Prices Don’t Rise in the Home Vegetable Garden

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At the time I wrote this article, according the GasBuddy.com, the national price average in the United States for one gallon of regular gasoline was $3.55. The price has been recently fluctuating to the point where the up and down motion makes you feel like you are on a boat heading through a hurricane.

One thing is an absolute fact and that is when gas prices rise the cost of goods rise as well. It really is simple economics. In order to deliver fruits and vegetables to your local supermarket or grocer it takes fueled up vehicles, mostly trucks, to get them there. Higher fuel costs means higher transportation costs in turn meaning everything on that truck must cost more in order to compensate that extra fuel charge.

In steps home vegetable gardening. When the recession hit, back in late 2007, early 2008 an estimated 48 million people, according to the NGA, took up vegetable gardening in their back yards as a means to put food on the table for a lot less than what it would cost in stores. Here we are nearly 4 years later and home vegetable gardening is still on the rise.

People, those that never gardened before, are finding out it easy to do, the yield of what they receive is far greater then they ever thought and when you add it up, the savings are tremendous.

According to the USDA, one tomato seed can yield more than $50 worth of tomatoes. You can buy a pack of seeds online or in a store for $1 to $3 depending on the supplier, type, etc. Even after figuring in water and land usage the average household can grow more a thousand dollars worth of food for a fraction of the cost of what the price would be in stores and of course the gas charge to get you to the store and back.

I am a big advocate for home vegetable gardening. Maybe a bit biased of course because I am in the business and have been since 2009. Even before that time I was growing my own food. A skill that I was fortunate enough to learn from my father and grand father.

I love growing my own food. Beyond the monetary savings, it gives me a sense of freedom. The fruits and vegetables that are growing in my yard are going to produce whether there is a recession going on, a depression, or high gas prices. They are going to produce the same amount regardless of what happens in society (short of natural disasters of course). When I plan my garden out correctly I can grow enough food to last me and my family the entire year (through using a vacuum sealer) even through winter. With cold frame and straw bale gardening techniques, things I have learned over the past 10 years, my growing season has been extended, allowing me to have a fresh harvest, anytime.

So when I talk to friends or family members who do not have a home vegetable garden and they tell me, “boy prices on food are sky rocketing”, I just respond, “what do you mean? I just came from my garden, and the price tag reads the same as it did 20 years ago...`pick here for fresh food, no money necessary`.”

About the Author
Mike Podlesny is the owner of Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC, the exclusive home of the Seeds of the Month Club, which has appeared on NBC, ABC and MSN Money as a great way for consumers to save money.

Watch the video below to learn more about the Seeds of the Month Club: