Well, it's that time of year to begin thinking about resolutions. Many people will occupy themselves with aspirations that they have each and every year; but often fail to achieve, especially those regarding diet and fitness. These typical resolutions are goals that the gardener doesn't need to worry about. The gardener already has considered living by a healthy diet because planting organic vegetables and fruits works hand in hand with preparing healthy meals. Moreover, the gardener also gets plenty of exercise in setting up and maintaining a fertile and productive garden bed, all the while never visiting a gym. In the end, the hard work that it takes to be a gardener isn't even seen as a restrictive goal that you look back on and say "Darn, maybe next year." Instead, it is a way of life that you adopt and relish because it connects you directly with a fundamental of life: care for your body, and thereby, your well being. The connection to your food and where it comes from is absolutely key.
Stay away from mystery vegetables and fruits
More and more grocery stores are providing healthier produce than what was previously marketed with organic choices and hydroponics; however, there are some equally dangerous opportunities for buying fruits and vegetables. Pesticide and herbicide companies have made it difficult for you to visibly see what they have sprayed or even injected into the DNA of the plants, so you may feel that it is safer to eat than it really is. The other thing to consider is how chemicals can be insidious in how you may be fine now, but later down the road, you may have physical manifestations. With this in mind, I encourage more of us to withdraw from the ease of walking down the store aisle, picking out mystery vegetables when walking out to your kitchen garden and picking out exactly what you want is much easier and safer.
Make your own decisions about what to eat
Grocery stores only provide a small percentage of the thousands of vegetable varieties out there, which essentially means that the farmers and stores have dictated what you should eat. You can go along with this or you can choose for yourself what you would like to feed you and your family! How can one choose what they want for edibles? After all, garden centers aren't always catering to the needs of the public and variety can be quite limited. Well, ordering from seed catalogs is a good start.
Seed catalogs offer many more options than a garden center
If you go online there are hundreds of seed companies to choose from and these catalogs are often free to mail order. Inside you will discover vegetables and fruits that are new to you and sometimes very surprising! You will be able to choose whether you want hybrids, organics, Non-GMO, heirlooms, etc. You will feel empowered and motivated to eat well, and perhaps, creatively.
Choose from the best seed companies online
When choosing catalogs to order from, you may consider getting several and then comparing what each has to offer. You also may choose to order from a regional company, which may sell seeds that do well in your growing zone. For instance, I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I am interested in seeing what Territorial Seed Company has for my home garden in Oregon. Below is a list of seed companies that are reputable and offer Non-GMO seeds. A few companies offer their catalogs* for download for easy access and most will mail you a current catalog.
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