{"id":51188,"date":"2023-03-27T06:00:49","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T11:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/?p=51188"},"modified":"2023-04-25T07:00:10","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T12:00:10","slug":"beat-inflation-by-growing-your-own-food-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platthillnursery.com\/beat-inflation-by-growing-your-own-food-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"Beat Inflation by Growing Your Own Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

With food prices going up, growing your own food just makes more and more sense these days. For less than one grocery run, you can buy seeds for a whole spring, summer, and fall’s worth of produce. Saving money has always been a perk of gardening, but that’s not the only reason to do it. Here are a few ways that growing your own fruits and vegetables can really pay\u2014plus a couple of tips to help you get started!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why Should You Grow Your Own Vegetables?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Here are the top reasons why you should start growing your own produce this spring:<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Save Money: <\/b>Gardening offers a big return for very little money. For instance, you can grow a few rows of lettuce for less than $3 worth of seeds and have enough salad greens to last the entire spring and early summer. The cost-saving doesn’t stop with lettuce, either; it’s the same for every vegetable, whether it’s beats, carrots, potatoes, kale, beans, or tomatoes. The start-up price of your own vegetable garden is negligible, and as long as you keep up with weeding and watering, you’ll have an abundance of cheap, fresh food all season long.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Better Food: <\/b>Nothing beats local, organic food from your own garden, and you don’t have to be a health nut to notice. Both the flavor and nutritional value of homegrown produce are way beyond anything you’ll find at your local grocery store. One taste, and you’ll literally be jumping with joy!<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Smaller Footprint: <\/b>Environmentally-friendly practices don’t always have to cost us: growing your own food is a great way to reduce your eco-footprint while saving money at the same time. Eating from your own backyard means a smaller transportation-related carbon footprint and a decreased reliance on artificial fertilizers and pesticides, making it a no-brainer for anyone concerned about the environment and food additives.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Fun, Healthy, Activity: <\/b>Managing a healthy, balanced life these days is all about compartmentalization: We spend an hour on exercise, an hour with the family, and 20 minutes outside at the park. However, imagine if you could wrap all three of those activities into one? Well, in case you haven’t caught on yet, vegetable gardening is the answer! Gardening is great exercise<\/a>, gets you out into the great outdoors, and is a rewarding, meaningful task that’s even more enjoyable when shared with family and friends!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Overcoming Common Chicagoland Food-Growing Obstacles<\/b><\/h2>\n

Oftentimes, even if we know the value of doing something, obstacles can still get in our way. Here are a few tips to help you overcome common roadblocks you may encounter in your food-growing journey and get back to enjoying the benefits of growing your own vegetables!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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