Growing an Organic Garden
A Garden Update
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m growing an indoor urban garden with some friends. Jeff was the one who started it a couple months ago, and I wanted to share with everyone what we’ve achieved!
We have piles of lettuce…
Several different types of lettuce.
The tomato plants are taller than I am…
They've grown FAST.
The tomato plants.
And we even have cucumbers!
Unpicked cucumbers.
Look at the size of that cucumber!
The lettuce and cucumber that I have tried so far are delicious. I’m so excited to think of using these greens in salads, green shakes, pasta… all of it. Real food. I know exactly what has gone into the soil. It’s all organic and local and delicious. I won’t ever have to buy cucumber or lettuce or tomatoes at the grocery store again 🙂
Food as a Status Symbol
Organic produce is outrageously expensive and when you live in a place where the ground is frozen for 10 months of the year (okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but it sure feels like it!), most of the fruit and vegetables are imported from miles away. By the time they arrive here, they don’t look so good. Only about half of the fruits and vegetables that I buy are organic, simply due to things like finances. Healthy food can be inexpensive, but eating truly healthy food – by which I mean, whole foods that haven’t been sprayed with chemicals – is definitely not something that most people can afford on a regular basis.
It’s frustrating that things such as the Slow Food Movement really don’t accommodate to people who aren’t financially well-off. I tend to think of myself as middle class but even I have difficulty buying healthy, organic, local food on a consistent basis. And I’m a health nut! So what does that mean for everyone else? Good health should not be limited to only the upper class. Everyone deserves good nutrition and a healthy diet.
And that is why I love the organic, urban, indoor community garden that I’m sharing with some others. It’s fantastic to be able to eat fresh, local produce that is good for me and free of charge. I hope so much that we can continue to build and expand our garden. It would be great to eventually get more people living in the area involved in our project, and to get some local restaurants on board too. Sharing nutritious food is one of the first steps that we can take to ensuring that more people have access to nutritious, affordable whole foods.
Where do you stand on organic/local produce – do you buy it or do you not bother? Do you have a garden? What do you do in the middle of the winter for fresh fruits and vegetables? What are your thoughts about the relationship between social class and accessibility to nutritious foods?
That is so cool!
I like organic produce but I can’t afford it. I can hardly afford actual produce (we buy a lot of stuff only when in season). I want to start a garden soon but I don’t know when that will happen.
Ooh you guys have a backyard in the new house, don’t you? Might be a prime spot for a garden 😀
That’s great!!!
To quote a neighbor of mine a few years ago who did one of the best gardens I’ve ever seen and shared it with me.
“Go ahead and take what you want, I just love to watch things grow!”
Ooh I like.
I am DROOLING looking at these Sagan….that is so neat! I love cucumbers….I have at least one everyday. I could have a garden just for cukes! 🙂
As much as I would love to have a garden, I don’t see that happening at least for another year or so. 🙁 I do love our local farmer’s markets, and buy organic when I can!
I am SO GLAD that Jeff had the idea to start up this garden, because otherwise I know that I probably never would have had my own garden. Sometimes it’s nice when there are other people around to take that kind of initiative!
Oh I want t garden so badly!!!! This is a great initiative Sagan and I’m so glad to see that it’s paying off and our enjoying gorgeous harvest!
Awesome post on the healthy gifts too! I’m right now struggling to find budget-friendly gifts for all the people in my life! Your post gave me great ideas!!
You’re welcome to share our garden 😉
Hey Sagan, great looking garden! Here in central Minnesota, I feel your frozenness…we are still digging out from a 2 foot drop of the white stuff this weekend. The indoor urban garden sounds really intriguing. Do you worry about any chemicals from the plastic containers getting into the soil/plants?
I am financially able to purchase local/organic and I do because I hope that the more who are able will and it will drive costs down. I do feel that the air and attitude of many who support things like organic food and the slow food stuff can be a little snobbish or exclusive. I really like the idea of the garden, truly taking it back to the roots of slow food! It is important for the movement to get these kinds of projects out there via information and even aid in order to help people do the best they can in different ways in different situations. It isn’t just about “buying” organic or local. It is about being organic/local!
I garden in the warm months, and freeze and can loads of produce, preserves, and other things I make. In my opinion, frozen is the best way to go to get close to fresh. I don’t need to, I can afford to go to the fancy store and get the fancy stuff (and I still do) but I like to try to be a part of the true process of “slow food.”
Those who really HAVE to do the whole process are so much more mindful, and I’ll bet more appreciative of what they are doing and eating. I think that is a gift.
Awesome question about the plastic containers! I hadn’t thought of that. Knowing the people involved in the garden project, I expect that the containers are all made of biodegradable material and are safe – but that’s a very interesting thought to take into consideration. I’ll have to ask about it.
It’s funny you should make the argument about driving costs down. I was saying that to the father dear just yesterday!
And so true about not just BUYING it, but BEING it. I love that.
Wow…that’s amazing you can do that. Fresh veggies in the middle of winter? That must be fantastic. Here in the summer there is a great farmer’s market, but in the winter, I can’t shell out the cost for some of the organic produce if I want to eat as healthy as I do. There’s also a good food box program with local farmers and gardens contributing to food boxes you can get for reasonable cost 1 or 2 times a month…but again in the winter it’s pretty sparse for content. I’m hoping I can be involved with a community garden next year…I miss having a garden. My mum always had a giant garden. Fresh garden veggies? There’s nothing like it.
If my backyard had more sunlight I’d love to have a garden, but until Saskatchewan magically warms or I get a massive raise I’m sort of stuck with what I have for now. 🙂
It really is fantastic.
What the heck are we doing living in the middle of the Canadian prairies, anyways? 🙂
My garden didn’t produce much this year: about a cup of broccoli and two tiny peppers. I buy as much locally grown produce as I can, but very little of it is strictly organic.
Mary Anne in Kentucky
Aw it’s too bad that your garden didn’t give much back to you this year! Makes that cup of broccoli and two peppers all the more precious.
Will have to see your garden sometime!
Actually I was hoping to show it to you on Friday 🙂 Thought you might be interested. Bring a container with you so you can take some lettuce home!