TAKEN FOR GRANTED
Growing up on a small family farm, I never really gave much thought to the concept of “growing your own food.” It was just something that we did.
My dad and uncle grew fresh market crops, like sweet corn, potatoes, onions, cabbage, and cucumbers. Every evening, dad would just bring home bags or boxes of whatever he was packing and shipping that day. We had a full freezer every winter and fresh, nutritious vegetables on our table every night and never thought twice about it.
At the time, I didn’t realize how lucky I was… Or just how few people actually enjoyed those conveniences. As I grew up and began farming on my own, I built a year round hydroponic greenhouse, which meant that now my family had a fresh supply of lettuce, herbs, and leafy greens, 365 days per year.
I was still happily oblivious. Finally, in the early 2000’s, my CEA consulting work brought me to farming projects in urban areas, and my eyes were finally opened for the first time as to the disconnect between people and their food.
In the Bronx, NY, for example, I designed and oversaw the construction of an advanced rooftop hydroponic farm directly on top of a public housing project. We employed local residents who had never seen fresh vegetables actually growing, and gave tours to young children who thought that milk was manufactured in a factory, just like soft drinks. I was shocked, to say the least.
THE DISCONNECT
“The Great Food Disconnect” highlights this further, with studies from both the UK and United States that demonstrates the lack of fresh food access, as well as the basic “dis-connection” to growing our own food.
As my work focused more and more on suburban and urban agriculture projects, it became clear that this has (sadly) become the norm. Whether due to the simple convenience of buying produce at a local store, the lack of suitable land on which to plant, or the actual knowledge of how to grow your own fruits and vegetables, very few people grow any of their own food whatsoever. As shown in “10 reasons why you should start to grow your own food,” there are so many great reasons for you to get started.
From my perspective, there’s no reason NOT to start growing!
HOW TO START GROWING FOOD
Should you try to grow ALL of the food you and your family need? Of course not. However, a small home hydroponic system can be just what you need to ensure your family has a supply of fresh, nutritious leafy greens 365 days per year. It’s not as hard as you might think!
With step by step instructions, you can reliably grow a wide assortment of lettuce, mixed salads, culinary herbs, cooking greens and much more. No green thumb needed!
A small home hydroponic system requires no soil, very little power, and is easy to use, even for beginners. In one small system, our family grows mixed salad, head lettuce, basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, arugula, kale, spinach, upland cress, mustard, mint, and chives. Enough for highly nutritious daily meals, as well as the added bonus of providing extra for friends and neighbors. Do you buy packaged salads at the grocery store every week? You don’t need to anymore….and you can customize the mix specifically to your liking. Do you wish that your mixed salad had more Romaine lettuce “crunch?” Or would rather have the spicy “bite” of peppery mustard mixed in? You can do it all! And it’s quite simple to get started.
First, visit AmHydro HomeGrown for more information. You can join our newsletter list for weekly tips, tricks, and guidance for commercial and home growers alike. You can contact us directly with questions and we can help guide you through the process.
At AmHydro, we’re all growers ourselves, so we’ve seen it all. Our only commitment is to your success. With so much uncertainty in the world today, along with the need to ensure access to fresh, pesticide (and delicious!) food for you and your family, there’s no better time to Get Growing! We look forward to hearing from you.
