If you watched the news the last couple of weeks, you probably have seen a bunch of stories on how food prices are going to start seriously going up. Much of this has to do with corn and other commodities going into ethanol but there are other reasons as well.

It is about this time of year I start to think about what I am going to do with the garden. I have already decided to about triple the size of it as it was way too small last year (first garden in this location). With this news, I might even go bigger. Even with the small garden last year, I still saved a lot of money once there was product to pull.

I wonder if there will be more of a push for home gardening this year due to what is expected to happen in commodities? Are any of you planning on a new garden or expanding your current one?

Hi Jafo,

Yes, you bet I am planning a small garden now that we found a house. I don't have tons of room but enough to help out. It's been years since I did serious gardening but the cost is a BIG factor on fresh vs. store bought this year. But not only that but the taste is so much superior on home grown!!! I want cherry tomatoes growing out of every nook & cranny!!! Okra, greens, pole beans, sugar snap peas just to mention a few!

Cathy

There are all sorts of great and good reasons to grow your own veggies. And they all come down to quality. The produce you grow---particularly if you opt for heirlooms and other open pollinated varieties---taste better, and can be more nutritious, than anything you buy at the market.

However, unless you only mean "dollars out of pocket," you do not actually save money by growing your own. Even if food prices go up the projected 20% this year, you cannot grow your own cheaper than buying. Not if you include all the actual cost factors.

I mean, let's get real. Does anybody really believe they can achieve the economies of scale reached by Monsanto?

Now then, if you want to talk about value (as opposed to cost), Monsanto can't begin competing with you.

So it's best to concentrate on the value of growing your own: home-grown has inherent flavor, nutritional, recreational, and environmental benefits that alone make it worthwhile. But cost really isn't one of those benefits.

KYH you hit the nail on the head with that one! I never found gardening to be cheap. But I do believe that we can cut back on our out-of-pocket exspenses if we make a few adjustments.

I have a goal and intention of trying to really garden cheap this year for instance...using marigolds and other flowers and herbs to repel bugs, marking the territory to help detour other kritters by training my little doggie to tinkle at various locations throughout. Starting ALL my plants indoors from seed, except the greens, and squash of-course. And I seriously believe (if you do not count our labor) we can save $$$ if we try.

But even if not: as you say the quality, freshness and nutritional value far outweighs any cost factor!

Not to mention we soak up sunshine (Vitamin D) while we work our garden, and we take in loads more fresh H2o, and we feel more at peace out in the garden than shopping in the store!

I wish everyone could know the joy of growing fresh veggies, and the frustrations too (to gain appreciation of our farmers!) You never really know until you do it with your whole heart!

I was wondering KYH, if I wanted to use the heirloom seeds where exactly would I find them for sale around these parts? And what are the benefits of using heirloom?

I do not know that I have ever used them. We used to purchase all our seeds at the Feed Store and I had no idea where they came from, and each seed had a pink coating on it to keep the bugs from feasting on them, I doubt they were heirloom seeds.

You must believe in them as I don't gather that you would waste time on something you do not feel is worth your while.

I'm 100% sold on fresh veggies from a garden - if you can grow them - and I always got good seed from the feed store. Heck I even had a brother and sis-in-law that went and sowed dried black eyed peas from a bag they bought at a grocery store and they had black-eyed peas growing like crazy that year! Boy did they brag on that!

But I am interested in the benefits of heirloom.

Thanks, Cathy