Are you looking for ways to grow your own food this year?! Some are inspired to plan a vegetable garden. More of us should consider it. No matter what form our garden takes, whether it’s in-ground, raised beds, planters and pots on the patio or balcony, that investment of time and material will be worth it, especially this year. 

1. A vegetable garden is a hedge against inflation. We’ve already seen record prices at the grocery store, the gas pump… every time we reach for our wallet. Investing in a vegetable garden will yield food savings in the summer, fall and years to come. 
2. A vegetable garden gives us some control over an important food source. Do you want to eat more vegetables… better quality, organic vegetables? Planting and growing your own vegetables is one sure way to gain control over the quality of your food. When we sow and nurture these plants, we know what goes into their production. We know they are healthy and good for us.
3. Tending a vegetable garden is good for our health.  It gets us off our butts and outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air.  There are health benefits to sticking our hands into rich, nutrient-dense soil.  Getting soil under our fingernails nourishes our gut by exposing us to beneficial bacteria.  What is good for us is especially good for our children!
4. Growing a vegetable garden is a great family activity. Parents, grandparents and children working together creates and nurtures the family bond. Elders pass on stories from their childhood as well as practical how-tos, and children supply the joy of discovery and delight in a new experience. From planting seeds to harvesting the produce, growing vegetables teaches basic biology with hands-on learning. Vegetables that you grow yourself taste better than store-bought. Kids who grow vegetables eat a greater quantity and variety of veggies. 
5. Growing a garden is good for the soul. A prevailing climate of uncertainty and fear feeds stress and anxiety. Working in a garden lifts us out of worry about the future and plants us in the present. Visiting the garden every day, watering seedlings, tying up loose tendrils of a pea plant, thinning crowded greens, welcoming bees and butterflies, celebrating the flowers and swelling fruits, drinking in the sensory delight of color, fragrance, sound, touch and eventually taste, grounds us in the sacredness of creation and lifts us up to the Creator.

Yes, this is a great year to plant a vegetable garden.  If you need a little help getting started, call Richie Mitchell at Bear Creek Organics.  Visit bearcreekorganics.com to schedule a consultation.  Don’t hesitate; the growing season is upon us!