Winner, are you wondering if there’re any good reasons why you should grow your own food?
Because off the top of my head, I can think of a few.
And I’m about to share them with you.
But first, remember these 130 frugal living tips you need to start NOW?
Well, growing your own food is one of them.
And here’s…
Why you should grow your own food (15 reasons)
Reason #1: To improve your diet
You never know exactly how the food you buy from the store was produced.
But you know exactly how the food from your garden was produced.
And there’s no better way to feel in control of your diet than by growing your own food.
Reason #2: To save money
You likely won’t grow every food you consume.
But even the little that you can grow goes a long way in reducing your food budget.
And now you no longer need to include fresh produce when you create your grocery list.
Reason #3: To become self-sufficient
It’s terrifying to rely on someone else to produce the food you eat.
And in today’s economic climate, when you don’t know if you’ll still be earning money tomorrow, growing at least a few of your foods can feel liberating.
Reason #4: To improve your health
You know another reason why you should grow your own food?
Because your HEALTH will immensely benefit.
Think about it.
Besides the obvious physical benefits to your body, the satisfaction of finally being self-sufficient can help you:
- reduce your stress levels,
- release natural feel-good hormones that enhance your day-to-day mental health.
- enjoy the meditative effects of working with your plants.
- reap the healing effects of getting your hands dirty.
Harvard Medical School explains how growing your own food improves your health. Take it from the experts!
Reason #5: To benefit the health of your environment
Compare picking up food from your backyard garden where it is produced.
With the long process involved in picking up commercially grown vegetables in some factory to get it to where you are.
And you’ll grasp how reducing your carbon footprint is another good reason why you should grow your own food.
And that’s because by growing your own food, you eliminate any:
- use of packaging,
- fuel requirement of transporting the food,
- excessive paperwork involved with transporting commercial food.
Reason #6: To connect with nature
Nature is an indispensable part of your existence.
But be honest. How often do you acknowledge this? Do you even believe this to begin with?
If you don’t, then I don’t blame you.
Because technology has taken us so far from nature, that we no longer care to acknowledge its significance to our existence.
But if you’ve ever taken on gardening, do you recall the:
- smell of the wet soil?
- feel of the soil on you hands and feet?
- earthy taste of a stick of carrot fresh from underground?
My point?
There’s a strange, unmatched satisfaction you get from laboring in your garden.
And it’s strange because it’s as though you’re not laboring at all. Or don’t mind to.
Not to mention, working in your garden can earn you more sound and peaceful sleep than working at your office desk.
(Bye bye insomnia!)
Don’t believe me?
Just try it.
Reason #7: To stimulate your creativity
You likely know what stimulated creativity feels like if you’ve ever:
- grown a variety of food in a small space,
- grown a completely new food you’ve never attempted before. And yet harvested it,
- created beautiful landscapes with your food gardens.
And you know that once your creativity has been stoked, there’s no stopping the grand ideas that fill your head.
Reason #8: To cultivate a hobby that can help you improve your social life
Have you ever witnessed a shy person talk so passionately about their hobby that for a moment you completely forgot they were shy?
Well, that’s what growing your own food can do for you.
It can help you cultivate a passion that makes you fearless enough to connect with other people in a way you never thought possible.
Not to mention, your new hobby can help you form social networks which are likely to benefit you far beyond farming.
Reason #9: To enhance your spirituality
Just plant one seed. Then watch it turn into an abundant harvest of food.
And I bet that ‘miracle’ will redefine life for you in an astounding way.
Additionally, knowing that you can actually produce that abundance of food completely free of charge can help you see your life as it was truly meant to be: free.
Doesn’t that just fill you with gratitude?
Reason #10: To inspire others
If you can’t find any good reasons why you should grow your own food that inspire you personally?
How about knowing that doing so can also benefit others.
How?
I know for sure that I’m inspired by anyone who grows their own food.
Especially if they can do that against the odds that many of us use as an excuse, such as, limited:
- space,
- time,
- skills,
- money,
- etc.
Why not head over to foodprint.org for a great start?
Imagine raising your kids to know that vegetables come from the soil, not from the grocery store.
Knowing kids and their love for experimenting, I bet you’d never have to buy another tomato in your household!
Reason #11: To provide for others
If your tight budget is not giving you enough room to be as lavish as you want with your money, don’t worry.
Because feeding others with the food you grow DOES help you fulfill your philanthropic desires.
For example: if you have an overabundant harvest of vegetables, you can take some to:
- the soup kitchen near you,
- your church for a Sunday lunch,
- a struggling neighbor,
- just a complete stranger. Everyone needs food!
In my family, we never seem to have extra money to give. But our relatives and neighbors know that at every harvest season, they receive free gifts of:
- beans,
- dried greens,
- watermelons,
- corn,
all grown in our family farm.
We do sell our produce, of course. But we sell it for:
- much cheaper than you’d get it in a store,
- credit, if need be.
Reason #12: To get access to foods you don’t grow
Remember how growing your own food can help you improve your social life? That’s reason #8.
Well, your increasing social network is likely to have other farmers in it.
And they might not only be willing to share their stories and ideas with you. But also to give you a taste of what they grow.
Sometimes in exchange for you giving them your own produce. And sometimes for free. Either way, you win!
Reason #13: To become a go-to expert
In today’s society, you can become an expert at almost anything by learning it thoroughly. And working hard to perfect your work.
And that’s even without some type of educational qualification.
It’s the same thing with growing your own food.
Where I live, we have go-to people for farming. And some of them have never even seen the gates of school!
If you dedicate your time, energy and efforts into learning something, and you cultivate patience in practicing it countless times,
you’ll most likely be knowledgeable enough to answer most questions that come your way.
Reason #14: To carve a healthier relationship with food
Winner, is there a chance that perhaps you’re struggling to cultivate a healthy relationship with food because you don’t feel connected to your food?
Does, that even make sense to you, to begin with?
Because it does to me. I’ve seen it. And lived it.
If to you ‘chicken’ means the kind you get only in the freezer section, and not the live animal, then it might be a good idea for you to see a live chicken to appreciate it even more.
I’m sure you know of people who changed their minds about a certain food after they saw how it was produced.
I’m not saying that growing your own food is the ultimate solution to solving the relationship problems people have with their food. Because that would be overly simplistic.
But I do believe that knowing where your food comes from, really does help you relate to it in a much healthier way.
Reason #15: To feel more in control of your life and more confident
If you look at all the 14 tips above, what do they have in common?
Or in other words, what’s that one thing they point to?
Answer: they point to you claiming the utmost control of your life.
Which is exactly how you want to feel if you’re to experience sustainable success in your frugal lifestyle.
You want to feel like you have 100% control of your life.
Final thoughts on why you should grow your own food
Growing your own food is one of the best frugal living tips. And there’re a myriad of reasons why you should take it on. This post provides 15 of these reasons.
I hope you find our reasons inspiring enough to get you started on growing your own food.
Please share your feedback with us by commenting below.
- What do you think of these reasons?
- Are they compelling enough to get you started on growing your own food?
- Have you ever tried growing your own food? How did that work out for you?
- Do you have anything else to add to this post?
Winner, your feedback can inspire another Winner out there to also start growing their own food.
And by so doing, claim 100% control of their frugal lifestyle.
Last but not least, remember that it’s your life. So there’s no rush. No right or wrong. Only progress.
Also, remember that in everything you do, you’re a Winner. And in everything that happens, your life is always a win!
Read more: