Food shortages are happening and the cost of food is on the rise. Having a home garden can help ease the burden of rising prices. Learn how to become more self-sufficient for food security by growing some of your own produce. If you want help getting started with gardening, this article will prove invaluable to you!
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If you’re interested in gardening for food security but aren’t sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, you’ll learn about what types of food to grow, how to choose your space, and the best methods for growing healthy, productive plants. If you want help getting started with gardening, this article will prove invaluable to you!
This post is all about gardening for food security.
Food Shortages and Rising Prices
Climate change and global warming is presenting itself all over the world. This inevitable course affects world food production and creates global food insecurity. Roughly 8 billion people need access to healthy food options, and current food systems already struggle to fulfill that demand.
India has experienced a record-breaking heat wave which hurt wheat production. The war in Ukraine, Covid 19 pandemic, and climate change has all impacted the global economy, and rising production costs has put a strain on American farmers. The fear of potential food shortages is real.
Whether Americans will be affected by a food shortage crisis or not, the prices are rising. Instead of living in fear, this should motivate us to come together and learn ways of becoming more self-reliant.
Gardening is a great way to reduce your grocery bill. It is therapeutic and promotes a healthy lifestyle. You can better avoid pesticides and increase the nutrients in your food just by growing a few things at home.
More Reasons to Grow Your Own Food
The average family of four will spend more than $7,000 on groceries every year. With grocery costs on the rise, it is time to learn how to grow some of your own food. So let’s look at why gardening is suitable for your pocketbook, health, and environment.
Beyond sustenance, there are many unexpected benefits to gardening. It’s therapeutic, it teaches us about healthy lifestyles and how something so simple as a handful of seeds can help us combat diet-related illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.
Not to mention, it can improve the diversity and health of your gut. An unhealthy microbiome can lead to a number of chronic health issues.
The Importance of Food Sustainability
Sustainable nutrition is more than simply gardening for food and eating healthy. It is about teaching ourselves, our children, and anyone who will listen that we can and should be able to feed ourselves by growing food from our own efforts.
Sustainable food is created by environmentally friendly techniques. And sustainable nutrition focuses on eating fresh fruits and vegetables, humanely raised organic meats, and other whole foods that will give your body what it needs to stay healthy without burdening our planet.
This means raising food with nature in mind. Biodiversity is a major aspect of sustainable food systems, and growing multiple species together in your garden produces rich soil and abundant harvests.
Quality food and nutrition is of utmost importance for your life, future generations, and the survival of the human race. Growing food at home is not only rewarding, but brings you peace of mind when it comes to food security. You will also have access to the most nutrient-dense foods available.
Simplify your garden plans with our amazing FREE Ultimate Garden Planting Guide.
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Planning And Designing a Vegetable Garden
If you want to garden for food security, your first step is planning and designing a vegetable garden. It doesn't need to be overwhelming. Let go of the mindset that you don't have a green thumb, and be open to making mistakes along the way. That is how we learn!
Where do you start? How much will it cost? What if I don’t know what I’m doing? That’s okay—I got you covered! The first thing you should write down is all of your gardening ideas.
- Where will you put your garden? Measure the space. Grid paper comes in handy. This is the perfect time to start a garden binder. Make it a habit of writing everything down (harvest dates, weights and numbers of produce, maps of beds and what you have planted).
- What type of beds will you use? Containers, vertical planters, raised beds, no-till spaces.
- What will you need to purchase? Soil, materials for beds, tools, trellis and cages, and seeds.
- Keep it simple. Start where you are with what you have. You really don't need all that much to begin.
Forest Gardening for Low-maintenance Produce
Whether you are short on time or plan to make raising food a priority in your life, consider planting as many permanent and perennial food-producing plants as you can in your space!
Perennial fruits, nuts, herbs, and veggies will reward you year after year without much intervention on your part. Permaculture is a method of growing food that works with nature and makes the work easier.
Low-maintenance plants include fruit and nut trees, berries, herbs, mushrooms, and many others.
Variety and Diversity for the Win!
Diversity is critical in a thriving garden, which means choosing vegetables growing at different times of the year.
Planting a variety of species increases your odds of success (if one crop fails, you’ll have something else ready to harvest), and since you won’t have all your eggs in one basket, each time you pull a ripe tomato from your plant, it will feel extra satisfying.
Diversity is key! Nature tends to thrive in ecosystems rich in plant species. It is rare to see an ecosystem of one plant like soybeans, for instance. Have you ever noticed how fast nature replenishes trees and grasses once it has been cleared?
Consider polyculture planting instead of the traditional row-by-row garden technique. A diversified, species-rich system will make your work easy and your food rich with nutrition.
Growing Kitchen Staples for Food Security
A great way to get some homegrown food on the table is to choose a few items that you use often to grow on your own.
For instance, I grow herbs, onions, and garlic year-round. With just a few plants, I am able to produce all that my family needs. I dehydrate and freeze as much as I can during the growing season so that I never need to buy these at the store. More importantly, preserving foods is a way to reduce food waste.
Kitchen Staples to Grow
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Onions and Garlic
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Herbs
- Nuts: Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans
- Beans (if you have the space)
- Berries
- Greens (Spinach, Kale, Mustard, Lettuces)
Pro-tip: Look for heirloom varieties that you can't buy at the store. Grow lots of different kinds! That way, you will always have things that you can't get elsewhere.
Form a Community of Growers
Do you have friends and family interested in becoming more self-sufficient? There has never been a better time to band together and start a community or cooperative for homegrown organic foods!
You can grow a few things, they can grow a few things, and you all can share the abundance. Someone can raise chickens! If we all did this, we could eat for free!
Use this quick garden companion planting reference to save time!
What are you waiting for?
Grab my ABSOLUTELY FREE Ultimate Garden Planting Guide!
I swear by this list! (I even have a laminated one hanging in my greenhouse for reference!)
Simplify your garden plans with our amazing FREE Ultimate Garden Planting Guide.
Just click the button below to get yours delivered straight to your inbox free of charge!
This post was all about gardening for food security.
Learn About Sustainability
Knowing your food and taking responsibility for how it is produced is the best way to make a positive ecological impact.
Curious about the future of health and sustainability? Read this post about Staying Healthy for insight into causes of chronic diseases and how to prevent them.
You are reducing waste and resources while relying less on conventional agriculture and its use of pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate.
Most importantly, you will be eating the healthiest way possible!
Find out how to be more self-sufficient by gardening for sustainability.
