TAKE STOCK – WEEK 8

The daffodils are up, the forsythia are in bloom, Spring will cascade upon us quickly.  It is time to start thinking about gardening. I know some are still under snow but really: it’s time to start making plans and gathering supplies.

This week, let’s Take Stock of how well we are able to produce at least some of our own food.

        “There are some who feel that they are secure as long as they have funds to purchase food. Money is not food. If there is no food in the stores or in the warehouses, you cannot sustain life with money. Both President Romney and President Clark have warned us that we will yet live on what we produce.”  (J. Richard Clarke)

As we have become a more urbanized society, fewer people are growing a garden.  There is no reason for this.

If you only have a small yard you can plant a garden.  If you have a patio or balcony, you can plant a garden.  If you have neither, there are ways to grow food indoors.  It’s less important what the size of your garden is than that you do what you can within your circumstances. 

If you have no space for an in-ground garden, or have limited mobility, you can grow in containers.  The variety of containers available these days is stunning.  They don’t have to be expensive either.  I like my Greenstalk Vertical Planter but the price might hamper some. However, fabric pots are inexpensive and work really well.  Goodness, even a cardboard box wrapped in a garbage bag works! 

There is a learning curve to growing a garden that hinders many.  However, there are so many resources available. Besides books you can find knowledgeable people at your local nursery (not the big box stores we tend to go to but the smaller, privately owned places in most every community). Poking around on You Tube will provide an answer to any question. There may even be classes to take or friends, family members, people at church from whom to seek help and / or information.

No matter how limited you feel your resources or knowledge are, if you have the desire, there is a way for you to grow food.  

We’ve been counseled to grow a garden, produce our own food, and become as self-reliant as possible. Every step we take to follow the guidance we’ve been giving will bless us. Even baby steps.

What are you going to grow in your garden?