Growing Organic Food Can Save the Earth, Your Wallet and Your Health

Whether you think the above quote is an exaggeration or not, its basic premise is correct: you have the power to radically improve the world by growing organic food, whether it's on a farm, in your suburban backyard, or on the balcony of your city apartment.

Why? First you have to understand what's wrong with the way we're getting food now.

The Problem

Our topsoil is continuously eroding, destroying our ability to grow food; chemicals are ruining our health, our world, and everything in it; rampant industrial meat production is causing the rain forests of South America to be cut down; and shipping almost all of our food in from afar is yet a huge drain on energy and a source of pollution.

For more details on the problems associated with modern farming practices and an examination of superior agricultural systems, read this article.

A Better Way: Growing Organic Food

Growing organic food at home in any spot available- whether that's a three-acre suburban plot in South Florida that can produce all the food your family needs year round, or the balcony attached to a London flat that can grow all your salad greens during the warmer months- is a huge money, health and earth saving contribution.

You'll escape the pesticides that have been shown to be harmful to humans, and also boost your intake of vitamin B12, which is more heavily present in organic soils.

Start Simple, Then Improve

But starting with something simple, like a pot filled with organic potting soil growing a tomato plant, is a great way to begin. As you succeed, you'll want to keep expanding your organic gardening activities.

You can plant a tree in a half hour, but that tree can produce enough fruit to put a serious dent in your food needs.

A half acre of apple trees can yield enough fruit to provide about 115 apples, or 12,677 calories per day (16), which is probably enough to feed four average people. Pick more calorically dense fruit and you'll do even better.

Give yourself a mix of different trees that ripen at different times and enjoy the delicious surplus. Best of all, fruit trees don't need anywhere near the level of attention that most annual vegetables need.

Being creative will increase your options. If you don't have a yard, you can stick a dwarf fruit tree in deep pot and place it on a sunny balcony. You'll probably be surprised at how many tomatoes you can grow out of buckets and other odd containers.

Growing Organic Food: A Bit of Freedom

It's not too hard when you plant a diverse group of fruit trees and a great vegetable garden. Imagine the financial repercussions this would have in your life. Suddenly survival doesn't depend quite so much on the 9 to 5 job.

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