How Growing Your Own Food Benefits the Environment
- Reduces the Use of Carcinogenic Pesticides and Fertilizers Growing your own produce gives you peace of mind since you are aware of what you are consuming and what goes into producing the particular food. ...
- Helps Minimize Carbon Emissions Growing your own food frees you from relying on produce from your local grocery store. ...
- Reduces Dependency on Fossil Fuels ...
- Helps Lower Environmental Dilution ...
Can growing your own food benefit the planet?
Growing your own food takes it to the next level. How Growing Your Own Food Can Benefit the Planet and Why You Should Consider It - One Green Planet Buying locally grown food from your farmer’s market is a great way to minimize your environmental impact. Growing your own food takes it to the next level.
What's the environmental impact of growing your own food?
Share on Facebook "What's the environmental impact of growing your own food?" Buying locally grown food is a great way to minimize your environmental impact, and growing your own food takes that idea one step further. You might be surprised by the effect even a small vegetable garden can have on your carbon footprint.
What are the environmental benefits of locally grown vegetables?
Locally grown vegetables benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels to transport grocery store produce. “No plastic packaging is required when you harvest vegetables straight from the garden, which also reduces fossil fuel inputs,” Flowers-Kimmerle says.
What are the environmental benefits of a vegan vegetable garden?
Vegetable gardens benefit the environment in many ways. Locally grown vegetables reduce carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. No plastic packaging is required when you harvest vegetables straight from the garden, which also reduces fossil fuel inputs.
Why is growing your own food important?
Equally as important, growing your own food is a great way to join the fight against climate change. Together, we can all help reduce carbon emissions, cut greenhouse gases, and help keep a lid on rising global temperatures. We can do this! But it all starts locally .
How does growing a garden help you?
The act of growing a garden enables you to physically connect with nature by interacting with the plants and soil and enjoying – quite literally – the fruits of your labor. When you grow a food garden you are as close to nature as you can get. As you interact with your plants, the soil, and the weather you are directly experiencing all the elements involved in the growing process. The payoff is being able to harvest and consume what you’ve grown, producing a profound sense of satisfaction and a deeper understanding of nature and the cycles of growth.
What is the result of this unsustainable closed loop of consumption?
The result of this unsustainable closed loop of consumption is damage to our environment and our own health. Food produced on such a massive scale requires synthetic additives and preservatives to stabilize it for the long periods of time between production, distribution, and consumption. This kind of manufactured “nutrition” is not good for anyone.
Why is it important to buy locally grown food?
Buying locally grown food is a great way to minimize your environmental impact, and growing your own food takes that idea one step further. You might be surprised by the effect even a small vegetable garden can have on your carbon footprint.
How much CO2 does a plant store?
It is difficult to estimate how much CO2 any given plant will absorb because this depends strongly on the environmental conditions, but a healthy tree will store about 13 pounds of CO2 in one year [7]. Since plants in a small garden will likely be much less efficient at storing CO2, their contribution to your carbon footprint is probably small compared with the savings calculated above. Although every little bit helps, this suggests that focusing on reducing direct and indirect fossil fuel consumption may be one of the fastest ways to reduce your environmental impact.
How much CO2 does a pound of food emit?
If your produce travels an average distance of 150 miles, transporting one pound of food results in the emission of 0.018 pounds of CO2. You should use this number instead when calculating your own energy savings.
How many pounds of CO2 can you keep in a 10 by 10 garden?
In this example we calculate that with only 10 by 10 foot garden, one could grow 150 pounds of cherry tomatoes, which is the equivalent of keeping 27 pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Why use chemical fertilisers in food?
The use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is common in farming fruits and vegetables grown for supermarkets. Fertilisers improve plant growth, therefore increasing crop productivity.
How far does a shop bought fruit and vegetable travel?
The average distance travelled by shop-bought fruits and vegetables is 1500 miles. This journey, from the farmer’s field to your own home, is known as food miles. Whether by air, boat or road, the transport of produce relies on the consumption of fossil fuels.
How does plastic packaging affect the environment?
