Food Security means that all people at all times have physical & economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate foods, which are produced in an environmentally sustainable and socially just manner, and that people are able to make informed decisions about their food choices.
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fresh[/caption]Growing your own food is the best form of food security you can get. It may be too late to start a garden this season, depending upon your location but think about nest year.
I believe that anyone who wants to, can garden. This is the classic, if there is a will there is a way scenario. But, too many people do not have backyards or have only a little space to grow anything. Size does matter but do not let that deter you, even a small space garden can be quite productive.
The first step is to get to know the space where you garden will be; in particular, how much natural sunlight does it get- none, all day or somewhere in-between? Once you know that you can start to develop a plant list selecting plants that thrive in the amount of sunlight that you have available.
Now how large is that space? Is there room for one container, or can you set up a small backyard market garden?
If you are growing some of your own food, it is time to take a look at what you are producing and ask yourself, rather than my current plant choices what could I grow that will be edible and increase my family’s food security?
How much space does your present garden occupy? Could it be bigger? Room to expand, then, do you have the time and means to take care of it, so no waste takes place?
When considering the space that is available, think up. Take a minute and look up instead of along the ground, vertical and not horizontal.
We grow beans on poles and peas why not expand that list. When you make the choice to grow vertical; your small space expands, growing up means growing more.
If you have no room to grow your own food security garden, yard sharing may be your answer. Find out if there is a yard sharing program in your community and join up.
Growing together helps all parties to enhance their food security and builds good neighbours. Community gardens are another possibility, look and ask around your neighborhood, are there a community garden you can join?
Now is the time to get gardening, or at the very least get planning; care for the earth and grow your own food security garden at the same time.