K. Norris’s book, The Family Garden Plan for helping us plan the perfect amount of food to grow for the whole year!
6) Exercise! (Plus, Overall Improved Health)
Gardening is physical work. And physical work is good exercise. If you have children, teaching them and letting them help you in the garden is an excellent way for the whole family to get a bit of extra beneficial exercise.
Now let’s talk about dirt!
Did you know that kids who are able to get dirty in real dirt while growing their veggies have enhanced immune systems? Did you know that this kind of outdoor fun helps them control their impulses? Finally, the evidence shows that kids who help in a family garden are far more likely to eat more of their healthy vegetables and fruits. Source
I’m a poster child for this fact!
Another factor that helps overall health is eating seasonally and locally. By growing your own garden, you’re automatically doing this. If you have children, I can’t tell you how beneficial it is for them to learn seasonal habits, and a garden is one way to accomplish this.
Seasonal living is good for our health! And it’s good for the planet.
Garden fresh carrots are going to have their own unique (and delicious) personalities…
7) Fewer Trips to the Store
We have a pretty good food storage system going on in our home. But we do still need to go to the grocery store about once a month. And I know for a fact that most people probably need to go at least once a week, if not more in order to get food items, including fresh vegetables (which have a short life span on the shelves).
I have to say, that going to the store these days totally stresses me out.
Between seeing all the people in masks, the barriers up between people, the required social distancing…it’s rather unsettling and just plain weird. Now, I’m not against all this. I do understand the need to take care and the need for stores to reduce liablilty.
However, people aren’t really meant to socialize like this.
On another level, the fact that every time I get to the store in these past several weeks, the stores are more and more depleted of basic goods is also downright disturbing.
My husband, Mr. V., actually has to try to calm my fears when we go because I’ll be honest: I’m having a real hard time with all this strangeness.
If I can get by without the stores? I’m thrilled.
We’ve been anxiously awaiting our first produce harvests, and thank goodness, the spinach, beets, lettuce, kale, and baby onions are beginning this early spring. Finally.
8) You’ll be Learning a New Skill, and New Skills are an Investment Toward Your Family, Health, and Home
Gardening is not something that just everyone does.
Modern society is so….busy. In most two-income families, there may not be time to grow a large garden. Or energy, for that matter. Or knowledge.
As a group, we have forgotten how to grow our own food.
Beginner gardening can be a bit scary at first, but I promise you, you can learn how to do it. You’ll have some fails, but this is how you learn! You’ll also have some successes, and these will excite and encourage you!
There’s so much information now about gardening, both online, in communities, and in books. Find your favorite resources, and just start!
Here are some of mine:
The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer (great for general gardening information with lots of information on growing medicinal herbs as well)
The Family Garden Plan
Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
The Suburban Micro-Farm
All of these are great beginning resources to get you started on a good foundation.
Click the image or right here to find out more about our courses! Invest in your self-reliance and home herbalism skills!
9) Planet Friendly, Green Living
You know what one of the best things is about growing your own food?
YOU get to know exactly how it was grown. YOU get to decide if you’re going to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides or not. YOU get to decide on the ultimate product.
I highly suggest learning how to implement organic practices. One of these that is vey simple is Companion Planting. You can get my guide by filling out the form below, and I’ve written about it in this article.
There are many other sustainable growing practices the home gardener naturally uses that Big Ag just doesn’t. By growing your own food, you are helping our earth. You’re leaving a much smaller carbon footprint by not having to purchase foods from Big Ag operations.
And…you’re teaching your children how important it is to practice sustainable living.
Final Thoughts on Growing Your Own Food Right Now
Of all the homestead skills, I think gardening ranks up there in the top three to learn. I would say learning herbalism and traditional cooking are the other two. Taking charge of your family’s health and vitality by learning new skills, especially how to grow food, is so important. And fulfilling.
Trust me. Your children will be SO grateful to learn these skills. They (like me) will look back in years to come and be filled with gratitude that they were able to learn the simple skills of growing a garden. Even though we don’t have “Victory Gardens” anymore, in a sense, this is what your home garden truly is!
Here are some related articles you may enjoy:
*20 Herbs to Grow in Your Healing Medicinal Garden
*Self-Reliance: Is it Wrong? (This is an interview with several homesteaders on their thoughts about self-reliance. It’s pretty interesting.)
*Money Saving Tips from Survivors of the Great Depression
*21 Necessities I Don’t Buy from the Store Anymore, and What We Do Instead
And there are SO many more over on the website! I hope you’ll go to the home page and explore!
Hugs, Health, and Self-Reliance,
Heidi
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