Thursday, November 11, 2010

Why is it important to grow my own food?

With the all the modern conveniences of today, you might ask, "why should I grow my own food?"

It's a quick and easy trip to a nearby grocery store to pick up 'fresh' fruits and veggies, but just how 'fresh' are they really?  Most tomatoes we buy from the store are picked green and ripened while in storage with ethylene which can cause suffocation.  Who knows where they actually came from or how long they were in storage before ever reaching the shelves.  By growing your own food, you can be certain of where it's been before reaching your mouth. 

Harvesting methods aren't the only thing to be concerned about.  Pesticides pollute our rivers, streams, wells and even rain water.  They can cause birth defects, neurological problems, and cancer.  Even after washing and peeling fruits and veggies, pesticides can still be found.  Because some pesticides end up being taken in by plant roots, it's impossible to wash off.  By having your own hydroponics garden, you can reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.  Gardeners who grow their own food know exactly what was put in or on it.  By eliminating soil from your garden, pests will be fewer and easier to get rid of.  Aeroponic systems are great for indoor gardeners because they require no grow media, so the chance of spreading disease and pests is pretty much a thing of the past. 

Growing with hydroponics has been proven to produce much higher crop yields at faster growth rates.  Hydroponics also saves an incredible amount of water, which we all know is a precious resource.  Hydroponic systems use as little as 1/20 the amount of water that traditional farming methods do to produce the same amount of food. For gardeners, saving water means saving money, and that's something everyone can benefit from. 

An investment into a hydroponic growing system can save you in more ways than one.  Not only are you saving on water use, by growing with hydroponics you can save on grow media as well.  Sure, a few pots and a couple bags of soil may be cheaper initially, but over time can really add up.  Some hydroponic growing medias can be cleaned and reused, meaning growers will only have to purchase it once.  Other systems, such as aeroponics, don't require any grow media.  Then there is the cost of food itself.  It takes oil, which takes money for the food to be delivered from half way around the world to your local grocery store.  Employees get paid to unload the trucks and stack the food neatly on shelves for you to buy.  Their wages come from the mark up in cost that you pay.  Cut out the delivery and employees and you cut the cost of food.
With more and more people trying to eat healthy these days, few realize some of the so called 'healthy' foods are actually slowly poisoning consumers.  Food that is labeled 'organic' only means that no pesticides were used.  The Grocery Manufacturers of America estimate that 75% of all processed foods in the U.S. contain a GM (genetically modified) ingredient.  GM foods are getting more attention as many countries in the world ban the sale and cultivation.  In 1998-99 Farmers in Iowa were curious about GM foods and decided to see what their animals thought about them too.  When farmers repeatedly let cows and pigs into pens with troughs full of GM corn and non-GM corn, guess which trough they would head to first?  That's right, the non-GM corn.  The animals would sniff and maybe nibble the GM corn, but quickly head for the natural corn.  In 2009, three scientists reviewed a previous report that stated GM foods were safe.  They concluded from the same study that 3 patented crops owned by Monsanto cause liver, kidney, and heart damage in mammals (Read their report here).

So with chemicals, pesticide/insecticides, GMOs, and the rising cost of food, what's the best way for a person to cope with it all?  Grab some non-GMO seeds and start planting.  Take control of your food for you and your family.

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