We have enjoyed organic produce from our garden for several years. First, we started with large pots, which we still have, but two seasons ago we went whole hog and made half of our back yard into a garden. I must tell you that the cost for installing our garden was several hundred dollars. In the beginning organic gardening is not done purely to save money. Yes, we were motivated by the high prices for organic produce, but it will take several years to reap enough produce to say that we are in a positive position as an investment.
Though we have spent more money on gardening than what we have saved, we do have the satisfaction of knowing that our produce is as “organic” as we hope it is. Purchasing vegetables at the store sometimes leaves you unsure of the level of purity in your cart. Another benefit that is difficult to put a dollar amount to is that what we pick from our garden is typically better quality than what is available in the store.
This season has been exceptionally good in the new garden. During the winter months I like to grow lettuce and greens which perform badly in the hot Florida summers. From July, through October, the heat is too much for delicate lettuces, it is actually too hot for most anything to do well. This season we have had so much lettuce that we are giving away just as much as we eat.
The added benefit of higher quality produce is hardly better noticed than in our salad mix. We love salad, not iceburg based “garden salad,” but nutrient dense lettuces and greens. This season we have four different varieties of lettuce, two kales, collard, Swiss chard, and spinach. A salad mix this healthy is hard to find in any store. And most of our seed is from heirloom varieties, totally avoiding genetically modified produce.
Another thing about store-bought produce is that it was likely picked at least a week before it gets to the store, most often two weeks or more. We enjoy the extra nutritional benefit of picking our salad the day we eat it, and we can pick it at just the right time of day, at the peak of nutritional value.
As for the profitability of our garden, in addition to the intangible value, we are picking at least $25.00 of produce per week. It may take a while to make a profit, but we sure do eat some fantastic salads.