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Are We Ready?
by James Glaser March 21, 2012 
Do you remember the Boy Scout motto? It was "Be Prepared." I wonder how many Americans are prepared. You know, like prepared to take care of themselves if times really do get bad. Most Americans look to the government if things get bad, but maybe we should be rethinking that plan. Our government is pretty broke, and it wouldn't take that much of a disaster to put us behind the 8 ball. Wait a minute, let's not even talk disaster. What happens if you just want to feed your family good, healthful food? Not imported food from countries that will use whatever chemicals they need to produce an eye-appealing product. What if you want to feed your family food that doesn't have any chemicals on or in it? Sure, if one is close by, and you have scads of money, you can buy organic grown food of almost every type at a health food store. Maybe it is even a co-op that tries to keep their prices down. Well, try shopping at one some time, but if you are buying your whole week's groceries there, you had better start looking for that second job. Good, healthful food costs a lot of money. Here is a tip off. Those health food co-ops usually have only little shopping carts, because you could put four or five hundred bucks worth in a big Winn Dixie cart. I'll tell you something here. The produce at an organic food store does not always look like what you find at your commercial grocery store. The fruit and vegetables can sometimes look perfect, but not always. Think about apples you pick from your own tree. They might have a blemish, and for sure they will not have that layer of shiny wax and the polished look of the fruit you buy at a big super market. The canned and boxed food is from brands you never heard of, and it is an expensive learning curve to figure out the ones you like. You like cheese? Well, they have cheese, but there are no cheap cheeses at the health food store. In fact there is nothing inexpensive there. Even the candy bars near the check-out line are high priced. I suppose that is a good thing, though. You want good healthful, inexpensive food? Well it is easy and fun to grow your own; you really ought to try it. No, you are not going to be able to cut out the super market or health food store totally, but after a few years, if you want to put the time and energy into it, you could come close. Growing has changed a lot. Even if you don't have a piece of ground, you can grow an amazing amount of food in containers like big flower pots or even wash tubs. Right now, I am thinking of starting to change my garden over from plants in the ground to plants in long containers so I don't have to bend over or kneel down to work on my plants. I'm just thinking that I want to grow for years to come, and it would be so easy if my garden was at kitchen counter height. Start small. Grow yourself some tomatoes or lettuce. Both are so easy and you will find the taste of anything you grow yourself to be so much better than store bought. You can't get any fresher than "just picked." You know with just lettuce and a tomato you have yourself a salad. Here is the bonus. You really don't have to use any chemicals to grow great vegetables, and for me, gardening is like time spent with a relaxation therapist. Time flies by when you are with your plants, and believe me, you can see new growth every day. Some days you will be amazed. So, go ahead; try it! Spend just a little time growing a few plants, but I have to tell you, it can get addictive. However, it doesn't take that long before you find yourself buying less at the grocery store. And yes, you will feel that you are prepared and ready for events that just might change how we put food on our tables. |
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