The Benefits
There's lots of benefits to growing your own food:The Environment
Growing your own food is good for the environment because it reduces your reliance on the globalised food system. According to DEFRA food represents 22% of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions. This is mainly due to the energy intensive use of fertiliser, farm machinery, refrigeration equipment, transport, and packaging.
Transport of food in particular can be very environmentally damaging. Some produce travels hundreds or even thousands of miles before it gets to you. These 'food miles' are a major source of environmental pollution and use of natural resources.
The industrial food system is also associated with eutrophication and other environmental impacts beyond those of climate change. As with most things, mass production comes at a cost to the environment.
Sow the City takes its environmental responsibilties very seriously. We only use peat-free organic compost from local sources and timber from sustainably managed forests.
Nutrition
Apart from tasting like the freshest thing you've ever eaten, if you eat vegetables immediately after harvesting they also have the greatest nutritional value. Many of the vitamins and antioxidants in vegetables break down quickly over time so growing your own means you've got the potential to get the most out of your food. If you need to cook your vegetables then steaming them rather than boiling or frying them tends to maintain nutritional benefits.
Exercise
Gardening is a good way to exercise too. The NHS recommends that adults should exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, five days a week, at moderate intensity. Gardening for 30 minutes a day helps you meet these guidelines and contributes to your general fitness levels. You can potentially burb 300-600 calories an hour gardening.
Mental Health
Gardening has been used as therapy since the ancient Egyptians whose physicians sent unwell courtiers to spend time in the palace gardens. Not only is exercise good for your mental health but growing your own food encourages a healthy diet. This is recommended by the College of Psychiatrists to treat many types of mental illness alongside other treatments. They believe conditions ranging from stress to schizophrenia benefit from a healthy balanced diet with fresh fruit and vegetables.
Employment and self sufficiency
Given the current economic climate growing your own food can be a good way to save money and fill time between jobs. There is also the opportunity to learn skills such as horticulture and cookery, and improve skills that are transferrable to other occupations and such as planning and problem solving.