Now there IS an idea! No, not a garden to actually grow your own gasoline. A gasoline garden is a garden to help us save energy, and to help us save on the high cost of, sometimes low quality, food. A friend of mine suggested this idea to me recently.
During both world wars, especially World War II, the public was encouraged to plant "Gardens for Victory". The United States government told the people that these gardens would support the war effort by reducing the strain on farmers that produced the food, and by reducing the demand for the fuel that was used to transport that food to the marketplace. The project worked.
Millions of people planted gardens. It was seen as a national duty. Gardens sprouted up everywhere. On front lawns, behind tenement apartment buildings, in buckets on the balcony, and vacant lots. Tons of nutritious food was grown to supply the people. Neighbors often worked together and even those unable to work, due to health issues or age, benefited because of the food surplus that was shared. By preserving and canning this food, Americans were able to fill the pantry for winter and uncertain times ahead. Victory Gardens worked then and they will work now!
As Americans we have grown far too accustomed to driving to the store to purchase food that has traveled thousands of miles by truck, train and plane to get to our dinner plate. We regularly eat tomatoes and strawberries from as far away as Chile and Peru. Other produce makes a regular world tour before coming to our local grocery store. I recently purchased a container of peaches that was grown in Africa packaged in Taiwan and then sold in the US. Consider the amount of fuel required to move this container of peaches from country to country and then finally truck it to my mid-western grocery store. I am sure it is quite ridiculous. Sky rocketing gasoline and diesel prices demand that we change our old ways.
Where I live I have a dwarf peach tree in my front yard. My little tree has produced as much as 60 pounds of fruit in a single year. I can simply walk to the tree to get my fruit. If I use a small amount of fuel, just a few pennies worth, I can preserve and can my fruit to last all year in the form of jams, jellies, and peach preserves. Additionally I know, since I grew them, what chemicals were used on my fruit. Foods grown in foreign lands do not fall under the controls of our Food and Drug codes. DDT and other dangerous chemicals were used in other countries decades after being outlawed in America. The simple truth is when we buy foods from across the world we have no way of knowing for sure what methods were used in growing them.
If you do not have the space or time to grow your own foods do not despair. Most large communities have Farm Markets where locally grown produce can be purchased. You will find this produce far fresher and tastier than anything in the local supermarket. Buying locally keeps fuel costs low. Buying locally supports the economy by providing jobs for our neighbors who grow that food. Buying fresh foods in season and then preserving them by freezing, dehydrating or canning them will save us lots of money and save us lots of gasoline. If you go to market and buy a bushel of tomatoes, then take them home and can them, you will have tomatoes on hand when you need them for your chili. No need to go to the store for those last minute ingredients! This too saves fuel and saves money. We need to do a little planning and go to a little extra labor to have a store of foods that will last a year at home. By taking that extra time you will find many rewards.
For more on this subject and a lesson on how to get started please check out my homesteaders website at http://www.uBuilderPlans.com.
