I will be the first to admit that I don’t have much of a green thumb.  I tend to forget to water plants or I overcompensate and drown the poor little things in too much water.

I may make a lot of mistakes, but I have found that there are some great reasons to grow your own food.  If you’ve been on the fence about starting a garden, resolve to give it a try this year.

5 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food

You’ll save money.

Food prices are expected to go up again this year.   You can avoid that price increase, by growing your own food.  For example, A $1 packet of carrot seeds can dozens fresh carrots to eat, freeze or can.  A small initial investment can yield big results when it comes to planting a vegetable garden.

You get to decide what veggies to grow.

If you are in love with veggies like asparagus that rarely go on sale, you can grow it yourself and not worry about prices.  Some folks love being a part of a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) program, where you buy a share of produce (usually starting at around $400) from a local farm.  It’s much less work than planting your own garden, but it also offers less flexibility.  You may end up with vegetables you don’t know what to do with.  Starting your own garden allows you to only grow what you know you will eat.

You can ensure your food is organic.

One of the perks of growing your own food is that you control the conditions.  You can choose to raise your food organically, which provides a significant cost savings over buying organic produce at the store.   You never have to worry about what chemicals were used on your food, because you will know exactly how it has been grown.

Food grown fresh in your own garden tastes better.

Food you’ve grown yourself tastes amazing!  Because your food is picked fresh from your garden when it’s ready and doesn’t have to be transported on a truck to sit around on store shelves, it tastes fresh and retains more of its nutrients. When food tastes better, you’re less likely to let it go to waste.

Self-sufficiency feels good.

Growing your own food creates confidence. It feels good knowing that you can rely on yourself to provide food for your family.  You may find that the enjoyment you get from growing your own food inspires you to become more self-sufficient in other areas of your life.   It’s also smart! You don’t have to worry about running to the store for a tomato, if you all you have to do is step out your back door.

I know that some of you are thinking, “Sure, that all sounds good, but I live in a city.  I don’t have space.”

But that’s no excuse!   The book Urban Gardening for Dummies has a ton of great resources for gardening in tiny spaces.  You can also grow your own sprouts and fresh herbs in your window sill.

Just remember to start small –  You’ll find a small garden is less overwhelming and the initial start-up cost is low.  You’ll still be able to grow plenty of fresh produce, and then you can expand as you learn.   You can see all of our gardening posts for more ideas.

Gardening is a fun, family activity that doesn’t have to cost a lot. And if I can do it with my two brown thumbs, I know you can, too!