November, 2008
Here in the Midwest, it is snowing and very cold...most of us are thinking about Thanksgiving and the other winter holidays...certainly not the time most people think about vegetable gardening. However, I am...I am planning a kitchen garden or what the French call a Potager.
Home growing vegetables, fruits and herbs is certainly not a revolutionary concept, but for an urban dweller in the United States, it is certainly unusual today.
With the cost of fresh produce rising every day along with every other household items, it makes good financial sense to off set those costs by growing from seed. The costs of establishing and maintaining a garden along with seed will provide a return on an average investment in as little as one year. After the first year, the costs are minimized to replenishment of seed and maintenance and the cost benefits increase from there.
Also on a lot of our minds is the quality of the produce we consume. Most grocery stores procure product from large commercial farms that offer mass quantities at lower costs. This economy comes at a cost. Commercial farms employ pesticides and herbicides to maintain crops. The health consequences are numerous. In addition, the variety of produce is reduced to the most insipid and common of varieties based on sales volume. Growing your own vegetables puts the power in your hands...literally and figuratively.
Throughout this year, I will be making regular updates from planning, preparing, planting, maintaining, harvesting as well as using the bounty provided. I hope you will join me on this journey and provide feedback and share your gardening stories.
Here’s to living an abundant life!
Ken Wright
