Why Do We Garden?

In essence, the main point is that by learning to garden now, we are equipping ourselves with the necessary skills to grow our own food in case of an urgent need. It's not ideal to start learning how to grow food when you're already hungry, just like you wouldn't want to figure out how to field dress an animal for the first time when your family is starving. Discovering that your soil is inadequate and rocky when you urgently need a bountiful harvest of root vegetables before winter is far from enjoyable. While this mindset may seem extreme, being prepared is crucial as nothing in life is certain except for our eventual demise, and access to essential resources could easily be lost. Many of us have faced resource shortages at some point in the past. Prior to my twenties and my venture into gardening, I, like many Americans, viewed gardening as a pastime for retired individuals with empty nests. However, this was a misconception as I had no prior knowledge or experience in gardening for sustenance. The ability to step out into your backyard, gather food you cultivated, and provide your family with a nutritious meal is a valuable skill that I was oblivious to for a significant part of my life.

My first recollections of gardens date back to my Grandmother's Japanese-style garden at her residence on Mercer Island. It was a captivating garden that served a purpose far beyond mere sustenance. As a young child, it was a realm of creativity and an annual location for Easter egg hunts. The atmosphere was shadowy, damp, and overgrown, with hydrangeas and roses growing wild in a mysterious and exquisitely disordered manner. A narrow pathway guided you down a gentle slope around a pond featuring a moss-covered birdbath at its center. I always pondered how a pastel-colored egg found its way there for the hunt each year. Tracing the path along the property's edge, you would emerge from the trees onto a vast, well-maintained lawn sloping down to the water's edge, offering a view of Lake Washington and the Seattle skyline. What a delightful memory of a garden, wouldn't you agree? I cherished that garden, strolling through it while envisioning myself in the world of the Secret Garden. Although it didn't offer anything edible, the garden nourished your mind and spirit instead. If you were expecting some profound gardening wisdom from my Grandma Enid, I regret to inform you that she didn't garden out of necessity but rather out of choice. We never engaged in discussions about gardening, and I don't believe she ever cultivated fruits or vegetables. I have fond memories of her sunroom filled with houseplants and the abundance of plants throughout her home, where I delighted in wandering and admiring them. I owe her gratitude for instilling in me a love for cultivating living things from an early age. My earliest garden memories are ones of awe, simplicity, and beauty.

It used to be unnecessary for most individuals to acquire this skill, utilize the garden for cultivating food, or stop maintaining the large lawn and... grow food instead! Isn't the ultimate objective in America always to achieve financial stability to avoid concerns like the source of your food? This was the reality for numerous households during the prosperous economy of the 80s and 90s, with food being inexpensive! Regrettably, this scenario is now far from feasible for the majority of Americans in 2024. Many of us who were born before the year 2000 never anticipated that Americans would find themselves in the current predicament. The high inflation rates have made it challenging for most of us to afford exclusively high-quality organic, locally produced food. Yet, we are also too unwell or unfit to consume the readily available conventionally processed foods. Numerous individuals suffer from autoimmune conditions triggered by unidentified environmental or lifestyle factors... but we all acknowledge that it's related to the food! The truth is out. We are left with a single option: either spend more for clean food or figure out a way to incorporate a garden into whatever available space we have to cultivate the quality of food we merit. Space and time pose significant obstacles, particularly for growing families residing in suburban areas like us.

Is America's food system dysfunctional, or is it actually functioning according to its original design by its creators? It seems that the system was intentionally designed to oppress us. This is the turning point where individuals are recognizing the importance of cultivating food not just as a hobby, but as a fundamental life skill that everyone has the right and duty to acquire and share. Growing your own food has become an act of defiance, reflecting a lack of trust in the government's genuine concern for our well-being. The truth is, the government lacks empathy; it is entrenched in division and consistently fails to meet our basic needs, such as access to clean food and water. Instead of supporting health, they endorse harmful substances that slowly deteriorate our health, all under the guise of genetic modification. This may explain the prevalent illnesses we experience. If this doesn't highlight the disconnect between self-serving bureaucrats and the realities of ordinary people, then what does? In a world where control is elusive, regulating what we consume becomes a powerful form of resistance.

So, did I start gardening as an act of rebellion? Not really, but it might explain why I stuck with it. I initially took up gardening out of pure interest, but it later became a necessity as my skills developed. Instead of following the typical path of most people in their twenties, my partner and I had two children before the age of 24. I had abandoned a potential nursing career to care for our daughters at home, leading us on a different journey. Starting to cultivate gardens was a way to keep myself occupied, little did we know how crucial this would become once we faced financial challenges on a single income. We ventured into raising chickens for eggs and meat, as well as pigs, stocking our freezers with a variety of produce. Back in 2015, our decision to embrace a homesteading lifestyle with two kids seemed unconventional to our relatives and friends. Fast forward almost a decade, and it has evolved into a popular trend, with families in their thirties and forties returning to a more self-sufficient way of life. It serves as a validation for the young mother I once was, unsure of the future. Over time, my passion for gardening and growing food transformed into a deep-seated obsession that has significantly improved my family's life. We started preparing not for a zombie apocalypse, but for more practical disasters like job loss or food shortages during a pandemic. Along this journey, I discovered a connection to something greater than myself – this community.

The significant movement of people from urban areas to rural regions and the surge in the number of homesteading and gardening accounts across various social media platforms serve as evidence of the American public's discontent. Over the past 5 years, Americans have become more aware of the detrimental condition of our food system than ever before. They grew tired of the deceit and dysfunctionality perpetuated by selfish and myopic leaders. Witnessing individuals stepping up to ensure their families have access to the quality of food they deserve made me exceptionally proud to be an American. Food may seem like a basic necessity, but when you transition from indulging in a variety of options one day to barely having access to a quarter of that the next, it's infuriating that the government would allow such a situation to occur with the essential resources for survival. This underscores the importance of social media connections; it brought us all together. Through these platforms, we voiced our concerns, listened to one another, and shared knowledge. Despite governmental attempts to suppress us and hinder our connections, we united in defiance.

When I first started, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. None at all. Despite it feeling like a distant memory now, I took the initiative to plant that initial seed and in doing so, I made a decision. A decision that would later be echoed by thousands of individuals similar to myself in less than ten years. It was a decision to have the freedom of choice! You are not bound to consuming food solely from the grocery store; my friend, you have the option to eat seasonally and cultivate your own produce on your apartment balcony. We each choose our own challenges. For me, it involves body aches and dirt under my nails from tending to our urban garden, all because the taste of my homegrown tomatoes surpasses that of any store-bought ones. Your challenges are likely different from mine, but remember, you still have the power to choose. You have the ability to achieve anything you set your mind to. The beauty of gardening lies in the fact that it is ingrained within you; it has always been a part of your heritage. Somewhere along your familial lineage, someone had to cultivate food in order to have a meal. You possess untapped potential, and I have faith in your abilities. If you desire to grow your own food, you will find a way. The satisfaction of plucking that first sun-warmed tomato of the season from the vine is unparalleled.

The bottom life is: Gardening is essential to us. In an ideal world, we wouldn't worry about pesticides and herbicides harming us. Ideally, our government would support small local family farms that prioritize offering clean, nutrient-rich foods to consumers, rather than subsidizing toxic monoculture farming practices and incorporating seed oils into most processed foods. This is my role - I aim to assist you and all those interested in cultivating food. Gardening is an innate activity for humans. My goal is to inspire and empower you to manage or perhaps take charge of your food production. Gradually making small adjustments will result in significant accumulation of knowledge, skills, and a well-stocked pantry.