Have you thought about where your food may have come from and how it has reached your plate?
Large amounts of fruit and vegetables are rejected by supermarkets because they are not the right colour or shape or because they have minor blemishes. Chemical pesticides and fertilisers are used to grow uniform, unblemished fruit and vegetables. Production of chemical pesticides generates huge amount of CO2 which contributes to climate change.
A lot of energy is also used in getting food to our plates – especially out of season fruit and veg imported from abroad. This energy has an associated carbon cost, so growing some of your own food is one of the most effective ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. Freshly picked, home grown food tastes so much better too!
Research by Yorkshire Bank has revealed that over 10 million Brits have returned to live off the fat of the land. Perhaps because freshly picked, home grown food tastes so much better and could save you over £250 a year.
Top tips
- Growing your own fruit and veg is a great way to save money – a single packet of seeds costing under £2 could keep you in salad leaves all summer long
- Why not save money by swapping surplus seeds and young plants with friends, family or neighbours?
- If you haven’t got a garden, you could grow herbs, strawberries or even tomatoes in a window box – or why not apply for an allotment?
- You’d be surprised how much you can grow in just a small space – many crops are suitable for growing in large pots on the patio. Try trailing or cherry tomatoes, dwarf french beans, dwarf bush courgettes, dwarf fruit trees and salad crops
- If you are short of space, concentrate on growing expensive treats like strawberries, gourmet salad leaves and french beans– all of which can cost a small fortune in the supermarket
- A vegetable plot can be just as attractive as a flower border. Choose varieties that look as good as they taste – like borlotti beans, red russian kale and variegated lettuces
- Sow little and often throughout the season to avoid being overwhelmed by a glut of produce all ready at the same time. Sowing a pinch of lettuce seeds every three weeks is much better than the whole packet in one go
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