Learn how to grow food your own food. Self-sufficiency tips on managing and starting a garden in any space that will produce great food with just a little work.
Consider the cost of buying a cucumber. Right now, cucumbers are running somewhere around a dollar each here in northern New England. Each cucumber doesn’t cost a dollar to grow, so why are you paying so much? Where does all of that money go? Very little of that dollar actually goes to the farmer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that in 2021, 14.5 cents from each consumer dollar went to the farmer, while the rest went to the suppliers, processors, and retailers.
Is gardening really worth it financially? The answer is a resounding “yes!” The cost of food is going up, and if you figure in what you spend on fuel and time to obtain that food, you’ll see how you could help your budget by growing at least some of it. Whether you live on a 40-acre property or in an apartment, you can grow food, and in doing so, save money and even the environment. But before you can figure out how much you can save, take a serious look at how much you currently pay and, just as importantly, whom you’re paying. Factor in your time, and the cost of getting to the supermarket.
When all is said and done, if you grow your own cucumbers, I guarantee they’ll cost much less than a dollar apiece. Let’s say that a packet of good, non-GMO cucumber seeds costs around $4. If only half the seeds in the packet germinate, and each plant produces two cucumbers, the total cost of all of those cucumbers will be much less than a dollar apiece. In fact, considering all the factors, you should be at a net gain.
Basics of Growing Your Own Food
Some people out there think they can’t grow plants. I commonly hear “I don’t have a green thumb,” or “I can even kill plastic plants.” But you can be successful at growing your own food. All it takes is healthy soil, water, good-quality seed, natural pollinators, and, most importantly, the will to do it.
Start small. You may have 40 acres, but working that much land takes a great deal of effort. Try your hand at container gardening or a small raised bed. You don’t need anything elaborate to grow food. As you become more comfortable, experienced, and confident, you can spread out.
Invest in good-quality soil. The soil is where your plants are going to get the nutrients they need, so make sure it’s up to the task. Build up your garden soil with compost, bone meal, mulch, cover crops, or other natural supplements. (Repairing the Nitrogen Cycle in Your Garden has ideas on how to boost your soil’s microbial networks).
Seek out excellent seeds. When it comes to seeds, be diligent. Seeds labeled as “treated” have had a preservative, pesticide, or fungicide applied to them. I only use untreated, non-GMO, organic seeds, and I prefer heirloom plants. I don’t purchase seeds in discount or big-box stores. All of my seeds come from plants whose seeds I’ve saved, from friends, or from reputable dealers, such as Botanical Interests or Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Seed libraries can also be an excellent source of seeds. Many public libraries now have seed libraries: Seeds are “checked out” to be grown, and some of the saved seeds from that harvest are “returned” to the library at the end of that growing season.
Tailor your garden to your circumstances. Grow what you and your family like to eat. I can’t stand eggplant, so you won’t find it in my garden. Consider your planting zone as well. Oranges, for example, don’t grow well in New England, so I stay away from them. Lastly, start your gardening journey with plants that don’t need any special care. I always have radishes, beans, peas, lettuce, squash, and tomatoes in my garden. I know my family will eat them, and they’re fairly easy to grow. With those under your belt, try your hand at some of the more complicated crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower.
Grow Your Own Food in Any Space
If you live in an apartment or don’t have the land to keep a traditional garden, you can still grow food in containers. Container gardening is a fun way to get the entire family involved, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Think about what items are already in your home and what you could repurpose. Plastic 1-gallon bottles used for milk or water are perfect. Just remove the spout and put a few holes in the bottom for drainage. You now have a planting container. How about that old beach pail or those 1-liter plastic soda bottles? I know people who grow vegetables in plastic garbage bags.
If you do have the room but don’t want to dig up your yard, try raised beds, which are really just large containers. You can purchase commercially available raised-bed kits, or you can make your own using scrap lumber. Avoid pressure-treated lumber, as it contains harmful preservatives. Unused bricks or stones also can be repurposed to outline plant beds.
When I use containers, I like to use quality garden soil mixed with a good dose of organic material. I make my own compost, but you can purchase both soil and organic compost at your local garden store. Read the ingredients carefully. Avoid those potting soils that are full of petrochemical fertilizers. They come in bags, so check the label. Stay away from cheap bags of soil that are simply marked “soil,” since you’ll have no idea where that “soil” comes from. I made that mistake once.
While there really isn’t anything that can’t be grown in a container, certain crops do better than others. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to grow corn in a container. Although the corn will grow, it isn’t economically practical to grow it that way. Some of my favorite container crops are tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. I’ve known people who have grown potatoes, sweet potatoes, and even pumpkins in plastic trash bags. Citrus, apples, cherries, and pears can be grown in discarded 5-gallon buckets. Strawberries also do excellently in containers. See what works for you. What do you have to lose?
The beauty of container gardening is that you can get away with things you can’t in a traditional garden. Because you can move the containers around depending on weather conditions, best sun, and so on, you can experiment with plants that would otherwise not be suitable to your environment.
Self-Sufficiency Requires Patience
For the total cost of a handful of store-bought cucumbers and a little work, you can provide your family with a variety of vegetables and fruits. While the bounty isn’t instant, you’ll find it’s well-worth the wait. Whether you establish a full-fledged garden or grow your crops in containers, your produce will mean one less purchase and one more step toward self-reliance.
Dana Benner has been writing about all aspects of the outdoors and self-sustainability for 35 years, with his work appearing in Grit, Countryside, Backwoods Survival Guide, and others.