I’ve been asked by some folks why I grow my own produce. After all, they say, there are large produce sections in the nearby grocery stores.
What they tell me may be true, but in most cases the quality, and selection in our stores leave a lot to be desired. I spent nearly 20 years living in Northern California and I got spoiled. I was able to find nearly anything I wanted ( in season) at any number of roadside stands.
Ever since taking some cooking classes at the Culinary Institute of America I have been cooking with much more variety, and doing that successfully demands a wider selection of ingredients than can be supplied by my local stores.
More importantly, the last few years have been terrible for the food industry in terms of food safety and contamination. I am sure you have heard of all the lettuce, tomato, hot pepper and other problems that were all daily news not too long ago.
To sum it up, I grow my own so I can have produce that I like and can’t find in the store, so I know it has been handled well and not treated with loads of pesticide, and didn’t spend a week of it’s life traveling across the country to get to me.
But one of the biggest reasons to me is the flavor. Some may argue, and I can’t deny it may be purely psychological, but fresh home or locally grown produce just tastes better to me and those of my friends who have tasted it.
But the biggest reason of all is I like to be outside working the land, even in this hot, record breaking drought we have been living through here in South Central Texas.
Gotta go. Time to pick a few watermelons.
Born To Farm 