The 'Grow Your Own Food' Initiative

Why should you Grow Your Own Food?

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    The Grow Your Own Food initiative aims to encourage students and citizens alike to grow their own produce and food crops.  Gardens and green spaces do not necessarily require a large area or excessive amounts of time and labour to be effective and beneficial.

Why should we grow our own food?

• Imported food sources or foods that have to travel across a long distance contribute to the amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. This includes the time that produce might spend travelling by means of air, land, and sea. On the other hand, growing your own food and buying local goods significantly reduce the amount of energy expended in transport, lessening our carbon footprint.
• Gardening fosters a stronger appreciation for and connection with nature. It allows individuals to better understand nature and natural ecosystems.
• Small-scale gardening and farming can provide a potential source of food, which reduces the economic strain of having to purchase produce for meals. This can alleviate food insecurity since it offers a sustainable food source that is inexpensive and relatively easy to maintain.
• It offers the opportunity of being more self-sufficient, as opposed to relying on external sources solely for food. This might be useful during natural disasters, embargos, or even apocalyptic scenarios where food might be scarce and prices inflated. 
• It provides a source of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other produce. This assists in ensuring a healthier and balanced diet is maintained. Fresh seasonal local produce offer better nutrients.
• Individuals can choose which crops they would like to grow and harvest, as well as maintain more control over what pesticides, fertilizers, and specialized garden practices, if any at all, are used in farming.
• Gardening can help develop an individual's community. For many, small-scale farming can help bring communities closer together through communal gardening or sharing different crops.
• It might develop into a hobby and provide a constructive avenue for both relaxation and productivity.
• It can become a skill that might develop into opportunities, such as a small or freelance business, and even inspire individuals to pursue a new academic or professional path.
• Gardening can make your yard and home look greener and more attractive.
• Crops and trees are beneficial to the environment as they provide oxygen, prevent erosion, offer protection and shade, and encourage biological diversity. Planting more of them can thus have a positive impact. 

Be sure to follow our blog and social media pages to keep updated with sustainable suggestions as well as more information and ideas for small-scale gardening!