While this packaging helps the products stay fresh and hygienic, it can have devastating effects on the environment. Though plastic is technically recyclable, in the UK it is rarely recycled. This means it tends to end up in landfill, or in the ocean. The plastic bags that contain our vegetables can end up being ingested by whales, turtles and even seabirds, causing them harm or killing them. Avoiding plastic packaging by growing your own fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to avoid contributing to plastic waste. This removes the need for packaging as the produce can be eaten within hours or minutes of being picked or can be stored in reusable containers for later use.
Why do we use pesticides?
While commercial farms rely on these chemical products to keep up with high consumer demand, they can find their way into the crops. Therefore, they can be ingested when we eat the produce from these farms. This is a problem because studies have shown the chemicals used on plants can be carcinogenic. Whilst eating shop-brought produce will not necessarily cause harm to us, as chemical traces are found in small amounts, the chemicals do impact the environment around us. By contaminating water sources, poisoning important insects such as bees, and decreasing biodiversity, the increased use of fertilisers and pesticides can have an extremely negative effect on the natural area where the crops are grown. If more and more of us choose to grow our own fruits and vegetables, where possible, we can reduce the demand for commercially grown plants , therefore diminishing the need to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Furthermore, eating your home-grown produce means we can be sure we are not consuming potentially harmful chemicals.
Does growing vegetables in the UK reduce food miles?
However, growing fruits and vegetables in your own back garden removes food miles altogether.
Is growing your own produce fun?
Growing your own produce is a simple yet fun project, why not give it a go? The satisfaction of a tasty piece of fruit or veg, and the knowledge that you have done something to prevent environmental damage makes it worth it.
Can you plant fruit without a garden?
Even without a garden, plants can be put into containers and planted on windowsills. The satisfaction of a tasty piece of fruit or veg, and the knowledge that you have done something to prevent environmental damage makes it worth it.
What are the benefits of gardening?
The health benefits are exponential with the combination of nutrients, sunshine, and exercise gained through gardening. Walking, bending, lifting, and pulling movements that naturally happen in the garden fit into the moderate excise category that can increase your body's immune system function.
How does harvesting vegetables affect the environment?
Locally grown vegetables benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels to transport grocery store produce.
What is compost used for in a vegetable garden?
When vegetable gardeners use kitchen and yard waste as compost, they keep it out of landfills and create their own soil amendment to increase the garden's productivity.
What nutrients do gardeners need?
University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Nicole Flowers-Kimmerle says studies show that those who garden are more likely to eat more vegetables, which are rich in essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin A, potassium and fiber.
What happens to sweet corn after it is harvested?
The flavor is also based on biochemical changes that happen to the produce once it is harvested. "The sugar in sweet corn kernels starts converting to starch as soon as the ear is harvested," Flowers-Kimmerle says. “Cook sweet corn as soon as you can for the sweetest flavor.”
What are the nutrients in broccoli?
Colorful vegetables provide antioxidants such as lycopene and beta carotene. Eating a diverse group of vegetables ensures balanced nutrition.
Why is growing your own food important?
Growing your own food has many health benefits: 1 It helps you eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. 2 You decide what kinds of fertilizers and pesticides come in contact with your food. 3 It lets you control when to harvest your food. Vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients than some store-bought vegetables that must be picked early.
Why is it important to eat fresh fruits and vegetables?
It lets you control when to harvest your food. Vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients than some store-bought vegetables that must be picked early.
How to get a sense of what grows well in your region?
Talk to farmers or other backyard gardeners in your area to get a sense of what grows well in your region and when.
Why is it important to harvest early?
It lets you control when to harvest your food. Vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients than some store-bought vegetables that must be picked early .
What is the book American Grown about?
The book contains helpful hints for starting your own vegetable garden, as well as a school or community garden. Along with the how-to information about seed spacing, irrigation, soil types, and the right time to plant various vegetables, American Grown also discusses Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative. How does that fit into a book on gardening? In addition to getting more physical activity, so the thinking goes, eating more food harvested from the ground and less from packages can help kids — and adults — become healthy or stay that way.
Is growing vegetables at home healthy?
