With the increasing shift toward modern agricultural practices, there has never been a better time to try and grow your own garden. Agricultural practices have become more industrialized. To raise a successful crop, farmers tend to apply endless amounts of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and water to their fields each year. This is why you should try growing your own little backyard garden with fresh fruits and vegetables.

As consumers it is essential for us to know where our food comes from

The benefits of growing your own food:

• You are more aware of what you are eating.
  
• You know where your food comes from.
  
• You are less likely to be exposed to the chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides that are more commonly found on commercially grown produce.
  
• Agriculture is becoming more industrialized and as a result, increasingly more foods are becoming genetically modified.
  These genetically modified foods can negatively impact human health. When you grow your own food you are guaranteed that it’s 100% organic and healthy.
  
• It will also benefit the environment.
  Sometimes as consumers we don’t really think about how far our food has traveled to get to our plates. These “food miles” play a significant role in carbon emissions. When you have a food and vegetable garden in your backyard, you significantly decrease the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide which is caused by the fuel consumption that takes place during food transportation.

We all want to play our part in being more sustainable and conscious consumers and embracing gardening is a step in the right direction.