Eat What You Grow-How a Garden Can Improve your Life.

 Having your own garden isn't just something that country folk are doing in order to fortify their cupboards and reduce budgets. More and more we're seeing tools for gardening not just in the country, but also outside high-end urban homes.

These days, it's almost a necessity. Not only that, but maintaining your own garden is considered the "trendy" thing to do. Its an opportunity to work together with your family, learn about how to survive without the grocery store, and get a bit of exercise at the same time. According to the Garden Writer's Association in a recent report, more than 38 percent of all households now have a garden.

All those things aside, keeping a garden just makes good sense. It makes good sense for all of the reasons previously stated, but more, because having your own garden allows you to introduce healthy, natural foods at meal time.

What are the Benefits of Home Grown Vegetables?

First and most importantly, vegetables grown at home, in your yard or garden are going to be far safer than those mass-produced at industrial facilities.

How many times in the recent past have we heard of a produce recall for some type of contamination?

In just the last year alone we've seen government recalls of vegetables from once trusted companies such as Dole, Tropical Valley and Prime Foods for contaminants including salmonella, listeria, and even for undeclared allergens. In many cases the issues came from contaminated gardening tools and implements, which came in contact with foods. The same may hold true of gardening equipment that is used in multiple areas or gardens. Contaminants as well as unsanitary harvesting techniques may cause an allergic reaction. These contaminants can be serious and in some cases deadly, yet they are becoming more common.

Growing Your Own Food is Safer

You have the advantage of knowing precisely what kind of fertilizer has been used on your produce as well as the nature of the soil in which it was grown. In addition, the handling of your produce and the way in which it was harvested is within your control so you can to ensure that it is safely treated and well cleaned.

Growing Your Own Food is Healthier

In most cases the back yard gardener is a gardener who does not use high levels of chemical pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. This means that the foods you grow are not only safer to eat they are quite likely more nourishing. While there is some debate, in several instances, organically grown vegetables have proven to have higher levels of some nutrients.

1.Vegetables are a good source of vitamins, enzymes and phytoplankton that your body needs. Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts can help to combat and may even lower your risk of some types of cancer.

2.Likewise carrots and other yellow and orange vegetables have been found to reduce the incidence of cancer even in those who smoke.

3 Gardening can provide healthy nutrition, safer produce and build families as you work together toward a common goal.

With all of these reasons for growing your own food, doesn't a garden sound like a great place to get your exercise this summer? With the proper tools and a good bit of determination, you will be eating better in no time.