Why I Grow a Garden

Our little garden isn't much and we certainly have room for more on our property. Right now it is two 3'x6' beds with a variety of tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Like I said, it isn't much. But, it serves the purpose. No, it doesn't provide all our food even at it's peak production or provide enough for long term storage. Nor is it likely to sustain us during a long term grid down situation. But, that's not what it's for.

What it does do is show my sons where food comes from. It shows them that their food comes from the ground. They get to see that even a small garden is hard work and requires constant input. I do very little work in the garden. My 11 year old planted all the plants this year and my 5 year old has the job of pulling weeds a couple days a week. My hope is to teach them that food doesn't magically appear on the grocery store shelves. They need to know that someone worked hard to produce that food. Someone's sweat and effort went into that food and for that they should be grateful.

Maybe one day we will up our garden production. But, for now, our little garden produces more than food. It produces kids that understand the real value of food.