Through the events we have at our home, I meet many people from all backgrounds. A question I'm often asked is, "Why grow food?" It's a simple question, and my answer could go on for pages and pages, but I'll try to keep it simple.
My own journey with growing my own food started just over three years ago. I had been experimenting with my diet, trying things like eating raw foods, making fermented food, eating organic produce, and what not. I was definitely feeling the changes in my body as a kept away from fast food, cooked my own meals, and began to pay attention to my body's needs. What began to stick out to me was that foods that I prepared myself, that I put my heart and my hands into, were what made me feel the best, the healthiest. So if I was already cooking my own food, the next step for me was to grow it.
So that's when it started. I ripped out some lawn at home and began my experiment. The result was just what I expected: the tomatoes were sweet like candy, the greens crisper than I'd ever tasted, and I felt amazing. The sun on my face and the soil under my feet; it was the best medicine for a guy that spent his school time in a basement computer lab. And that's when the love affair began.
Now after almost four years, I've never looked back.
Why do I grow my own food?
Because it tastes amazing. Because it makes me feel amazing. Because when I step outside and put my hands in the dirt I can see and feel my work materializing into something beautiful. And most importantly, when you create something beautiful, other people stop to notice it. They talk to you and ask you about it. They hang out and become friends. Before you know it, you're starting to build community.
I've talked to my neighbors more since starting The Growing Home than I have in the last 15 years. I've met more people, had more meetings, made more friends, and had more fun than ever before, all in Diamond Bar.
So get outside, kill some grass, plant a few things, and say hello to your neighbors. Its time to grow some food.