You Don't Need to Grow Everything

I don't know who needs to hear this, but you do not need to grow all your own foods, nor should you. You don’t have to do everything yourself, nor should you. You can lean on others.

Despite growing some of my own bell peppers, I still supplement my harvest with peppers purchased from local small farmers, who have more space and specialized expertise in growing bell peppers than my novice green thumbs do in my small suburban garden.

These beautiful peppers that were purchased at peak harvest time, along with mine, will be dehydrated over the next week and stored away for the winter along with all the other dehydrated vegetables in my pantry (carrots, tomatoes, squash, etc.). To use them, I simply rehydrate them by soaking them in hot water for 15 minutes, and they’ll be perfect for soups, sauces, and more. 

I also outsource space-intensive veggies and fruits like cabbage, broccoli, and watermelon to the local farmers who have more capacity to grow them than I can. As for me, I will focus on growing space-efficient and high-yield crops instead, like kale, squashes, tomatoes, and beans….There is no shame in purchasing the foods you cannot grow.

There has been so much emphasis on rugged individualism and “I can do it all myself” mentality, that we forget that how we made it this far as the human race is by leaning on each other as communities.

So if you're a home gardener, and even if your garden is an apartment balcony, and you're feeling this growing guilt when you're scrolling through your social media feeds and admiring these beautiful harvest photos from other gardeners....STOP. 

There is no need to feel guilty or inadequate. Focus on what you can do. Support small farmers who can grow what you can not. And that's how we sustain each other while coexisting with Nature. 🙂