Don't Just go Local, Grow Local!

When searching for the most delicious, healthiest, and most cost effective produce, a great tactic is to buy local.  Locally produced foods cut down on transportation costs and are fresher, more nutritious, and tastier than foods that are brought in from far away.  If you take that mentality to its logical conclusion, however, the most local you can get is to simply grow it yourself!  Growing your own fruits and vegetables is incredibly cost effective, and even if you don't own a yard where you can plant a garden, you can still grow food in planters on the porch or near a window indoors.  Food picked fresh from your own home often tastes better as well since it couldn't possibly be any fresher, and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you grew it yourself.

The image above from the National Gardening Association details the demographics of American home gardeners.  A larger version of the image can be found here.  According to this information, over a third of households in the US have a garden, and many of those people are new to gardening.  If you are interested in starting a garden, or have just started one and want to learn more about how to successfully produce your own fruits and veggies, check out our workshops at Common Ground High School in New Haven.

Have a great evening!