By Sara Tipton
With a worldwide health crisis circulating the globe, it’s important to remember and put thought into what today is. Today is the day we focus on better ways to take care of Earth. Because let’s be honest, we haven’t done enough to care for this precious planet we call home. The way we live directly impacts our environment and, let’s be honest, humans are very wasteful in regards to using up precious resources.
The health crisis, which quickly became an economic crisis, and will soon morph into a food crisis shouldn’t stop us from doing the right thing by our bodies and the Earth. In fact, these crises should highlight how much more important it is to be self-sustainable by providing your own food and caring for the planet. We should all desire to take control of our food supply for the betterment of ourselves and the environment this Earth Day!
American decline is playing out in the news on a daily basis. Food banks are overwhelmed by those people who are unable buy groceries for their families. Mass unemployment and threats of looming economic recessions are forcing families to find more sustainable ways of making what they have work. As a result, rampant consumerism which is the backbone of the economy in America is doing an about-face.
This article says it best, “Culturally we find ourselves at a crossroads. Where we once were consumers, we are now connectors and protectors—trying to determine how to sustain our livelihoods. We are worried about and in constant communication with our loved ones who are sequestered by themselves; we fear for their health and for their emotional well-being. We are evangelists of the simplest of practices—staying at home and washing our hands—behaviors that seem so commonplace until they are mandated.”
A Homegrown Food Supply
One way that you can make a change and take a dent out of an over-consuming lifestyle is by being in control of your own food supply. Because of COVID, I have seen a resurgence of interest in making your own food, growing a sustainable garden, baking bread, and ultimately, making do with what you have. If you are interested in gardening and wondering how much food to grow for your family, click here.
It’s time to start looking for more ways to be more sustainable. America was founded upon an agrarian lifestyle, and farmers were the driving force behind the country’s foundations. Currently, people are trying to find ways to move back to farming in order to grow their own food, to be more self-sufficient and less dependent on the government. Once you are able to sustain yourself, government reactions to crisis won’t have nearly the effect on your livelihood that they once did. You will also have the added benefit of doing right by the Earth we all live on.
5 Ways Growing Your Own Food Helps the Earth
- Controlling your own food supply means you are less dependent on “the system” that (as we have recently seen) is not as sound as we once believed.
- When you grow your own food supply, you use less gas when traveling to and from the store.
- Your carbon footprint reduces because you are using your own land to grow food.
- If you choose to go the organic route, you can use natural composts and materials found in the yard to fertilize and bring nutrients to your soil for better harvests.
- One sustainable tip we made in a previous earth day article was finding ways to create sustainable landscaping. “60% of a person’s household water usage goes toward lawn and garden maintenance. During times of drought, our lawn and landscaping can become a bottomless pit where we are throwing away money to keep grass alive. Rather than spending exorbitant amounts of money to maintain landscaping, think outside of the box and choose a more sustainable form of landscaping.”
Food Freedom
Food freedom is all about getting creative and using what you have. Even with a small yard, you’d be surprised at how much food you can grow. If you add some small livestock breeds like rabbits, ducks, chickens, or quail, you can add the manure to compost down to use for future soil amendments thus eliminating the need to go to the garden center. Think about it, you are creating a backyard microcosm!
Put the extra time you have on your hands to good use and do something to give back to the planet and feed yourself at the same time. Learn how to store your own food and keep it over the winter. Providing for yourself while taking care of the planet can be very emotionally rewarding. Plus, when you grow your own food, you get to control what you eat and how it’s grown, not the food supply that’s been taxed beyond repair at this point.
