My Garden = More Food For Me

Over the weekend, I got my garden started. It’s not huge, but I think I should be able to get a fair bit growing in there.

Last year, I tried to observe as much as possible where the light hits, and when, so that this year my garden plan will take full advantage of the lighting conditions. As well, I’ve been monitoring closely what I can plant in the ground, so that I can get things in there as soon as it’s reasonable.

While I certainly devote a fair bit of thought to my garden and the tasks that surround it, the actual investment of time working on the garden (tilling the soil, spreading compost, seeding, etc.) is surprisingly low. It kind of stumps me why more people don’t do this, especially when the price of food is going up (which is a complex issue on its own, and may be covered in a future post).

I admit, I probably went overboard on my seed buying (spent about the same as 2 weeks worth of groceries for me and my wife), but now I’ve got enough seeds for about 2 seasons I suspect. So, let’s say for this year, I’ve spent as much as I would on a week’s groceries. While I don’t have hard numbers yet as to how much food this year’s garden will produce, I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with the equivalent value of 3-4 weeks worth of groceries by the end of the season. This is partly because I’m growing organically, and leaning towards unusual and/or heirloom varieties, which tend to be more expensive. So, if my estimate is correct, I’ve gained a substantial amount over my initial investment. In addition, I don’t have to go anywhere to get the veggies themselves, nor did they have to get trucked in from anywhere.

This, to me, is a winning equation.