Organic gardening is a way to provide food for your family without using chemical additives. Whether you have enough space and time to become fully self sufficient or simply want to add some quality to your diet, organic gardening is one of the best ways to make your life more sustainable.

1. Sustainable living

With the present nosedive in economic fortunes who can predict how long we will be able to maintain our oil-dependent food supplies. Non-organic food depends on oil to help manufacture the fertilizers and pesticides, so even if you are buying locally grown food there is still an impact on the environment. Many commercial irrigation techniques are unsustainable in their water use. By growing your own organic food you can reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably.

2. Flavor

The days of organic food being grown by a few hippies and looking and tasting second rate are well and truly over. Watch any top chef on the food channel and they will repeat time and again the importance of your ingredients. Most of them will stress the importance of organic food as a source of great taste. Try a comparison at home; buy a tomato from the supermarket and one from an organic food store or garden. Compare the flavors. Supermarket produce is grown to look good and have an extended shelf life. Your own home grown organic produce will be grown for flavor.

3. Good health

It seems like every month there is some evidence that another chemical used in food production may cause reactions, allergies or other adverse effects. The chemical companies tell us that these things are really safe and provide effective ways of increasing the crops. However, old chemicals are repeatedly banned and new ones may not be tested thoroughly enough to identify long-term effects. Why take the chance with your family\’s health? It is simple to produce home grown organic food. Most of us need to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables that we eat. An affordable way to do this with quality produce is to grow your own organic food.

4. Independence

Do you really want to spend the rest of your life at the beck and call of multinational corporations? Will you continue to put your family\’s health in the hands of others? When you garden organically you begin to take control of your life. You gain an understanding of the inter-connections of all parts of life. You will realize the importance of the little things and how they can improve the lives of the bigger things.

5. Cost

If you are starting completely from scratch it may cost a little to set up your organic garden. But it is money well spent. For example a packet of organic tomato seeds costs just a couple of dollars. Half of those seeds can keep a family in tomatoes for 5 months of the year. And the next year you can plant your own seeds from your organic plants. With a little effort in seed saving you will never have to buy tomatoes in season again. Of course, you can do this with all of your produce. You could save hundreds of dollars every month.