Should You Grow Your Own Food?

You may have wondered in the past if growing your own food is worth the effort. The 
short answer is yes. In fact, growing your own food can provide a simple solution to 
many of the health and economic problems you may face. Whether you are imagining a 
single plant to grow tomatoes or a full garden in your backyard, you will receive a 
number of positive benefits from growing your own food.  
 

Improve Nutrition
 
 
Freshly picked fruits and vegetables not only taste better but will also provide you and 
your family with more nutrition. Grocery store produce often undergo the process of 
harvesting, being shipped to a distribution center, and then distribution to stores. The 
produce then remains on the shelves until purchased. Much of the original nutrition of 
the food is lost during this process. Growing your own food will assure you get 
maximum nutrition and health benefits from the food you eat.  
 

Outdoor Exercise
 
 
The food you plant in your garden will need to be watered, weeded, and harvested. This 
is a great way to satisfy your exercise needs. You will also provide yourself the vitamin 
D your body needs from the sun. The outdoor exercise you will gain from planting and 
maintaining your garden is also an activity the entire family can enjoy.  
 

Eliminate Food Safety Worries
 
 
It is difficult not to worry about food safety when foods like spinach, peanut butter, and 
tomatoes are regularly recalled for safety reasons. Growing your own food will eliminate 
worries about pesticides used in the growing process or contamination that can occur 
anytime from the planting to distribution process.  
 

Save Money
 
 
The ability to lower the cost of your monthly grocery bill is another big advantage to 
growing your own food. A single pack of seeds can sometimes cost less than a single 
serving of the food product you wish to grow. The savings are even greater when you 
consider the cost of organically grown foods in grocery stores. Savings will also be 
extended by learning to properly store your produce after it is harvested.  
 

Reduce Your Impact on the Environment
 
 
You can benefit the environment in a number of ways when you grow your own food. 
Organically grown foods spare the planet the pollution that results from the use of 
herbicides and pesticides. The pollution from fossil fuels will also be reduced when 
fewer food products need to be shipped to stores.  
 

Pride
 
 
You will gain a great deal of gratification from watching a seed you plant in a garden 
becomes food that provides nourishment to your family. Growing your own food will 
provide you and your family with healthy food, save you money, and help to preserve 
the environment. These are all things that will build your sense of pride.  
 
 
It is likely you have thought about growing your own food in the past only to talk yourself 
out of the idea. The six reasons listed above are proof positive the benefits of growing 
your own food is well worth the effort and time it will take to do so.
