Best way to use this guide, is to read through the sections once and find 3 - 5 things you can work on. I can write mercilessly on each of these topics and will write more on each topic in my weekly newsletter, The Squirrelry. But I’ve resisted somewhat and each section gives you enough information to get your wheels turning so you can start the journey.
Use the discrete Table of Contents on the right (hover over the little lines) to peruse the sections and pick a place to start. They are all important and only #1 is intentionally placed as most vital.
#1 Start A Garden This Weekend
I consider this to be critical for an ever-growing list of reasons, so much so I’ve gone down the path of preparing a TEDx talk to get this message out to the masses. If you are reading this you should also have access to the quick start guides I’ve put together for each season and situation.
Only about 30% of the population in the U.S. grows any type of garden and of those that do, not many are trying to grow food in a way that restores any kind of natural processes or cycles.
Growing your own food allows you to:
- Avoid pesticides on your foods on the Dirty Dozen list
- Lowers your grocery bill
- Make healthier foods more available and fresh
- Increase evapotranspiration which has been reduced by urbanization and is critical for the earth’s water cycle
- Reduce heat island effects that occur due to paved or built over soil
- Give pollinators and all sort of critters important to your local ecology a home and food source
- Improves your mental health because of the proximity of nature and specific wavelengths of light that are reflected off of green plants
- Builds community, which also help you mentally, when you take gardening classes, share what you’ve grown and help others grow food too
- General gardening is considered a cardio exercise, not to mention lifting bags of compost and mulch, digging, carrying a watering can, etc
- When you build organic matter back into the soil by not tilling, leaving the roots in the soil, green mulching, encouraging beneficial bacteria and fungi, there are more nutrients and less need for chemical fertilizers
- When you regenerate organic matter back into the soil you need less water because the ground will retain more, improving evapotranspiration, alleviate flooding and encourages biodiversity above and below ground
- It only takes 3% organic matter to see a ton of benefits, including restoring natural processes and, maybe not so obvious, it came from drawing carbon from the atmosphere!