For my family’s health, I buy Heirloom, Organic, Non-GMO seeds and I don’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides.  If there is something I haven’t planted, I try to go to a farm market first to buy, but if for some reason I have to buy something at the supermarket, I buy organic.  I only hope I’m getting what I’m paying extra for… at both places.

Another health plus to gardening is that working in the garden is great exercise.  This is especially beneficial for the girl who knows she should be exercising, but isn’t doing it.  OK, I admit it… that’s me!!!  lol

I believe homegrown fruits and vegetables taste much better because in the home garden, produce fully ripen before harvesting.  Whereas, store purchased fruits and vegetables are harvested way before they are ready so they can withstand shipping and being delivered before spoiling.  Plus, the way I understand it, other than organics, some of the fruits and vegetables are sprayed with something to prevent them from spoiling.  Before I started buying organics, I once had a bag of Russet Potatoes and, being pushed to the back of the pantry, forgot I had them.  I found them more than two months later and they were still in good condition.  That’s just not normal!!!

And, the produce in the supermarkets are more than likely grown from modified seeds.  I don’t care if my produce looks perfect or has perfect color.  With modified produce, it’s possible that I can plant a seed from, say, a beautiful red, but modified, pepper and get an ear of corn on the plant that grows from that seed… that’s just so wrong!!!  OK… I’m exaggerating, but I want to know that what I’m eating is whole!!!

Modifying also changes the taste.  I’m no spring chicken, so I remember what “whole” foods really taste like.  A lot of what we’re eating today just doesn’t measure up!!!  And, I believe there isn’t enough documentation for anyone to convince me that GMOs are totally safe for us to eat.

Let’s talk money… buying a bunch of packs of seeds and considering the amounts of food they produce doesn’t nearly compare with the price of the same amounts of the same foods in the supermarkets.  Even if you don’t start your own seeds, purchased seedlings cost more than starting from seed, but are still more reasonable than buying fruits and vegetables from the supermarket.

OK, so it takes some work to get a sustainably producing garden, but that’s alright.  I’m good with doing a little more work in my garden to get healthy foods to put on my table.  And, let’s not forget we get a lot of sunshine for Vitamin D, exercise and peace-of-mind while being out there.  Oh, I forgot something else… a kick-ass tan, too!!!  lol

Gardening is also good for our environment.  If you’re anything like me, you compost.  My kitchen scraps (no meat, of course), garden waste, grass clippings and leaves go into my compost pile to make “pure gold” for my garden, hence, less garbage going to the landfills.  I also repurpose our newspapers (not the color inserts) into seed starting pots, thus the newspapers don’t go to the landfill, either.  And, let’s not forget, fewer trips to the supermarket means less car emissions going into our air.

And, if we need more… fewer trips to the gas pump means more money in our pockets; not going to the supermarket means not having to deal with crowded stores (I hate crowded stores!!!); and, besides mixing compost into the soil, I feed my plants with easy-to-make “compost tea”.

So… I could probably keep going, but I won’t.  I just think it’s so cool that gardening is a win-win proposition.  Healthier foods, saving money in the supermarkets, saving money at the gas pump, fewer car emissions in our air and more!!!  What can be better than that?

That’s it for now.  See you next week!!!