10 Reasons To Grow and Preserve Your Own Food

10 Reasons To Grow & Preserve Your Own Food 

1.  Taste - Nothing tastes better than a vegetable or fruit picked fresh off the plant/vine/bush.  The texture, the flavor - everything is so superior when it is harvested while ripe.  You don't have to eat something that has been sitting in a truck or on a shelf for days and weeks.  All you have to do is take one bite of the garden fresh produce and you'll be sold - Grow Your Own Food!

2.  Health -  I believe in growing Organically - no cancer causing chemicals.  I also believe that "GMO" (genetically modified organism) foods are not healthy for us - it just doesn't make sense.  Your food will also be healthier when you "can" or freeze your own produce - you don't have to add in all of those preservatives that you would get if it was store bought.  Also, since home-canning is done in glass you won't have to worry about aluminum & tin levels in your food from store bought cans.

3.  Cost - This is another "no brainer" - Pay a few dollars for 1 packet of tomato seeds and get hundreds of tomatoes! - With which you can freeze, make tomato juice or preserve whole.  Not to mention all of the money that you will be saving when you get to use your preserved food in the winter instead of going to the grocery store.

4.  Good Stewardship -  I believe that we should use everything that God has given us for the good of others.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."  1 Peter 4:10
If you only have a small city backyard you can still grow and preserve some food to help in providing for your family - use every inch of what God has given to you.

5.  Green Living - Why not live as responsibly as we are able?  Cut down on your garbage by starting a compost pile - At first it might seem like a bother but once you get into the habit of composting you won't even think twice.  If you don't grow vegetables you can still use the nutrient rich compost dirt for your flowers.

6.  Outdoor Exposure - Being outside is a good thing.  Not only do you receive vital "Vitamin D" from sun exposure but being outside (in my opinion) is the best psychotherapy.  To be outside in nature is a stress reliever (again I'm NOT a doctor - see my disclaimer at the bottom of this post).  Look around - watch the birds or the squirrels as they fly here & there or jump to & fro (Wait - NO!- don't watch the squirrels - all they do is steal your garden produce for their own enjoyment - hahaha just kidding).

7.  Exercise - Walking, bending, lifting, kneeling, pushing, digging and pulling are all great forms of exercise.  And you won't have to pay money to have some fitness coach scream at you because you aren't "working out" at the rate that they deem acceptable (no offense against any work-out coach out there - I know that the "screamers" are the minority)  Work in the garden at your own rate.

8.  Education - Learn about flora and fauna, study the art of canning & preserving your food for the winter.  Growing and preserving your own food is very educational and can even be passed down to younger generations - most of what I know about growing & preserving I learned from my parents.

9.  Preparedness - Stocking up is a good way to be prepared for difficult times.  What if the electricity goes off for a few days or even weeks because of a winter blizzard or a summer thunder storm?  OR - What if you lost your job and it takes about 6 months to find another job?  Be prepared and have home canned food in the basement to prevent disaster during difficult times.   

10.  Creativity - I am a creative being - whether it's designing my gourd art or inventing a new recipe or planning my garden for next year.  Creativity brings me so much joy!  Planning your garden and creating new recipes with your home grown produce keeps your mind healthy and happy.

ENJOY!!

Copyright, Permissions & Disclaimer

Linked to:
Couponing & Cooking
Mop It Up Mondays
Mix it up Mondays
Stone Gable
Humble Bumble
All My Bloggy Friends
Waste Not Want Not
Adorned From Above
52 Mantels
Almost Friday Blog Hop
Green Thumb Thursday

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Your monthly ad could be here!

Click the button to see how