Consider these reasons to grow your own fruits and vegetables. In this section you will find helpful tools and links that will help guide you through the process of home grown fruits and veggies.
Nutrients
Your vegetables are like a ticking time bomb. Once they are picked from the field they begin to lose the nutrients that make them so good for you. This loss of nutrients doesn’t happen all at once – it is a slow process that is propagated by heat, light, and oxygen exposed to your food as it travels from the farm to the grocery store and from the grocery store to your home. By growing your food at home or in a local community garden you are able to minimize this post-harvest exposure time resulting in the consumption of higher nutrient foods!
Taste
Did you know there are over 15,000 known varieties of tomatoes? When you go to the grocery store you are likely to find around 5 varieties of tomatoes to pick from. Grocery stores have to select varieties of tomatoes that are made to withstand the time and stress of transport from the field to your home. Unfortunately, the tomatoes with a longer shelf life are not the varieties with the best flavor. If you grow your own tomatoes, you will be able to select varieties that are more flavorful!
Environment
Shipping of fruits and vegetables hundreds or thousands of miles requires both fuel and packaging that increases carbon emissions and waste. The cost of fuel and packaging is also passed on to the consumer and therefore growing your vegetables at home is better for the environment and for your budget!