Has the economy’s persistent and ongoing downward spiral caused you to bemoan the ouch-factor of a myriad of basic yet frequently-used pantry staples – the very same ones that were comparatively dirt cheap just a few years ago? Have you all but forgotten what the taste of crispy, fresh green vegetables are like, simply because you can’t justify such pricy luxuries in your currently pinched budget? Are you guilty of relying on canned peas and corn 5-6 days out of the week, or do you dare to tread the murky, veggie-ominous waters that only virtually non-nutritive iceberg lettuce can provide? Sounds like you need some veggie intervention, stat!
Stop pretending not to notice the subtle yet increasingly obvious physical toll that these dietary alterations have taken on your body. Humans cannot subsist on carb-laden canned vegetables and pale, H20-heavy faux-green leaves alone (unless you don’t mind crawling toward the pearly white gates of your nearest health practitioner, who in typical steely-jawed fashion is not easily moved by your presently challenged financial status). Remember what your mom said all those years ago about how essential it is to always eat your veggies? Um, the petrified flecks of color snazzing up your otherwise over processed 99 cent Rice-R-Phony boxed dinner don’t really count. She was talking about the real deal – those behemoth, rainbow-colored nutritional powerhouses of vitamins, minerals and cancer-preventing phytochemicals.
But can any of us really afford to plant our own garden? To borrow the historic declaration of the 44th President of the United States, “Yes We Can!” If you can find a plot of land (dirt-filled containers count!), then all you need are some seeds and water – and Mother Nature will take care of the rest. Whether you’re a home-owner, apartment-dweller or you live in the heart of a concrete jungle, where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you’re scratching your head and wondering how $3.00 seeds can be budget-friendly (considering the fact that you’ll need multiple packets in order to create some veggie diversity in your diet, and those little numbers do add up to a lot of numbers when all is said and done), consider buying just a few interesting, lesser-known seed varieties and then participating in a seed swapping forum. Your minimal upfront investment will give you tremendous bang for your buck along with a diverse collection of veggie seeds that would have cost you an arm and a leg at full retail value. Just tenderly tuck them in the ground and await the magical gift of their yumminess -- ohhhh, that’s gonna seem like an extra-long time while noshing on mushy, tinned Val-U-Rite Veg-E-Medleys, but it’ll be well worth the wait come harvest time!
Hmmm, but aren’t there other expenses involved? Well, yeah. You’ll need a few basic gardening tools and if you’re planning to create a container garden, you’ll also need dirt and pots, but you can always borrow these supplies from neighbors, “inherit” them from a family member or get them for free via www.freecycle.org or www.craigslist.org. You’ll also need fertilizer (preferably organic), but that’s an easy and cheap fix – use the kitchen scraps that you’ve been composting! What’s that? Oh, you’ve never actually gotten “into” making your own black gold? No worries…you can always obtain free used coffee grounds from a national coffee chain or contact your city for the date and time of their local community compost distribution event. On second thought, there are so many upcoming opportunities for recession-motivated gardeners to claim free organic material that you can just Google the keyword phrase “free compost” along with the name of your area and you’ll be blown away by what pops up at the top of your search.
Limited financial resources should not preclude you from enjoying the simple pleasure of a real, authentic slice of tomato on your otherwise phooey SPAM sandwich. With a bit of resourcefulness (not to mention the willingness to get a little dirt under your nails), you will definitely reap the benefits of a more healthful yet truly recession-friendly diet. Sure, they say that time equals money, but in this case, all of that tending and veggie-worshipping will be well worth the investment and from a nutritive standpoint, you may even be able to regain the natural luster in your fur! ;0
http://agricultureguide.org/the-cure-for-veggie-deprivation/
said on April 02, 2009