Beat Back High Food Prices!!

By:Richard Murray

When I was a young boy, most families in my hometown had a victory garden, or an allotment, as they're called by the British. At that time they were used to help the war effort, in as much as food shortages were quite acute. By 1945, it is estimated, 40 percent of the food grown in this country was turned out on these small family plots. This allowed the big farms to feed the troops and also helped to keep rising food prices in check due to food rationing which was in effect at that time.

Anybody who has grocery shopped recently has noticed the price increases in all the food now available in your supermarket; milk, eggs, produce and fruit are all starting to skyrocket in price. This is a trend that will probably continue due to the demand for biofuels plus greater demands from India and China and other emerging countries for more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Nowadays large-scale farming is rather difficult in our urban landscape; however small-scale production works because it is so dynamic and flexible. A small-scale farm such as your backyard will fit it with your abilities and will not require energy and petroleum consuming machinery.

Backyard farmers will never eliminate the need for large-scale farms, yet an increasing number of small growers can help consumers stretch their budgets and be more ecologically friendly. By banding together, communities or neighborhoods can create systems of trading or selling their excess produce to neighbors or local restaurants. If your local zoning codes allow it, you might even consider raising a few chickens or rabbits.

The main reason to raise your own produce however, is the quality and the flavor of the vegetables you grow yourself. Nothing could be fresher or safer then what you have just picked from your own garden. Knowing that you have grown your own food as well as receiving some exercise as well as a good dose of sunshine is all positives. Cost considerations may not be high on your list, at least for now, but who knows what the future will bring.

If you are considering growing your own, start small. A 20 x 25 foot plot will provide enough for a family of four. If the garden is too large, it will suffer from a lack of attention when the gardening becomes a chore and not a pleasure. Pick a location that receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily and is near a water supply. Fencing is also recommended to keep animal pests away.

There are many places on the web such as my site that go into great detail on gardening, so if you are a novice or need help with almost any problem, get on line and start researching.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: vegetable gardening, allotments, food costs

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Dick Murray is a retired urbanite who keeps his passion for gardening alive with pots of herbs on the window sills and the creation of
web site dedicated to vegetable gardening
basics. It is not the same as digging in the soil, but it works for him.

Top Hobbies Articles
1). Are you addicted to scrapbooking? By : Rita Hutner Many who suddenly get the scrapbooking bug say they started when they realized that so few pictures were taken of them as cute little tykes - and they want to make things better for their own children. What ever the reason, scrapbooking has become a big business. There are estimates that over 4 million people, almost all of them women, gather for "crop-alongs" or "power layouts" every month! All these people are on the lookout for new and exciting scrapbooking ideas and share their thoughts and techniques on how to create that perfect keepsake.
2). Orchid Care - Phaleanopsis Orchids By : Yale Bernstein --An introduction to Phalaenopsis orchids. Phalaenopsis orchids are one of the easiest orchids to grow in the home. The name "phalaenopsis" comes from the Greek phalaina, meaning "moth" and opsis, meaning "like". For this reason this orchid goes by the nick name "Moth Orchid". These orchids are very easy to grow and flower as long as care is given to recreate their natural growing environment as much as possible.
3). Doyles Room Spokesman Wins Cardplayer Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award By : Sage Kalmus He's been called the Godfather of Poker. He's the Texas Dolly. He's won more tournaments than this writer has years to his name. He's written the seminal book on Texas Hold'em strategy. He's the spokesman of Doyles Room, one of the internet's most popular online poker rooms. His name is Doyle Brunson. And as of February 15, 2006, he's got another claim to fame.
4). History of Candle Making By : Coffee Man Who invented the candle? Candles were invented independently in many countries. The Egyptians and Cretans made candles from beeswax, about 3000 BC. In the fourth century BC there were clay candle holders in Egypt. Qui Shi Huang (259 - 210 BC) was the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC). His mausoleum was rediscovered in the 1990s 22 miles east of Xi'an in China and contained candles made from whale fat.
5). Which pool table? By : Jeff King There are a few things to consider when purchasing a pool table that have an effect on the price and quality of your table and therefore, your game. Note that the term �pool tables� refers to the table used to play billiards, snooker, and all other cue-sports similar to this. The differences between these games are the rules and sets of balls used, not the table itself.
6). Genealogy as a Hobby to Trace the Roots and History of Family By : James Hunt Genealogy is becoming more popular as a hobby for those people that are interested in tracing the roots and history of their family. It may start with looking at a few old photos of unknown family members standing at an unknown landmark...
7). Challenge Coin Display Cases And Challenge Coins Tips By : Paton Jackson I find it amazing that the interest and popularity of challenge coins and challenge coin displays keeps rising. I get many questions about military challenge coins so I have decided to gather some valuable tips for you. The most popular challenge coins are navy challenge coins, marine corps challenge coins, army challenge coins, air force challenge coins and police challenge coins.
8). The Lincoln Cent � Part 3 � The Many Changes By : Keith Scott No real changes occurred in the cent from 1918 through 1942. In 1943, the cent would again see a dramatic change although not to its design, but rather due to shortages of copper caused by the war. At the time of World War II, the one-cent coin was composed of 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. These metals were denied to the Mint for the duration of the war, making it necessary for the Mint to seek a substitute material.
9). Skydive To The End By : James Monahan A skydiver usually travels at the speed of 12,000 feet or 4000 meters altitude and free falling from the sky.
10). Live or Fake Bait? By : Ty Wagner Choosing fake bait over live bait and how the two can get better results in different conditions.

New Hobbies Articles
1). Why The Hobby Of Model Building Continues To Be Popular By : Gregg Hall The hobby of building models has been a fun activity for fathers and sons for years. The popularity continues to expand today, and there are more variations of models to build than ever before.
2). Perfect Timing for Shooting By : Mitch Johnson "Leading" or shooting ahead of moving game is usually thought of in connection with shotguns and wing shooting, but it is sometimes important with the rifle while shooting deer. Learn some tips on the timing for shooting.
3). What you need to know To Avoid Hunting Human Beings By : Mitch Johnson In some occasion there is accident which happened unintentionally, which caused the live of others human being. But it can be prevented. In this article you will find some direction on how to prevent this accident.
4). Effective Times to Hunt Deer By : Mitch Johnson One of the things, which a hunter must realize when he go for hunting, is that he must respect some restriction given by the land owner where he hunt the deer.
5). Tips on How to Get the Best Shot on Target By : Mitch Johnson Sometimes the hunter is too hurrying to give a shoot which caused him missing his target. What is the best thing for him to do to get the right shot on the target?
6). Things to Remember When Shooting From Vehicles By : Mitch Johnson What has been experience hunting on vehicles? Have you been able to sight deer from the vehicles better or by approaching them walking?
7). What You Can Do With Your Hunted Deer By : Mitch Johnson Hunting the deer nowadays has become a commercial business, where people are hunting the deer to be sold.
8). Karaoke Machine Buying Guide By : John Morris The word karaoke, often mispronounced with a long e at the end instead of a short one, originated from a Japanese word meaning empty orchestra...
9). How To Lose Distance By : Robert Partain This article contains tips on what not to do if you want to improve your distance in golf.
10). How to Avoid Shooting Human Beings By : Mitch Johnson How do we prevent shooting other hunters or being shot? Sometimes in a forest or woods area, it is quite impossible to see where the others hunters are located.

� 2006 articles2k.com - Privacy Policy