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Growing your own food and foraging can facilitate you cope with your growing grocery bill. Here’s how
Jul
As many as 3.7 million households in Australia have been affected food insecurity this year – many of them for the first time.
Four in five of these households say the rising cost of living is the reason, as rising interest rates and a host of other costs force them to make undesirable compromises – for example, on food.
These numbers come from the novel hunger survey from Foodbank, which found that almost half of us (48%) now feel anxious about putting food on the table or struggle to access food on a regular basis. Some 70% of those surveyed said rising food prices were a reason for their food insecurity, while 48% admitted they had reduced their purchases of fresh food.
Reducing food waste helps control costs. But what about growing your own food – is it financially sensible? Yes, to some extent. It’s usually not possible to grow enough food to sustain yourself. But if you do it smartly and cheaply, you can reduce your food bill with fresh greens, vegetables, herbs and even foraging.
Growing food at low cost
If you don’t already have a vegetable or balcony garden, the cost of setting one up may put you off.
It is worth checking first if there are any community gardens near you. They allow grow your own food without having to spend money on beds, compost and gardening tools.
Some gardens have been around for decades. They’re usually run by like-minded local gardeners who can share their knowledge of what grows well in your area.
For those looking to grow closer to home, you could consider “guerrilla gardening” where you turn your estate greenbelts into edible garden allotments. Before you start, it’s essential to check whether your local planning regulations allow this. Some councils do this, but some don’t. To get started, check out the guidance Farmers from the City Path.
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If you have the space, you can start your own vegetable patch. Many raised garden beds act as closed systemssaving water and nutrients for later utilize by plants. Good quality crop compost will improve yields and save money in the long run.
What about apartment dwellers? If you have sunlight, you can grow food cheaply. Aged food-safe containers, plastic pots, and even reused household items can be easy way to start growing. Remember to take this into account potential contaminants If you take this approach, keep the soil and the food growing in it neat.
If you’re more stern about it, you could even ditch the soil altogether and look into commercial hydroponic units. They can produce a huge amount of leafy greens from seed in just two or three weeks. While they’re more pricey to start with, hydroponics offer a more controlled growing environment, which can lead to higher yields and protect your plants from extreme and unpredictable weather as the climate changes.
Does it make financial sense?
If you plant onions, cabbage, and broccoli, you will notice that they take up space in the garden, grow quite slowly, and only produce a harvest once. Similarly, it is not worth planting carrots and potatoes, because they are among the cheapest to buy.
Instead, choose plants that offer you multiple harvests over the course of several weeks. These include herbs, lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, chard, peas, beans and tomatoes. Check out the sites such as Gardenate Here you’ll find monthly guides on what to grow in your growing zone, as well as tips on companion plants and how long it will be before you can eat your crops.
When you’re first starting out, it’s straightforward to get carried away by exotic vegetables. Artichokes? Rhubarb? Asparagus? But to keep your food bills low, focus on what your household eats.
Beginning vegetable gardeners often plant once and then wait. But that can end up being too much and then nothing. Instead, research successive plantingwhere you plant novel plants every few weeks to extend your harvest.
When it’s time to harvest, only harvest what you need for each meal. Lettuce and herbs are great because they can be picked by the leaves. This means there’s almost no waste and the plant can regrow. The savings add up especially quickly with herbs. Cilantro, oregano, and so on are often the most pricey items per pound. Worse, they come in bunches that are too huge for a single meal and can then quietly rot in the fridge.
Develop and exchange
Sharing your excess vegetables, lemons and eggs is a great way to share your bounty with like-minded people. You can also swap products. Sharing your crops is as ancient as farming, but what’s novel is the variety of ways we can share them, whether it’s through an app, a website or regular meetups.
Read more: Sharing food in the 21st century – Melbourne leads the world
To cut costs, consider collecting
Perhaps the best way to avoid the costs associated with growing your own plants is to not do it at all. Instead, you can make the most of foraging and edible weeds – get out there and actively forage for food.
This is nothing novel – during the Great Depression, many Australians supplemented their food from the markets with rabbits, dandelions and foraged fruit. It’s essential to respect where and how you pick – and to remember to keep the produce sheltered. Avoid picking near busy roads, as the soil may contain lead or other weighty metals.
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The largest edible weeds and feeding Facebook group Australia has a population of almost 90,000. Communities like this are a great source of knowledge, suggestions and recipes, such as sharing mallow too pricey kale when you make kale chips. Of course, it is extremely essential to eat only what is sheltered. In the beginning, utilize foraging guides to confirm your identity.
Whatever you choose, the most essential benefit of growing or harvesting your own produce is the social connections you can make. After all, times are tough and one of the best things we can do is stay connected to our local communities and take comfort in knowing that we are not alone – facilitate is out there.
Read more: Are supermarket shelves bare? History can teach us how to cope with food
Horticulturist and green infrastructure expert Michael Casey contributed to this article
