It seems that every time I turn around there is a warning about one food or another.  For while I thought I was safe staying with fresh foods, but now even those are showing up as contaminated.  I’ve decided that the only way I can make sure the food my family eats is safe is to grow it myself.

Growing organic food in small amounts (just enough for my own family) is not as difficult as people might think.  It involves some planning, some manual labor, and lots of attention. 

The first things you find out when you are determined to avoid poisons is that not all bugs are bad.  Even ants can have their place in a garden (native ants actually help aerate the soil).  Many beneficial insects (like the lady bug or the praying mantis) actually prey on the bad bugs.  Unfortunately, commercial insecticides can’t tell the good from the bad – one more reason to stay natural.

The next thing to know is that the very best fertilizer is a tea – compost tea that is.  This magic substance is made by “brewing” a liquid fertilizer from organic compost.  There are systems that you can purchase, or you can make your own.  The tea is then sprayed on the vegetables (or flowers) and has the added bonus of forming a film on the plants that will reduce the bad insects.

The most important thing about growing your own food is that it will be the best you have ever tasted.  Not only will it be the product of your own hand, but it will be picked at the very peak of freshness.  Who knows, the adventure of digging, planting, growing, and picking the vegetables and fruits may actually get your children excited about eating things that are good for them.