A large portion of the food found in the shops has been grown with chemical pesticides and transported long distances before reaching our plates. Store-bought fruits and vegetables are responsible for causing significant damage to the environment. Plus, let’s not forget they are wrapped in copious amounts of plastic which is always a hassle to recycle.
However, there is an easy solution to this dilemma- growing your own vegetables. Tending to your vegetables has several benefits for ecological and personal benefits. Sure, it takes a lot of dedication, time, and effort to tend to your garden, however, we assure you that all of your efforts will be worthwhile when you take a bite out of a fresh vegetable grown in your garden.
1. Homegrown Vegetables Taste Better
Fruits and vegetables sold in the shops are carefully selected and bred for commercial farming. This helps the product appear uniform in size and shape, and have a longer shelf life. But it also leads to a lack of flavor. Homegrown vegetables might have a short shelf life but they pack in more nutrients and flavor than storebought vegetables ever could.
2. Cost-effective
Although growing your vegetables and fruits is time-consuming, however, it will end up saving you money on petrol and actual money that you would have spent traveling to and from the grocery store to buy vegetables.
3. Zero Pesticide Exposure
If you are worried about the adverse effects of pesticides on your mental and physical health, then you can kiss those worries goodbye with homegrown vegetables and fruits. Since you are growing vegetables and fruits on a smaller scale, then you can prevent and cure pest infections without using pesticides.
4. Reduced Carbon Footprint
Since you’ll be growing your vegetables and fruits in your backyard, then that means that your food is not being flown from far away, thus reducing your carbon footprint significantly.
5. Good Exercise
Growing and taking care of your garden requires a lot of movement in the garden. From digging to planting to weeding, you’ll end up spending hours doing these low-impact exercises while basking in fresh air and sunshine.
6. Less Waste
You’ll surely be making your own compost while growing your vegetables and fruits. Therefore, you’ll end up using all vegetable and fruit scraps and peelings to make compost. This will not only provide nourishment to your plants but also help the environment.
7. Involve Kids
Growing your vegetables is a great way for you to bond with your kids and involve them n a physical activity that teaches them how to take care of plants and gives them a first-hand lesson in the process of photosynthesis.
8. Improves mental health and overall well-being
Growing your own vegetables and gardening, in general, is a great way to combat anxiety and stress, and get your required daily exercise. It gives people a great sense of accomplishment when they can successfully nurture a seed into a mature plant. Gardening is no longer daunting because with the internet all information is readily available to us. Gardening can not only help people be one with nature but also help them unlock a new area of personal interest.
9. Food Security
If you and your family are going through a hard time financially, then growing your own vegetables is a way to ensure that you and your loved ones have access to safe, clean, and nutritious food at all times. With the proper technique, you can also stock your vegetables and feed your family even after harvest season.
You should not let your lack of a backyard stop you from growing fruits and vegetables. You can utilize whatever small space you have in your apartment to grow useful herbs and vegetables by keeping the pots near a window. Don’t miss out on the benefits of growing your own organic food because it not only keeps you mentally and physically fit but also helps the environment considerably.
