7 of the Best Reasons to Grow Your Own Food

There are so many great benefits to growing your own food. Find out 7 of the Best Reasons to Grow Your Own Food

 

7 of the Best Reasons to Grow Your Own Food

Your life does indeed improve when you grow your own food. Whether it’s simple indoor herbs or a large vegetable patch in your garden, there are numerous benefits. From reducing how much plastic you use to saving money on the weekly groceries, here are some of the best.

Herbs are a Natural Pest-Repellent

If you have ever grown any vegetables, then you will know about pests. Pests come in shapes and sizes, from tiny ants to wild rabbits, foxes, and even deer. However, growing some herbs, such as rosemary, in your garden patches and indoors can help get rid of ants and some other common pests in an organic and natural way. This means you don’t have to use pesticides on the fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you grow, keeping them as healthy and safe as possible.

Grow Your Own Food to Use Less Plastic

Most grocery stores are shifting towards using less plastic by removing it altogether or using alternatives. Alternative packaging includes paper and bamboo, which are sustainable and safer. This is good news since we waste over 350 million metric tonnes of plastics each year. Of course, plastic has its uses and is necessary for many products. But there are always cleaner and greener alternatives. However, growing your own food cuts your plastic use out altogether.

Improved Health Benefits

Growing food for personal use means you have direct control over what is in it and what you consume. The health benefits of organic farming at home are well documented, and these are packed with more nutrients than standard store-bought foods. Yet there are also further benefits to your well-being. The act of gardening alone is strenuous and can provide daily exercise. You will also get more sunlight and fresh air. It’s also a great way to disconnect and destress.

The Huge Environmental Impact

A huge amount of global carbon emissions come from food production. When you grow your own, you directly help bring this down. There are also many other eco-friendly benefits of growing your own food at home, and some of the environmental impacts are as follows:

• Your carbon footprint is massively reduced compared to commercial farming.
• There are no or minimal pesticides and fertilizers used for your own vegetables.
• Growing only what you need and will use helps reduce food waste.
• Producing your own foods is a part of making your home more eco-friendly.
• Plant life breathes in extra CO² and releases clean oxygen into the air.

CO² is reduced with your own gardening. Yet the absence of pesticides helps the environment and your personal health. At the same time, plants help keep the air clean and balance CO².

A Hobby and Skills You Can Pass On

Getting your hands dirty in the garden is a pleasurable way to relax for many people. However, there are also many skills that come with gardening and growing fruits, herbs, and vegetables. These are skills that you can use to save money and help the environment. And you can pass these on. As a result, your children will also directly contribute to the environmental benefits and help themselves as well. It also helps your family become more self-sustaining as a result.

Save Money When You Grow Your Own Food

One of the best reasons to begin growing vegetables at home is the cost-benefit. Today, the average cost of a weekly family grocery store visit in the US is around $330. That’s a lot of money, and the cost is rising. When you learn to grow what you need at home, you can reduce this cost substantially. However, it also requires some dedication and learning. For instance, you cannot grow what you want all the time, and growing and cooking seasonally is necessary.

The Freshest of Ingredients

Hardly any fruit and vegetables are from domestic sources these days. Most developed countries buy produce from underdeveloped ones who rely on these purchases for their economy. However, transportation times are long, and some produce can sit in nitrogen tanks for years (such as bananas) to prevent them from spoiling. All the while, they lose nutrient density. Fruit and vegetables straight from your garden are bursting with the nutrients you need.

Summary

Using herbs as a natural pest repellent is just one reason to grow your own food at home. But of course, there are also eco reasons to begin this rewarding hobby. You will also save a lot of money by doing this, and all your fresh fruit and veg will retain the nutrients from your garden.