It’s 2022, and I would like to believe we have become a more environmentally-conscious people. Considering the recent pandemic, we are also a crafty bunch, taking up new hobbies and inspiring creativity.
As grocery inflation continues to make its appearance, why not take up yet another fun and educational hobby by growing your own food?
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should stop and consider growing your own fruits and veggies:
- You save money.
- It’s more nutritious.
- It tastes better.
- It’s beneficial to the environment.
- You gain a sense of pride while doing it!
Imagine not having to throw out all those fresh fruits and veggies you just bought at the beginning of the week because they have already gone bad. I challenge you to add up how much you’re spending at the grocery store on fresh produce and consider how much you could be saving by growing your own food.
I found out that If I spent $12/week on produce it would equal the cost of a tower garden, it gives me above and beyond the produce I could eat, and it lasts months! There’s nothing like knowing exactly where your food came from and not having to sacrifice nutrients because it’s all freshly picked!
I recently discovered a fun and new way of gardening that happens to be extremely easy, fitting into my young adult, on-the-go lifestyle perfectly.
Have you heard of the infamous tower garden? I was so intrigued when I first heard about it. With its aeroponic technology, research has found that tower gardening increases yields by an average of 30%, grows plants up to three times faster, and uses as little as 2% of the water as traditional gardening!
Not only that, it reduces your carbon footprint by eliminating food miles (a mile over which a food item is transported during the journey from producer to consumer, as a unit of measurement of the fuel used to transport it) and storage, and recycles 100% of the nutrients and water using a closed-system technology.
Here’s the best part: because there’s no dirt, there’s also no digging or weeding (which is probably my favorite part of tower gardening). Plus, you don’t have to worry about ground pests or contaminated soil.
The design of the tower garden uses 90% less space so you can get super creative in where you decide to garden. Both NASA & Epcot contributed to this growing technology. It is made of food grade UVA/b protected plastic (which is important because regular plastic will eventually break down into your food) and contains land and sea minerals which mimic soil, making it chemical free!
I have had the opportunity to grow such a variety of things with my indoor tower garden and have had the most wonderful and easy experience. Tower gardening is a great option if you’re just starting out since it’s so low maintenance and gives affordable access to healthy food. I have grown strawberries, edible flowers, kale, bib lettuce, basil, chives, tomatoes, lavender, and I plan on growing so much more!
In my experience, all the plants have flourished and some of the seedlings sprouted and were ready to harvest in just 2 weeks. The taste is also incomparable to any grocery store produce because many of those products aren’t picked at their prime ripeness.
I have such a sense of pride knowing I can grow my own food, help the environment, and save money. I am excited to experiment with other plants and continue developing my green thumb (which I never had before… it really is that easy!)
Tower gardens have also made their appearance in many classrooms and schools because it is such a fun and educational experience for the kids. If you have a family with young kids, gardening is a great way to include your kids in the process, teaching them about the importance of growing their own food. It’s a fun project that can bring the whole family together.
You can also learn the life cycle of a plant and how much of it you can eat. For instance, instead of just Brussel sprout flowers, you are able to eat the leaves as well. They are potentially even more nutritious than just the flower!
As summer approaches (and prime gardening season along with it), consider growing your own food in whatever way fits your lifestyle the best. Tower gardening is just one option. It may not fit into every budget, but traditional gardening is a great option too. I personally have enjoyed tower gardening due to the ease and quick growth cycle of plants. In any form, growing a garden is good for your health, the environment, and gives you new skills to learn and develop!
Reach out to blog@medishare.com for any tower gardening questions!
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