Growing your own vegetables at your backyard definitely is a practical thing to do but also healthy. There have been a lot of buzz going on about organic foods because it has no fertilizer in it. This is the same way the First Lady is doing. I think everybody should emulate her for doing this. 🙂#N#Ern
Is growing your own food rocket science?
Growing your own food isn’t rocket science. “Growing food is very simple,” says Kathleen Frith, managing director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHGE) at Harvard Medical School. “It takes a little time, but things like tomatoes, lettuce, peppers — basic kitchen crops — are very forgiving.
How does gardening help the environment?
Gardening is a way of improving the environment we live in via the addition of plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. When we garden — especially organically — we improve the air and the soil quality. We are growing our own food, beautifying our space, and instead of taking something away from the natural world, we are adding and tending to something green and beautiful.
Why do people like gardening?
When looking for productive hobbies, people turn to gardening for several different reasons. They might garden because they want to grow their own produce. It might be a purely aesthetic undertaking, meant to improve the look of their property and fill in the space with something lush, green, or colorful. The thing is, many gardeners aren’t aware of how much gardening can actually help the environment. Keep reading to find out why home gardening is so beneficial.
Why do we need roots?
Plant roots also help to take in any errant chemicals or heavy metals that might be lurking in your soil. Considering how deep humanity’s carbon footprint is these days, something that takes away CO2 and harmful chemicals could definitely be considered helpful for the environment.
What percentage of landfills are filled with yard waste?
According to Perfect for Home, 30 percent of landfills are filled with scraps and yard waste. Much of this yard waste is natural, but when it piles up in garbage dumps, it emits methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. By composting, mulching, or recycling, gardeners can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up at the dump, while making their own gardens healthier.
Why do plants have roots?
Plant roots also benefit the soil. Plant roots help bind soil together, making it less likely to wash away in heavy rains. According to U.S. Green Technology, extensive root systems keep topsoil from moving around during times of heavy rain or flood. The more root systems you have in your yard, the more soil you’ll be able to conserve.
How do plants absorb carbon dioxide?
Green Technology, plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce oxygen as a byproduct of their respiratory and photosynthetic processes. Through this process, plants absorb any chemicals, bacteria, or harmful elements floating on the breeze, which they then filter into useful waste products like water and oxygen.
What animals are grateful for gardening?
Birds, bees, butterflies, spiders, and squirrels are all going to be appreciative of your gardening efforts. In an age where so many natural habitats have been bulldozed, gardening gives animals a place to feel comfortable and at home. By planting trees and fragrant flowers, we can give something back to these critters, and enjoy their company and the benefits they provide.
Why is gardening good for the environment?
Take a couple of minutes to learn how you can do your part to build a healthier planet! Gardening is good for the environment for several extraordinary reasons! 1. Collective Effort. Planting your own garden may make you wonder how much of a difference you are actually making. The thing is, gardening is a collective effort!
Why is it important to grow a garden?
Growing a garden can create habitats for smaller life forms like birds, insects, aphids, ants and other species that thrive and reproduce in the ecosystem. Each creature plays an important role in helping the environment!
How does gardening affect the world?
Gardening on a small scale will also influence the greater scheme of things for several different reasons. Think about this, commercial production of fruits and vegetables produce unforeseen amounts of pollution as a byproduct of harmful chemicals and pesticides that are used during the harvest process. Also, fewer trucks on the road transporting groceries mean less air pollution and fewer big rigs on the roads! All of this requires a commitment on an individual level!
Why do we need compost piles?
Creating a compost pile is a great way to enrich the soil and reduce the size of those menacing landfills! Compost is filled with recycled garden waste and puts valuable nutrients back into the soil without the need for man-made chemicals.
What is organic manure?
Organic manure will provide your plants with all the necessary nutrients to grow without the dangerous chemicals used in traditional synthetic products! • Use a cordless electric lawnmower instead of a gasoline-powered mower. Similar to hybrid vehicles, going electric reduces emissions pollution!
Is too much C02 bad for the environment?
Too much C02 can be a bad thing. • Global warming is caused by too many greenhouse gases, making it difficult for the Earth to cool naturally. In the natural process of photosynthesis, plants take in C02 and release valuable oxygen molecules. There is a good chance that we all learned this back in grade school!
