Motivations for home growing

[Ferne]

Hey! This is my first post on Homegrowers and I'm really interested to hear your motivations as to why you're growing your own food. Is it because you just love it (a great reason in itself!), or is more because of health, environment, economic concerns, etc? I'm writing a paper for university at the moment which explores the development of the local food movement and the motivations generating this are a central part I'd love to learn more about. (I'm a keen gardener myself for a whole mixture of reasons. ) It'd be great to hear your thoughts.

Ferne

[Donna Sparks]

Hi Ferne

This is my first post here. Your study sound very interesting. We grow a vegie garden for a number of reasons, many of which have been already mentioned, however here's my list.

1. Because I can. I am on 30 acres and have the space
2. Health reasons. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and needed a new focus. I also had to get outside to get sunlight and exercise - answer vegie garden
3. Anger management. better to attach the weeds than ones partner or child
4. Satisfaction. To sit down to a meal and know that everything on you plate was produced from your own backyard.
5. Financial. Having gone from a two income to single income expenditure had to be decreased.
6. Preservation of knowledge. Our vegie garden is a source of understanding and connection. My son learns so much from just helping out or even just hanging out in the garden. So much knowlege and family history is passed on from generation to generation through the sharing of work as a family pleasure. So much I read about self suficiency and recycling making do with what you have was just the way we grew up and I am so glad that I have the experience of my childhood and the stories of depression and war time self sufficiency from my parents and grandparents to fall back on.

Anyway that just my bit. Best of luck with your studies

Regards
Donna

[organicjohn]

All of the above Fern, plus a curious thought I've had for a while and it is sporadically being reinforced. That is a growing mistrust in our community of government institutions. IN general, and specifically here, those involved in food regulation. They have a dual role of protecting consumers and facilitating indsutry development - but there is a general feeling that the latter is where the professionals see their role. Genetic Engineering is a good example, where governments have bent over backwards to facilitate the development of a market for GE products - through funding of GE research while discouraging research on organics, setting up the regulatory bodies with priorities, funding and staffing selections that promote the GE industry, bypassing public opinion on labelling etc etc. The same is true with irradiation. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this. I have seen a couple of recent reports in industry and academia to this phonomena - so its not just my own perception.
Can't trust the government to do the right thing - we'll have to do it ourselves. Same on climate change.

best regards
john
[e-mail]

[Mumchook]

Hello Ferne,

My reasons are pretty much everything you've described as well however I guess the biggest reason for beginning to grow my own food and raise chooks for eggs is the concern I had about eating food laden with chemcials.

Neighbours and I swap food we've grown and we like the connection it brings. I'm also part of a group called FIG (Food Integrity Group) which is about to take off on the Central Coast, NSW, as an organic fruit and vegie co-op, based at Ourimbah. The interest we've had so far has been fantastic, so it seems there are many more out there who are looking for chemical free, locally grown (if possible) and in season produce.

If you would like to know more about FIG, I shall be back in town in a few days and can answer some queries then. All the best with your study...

Ree

[Florence]

Hi Ferne, I've always liked to watch food grow, and love seeing fruits hanging on trees. The trigger for me to start growing them was after we had our water tank installed ~ And basically all the reasons you mentioned are contributing factors too. I would like to eat more fruit & veg and hopefully would encourage me to do so by growing them myself (health), and would like to save on groceries bills eventually as I get better at growing my own food (economics) :)

Good luck with your aper ~

[Vanessa]

Hi Ferne, my reasons for gardening are pretty much everything you've mentioned. I enjoy it as a hobby but I'm also concerned for the environment and my health, and am also doing it to try to save some money. I guess one more reason would be to build community; getting outside and sharing knowledge and produce helps build a stronger community, something our society is in need of these days.

Good luck with your uni paper.