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When you grow your own food you are less inclined to waste it. This is the basis of this weeks episode. My belief is that organically grown local food equals less waste.
I talk about our failed 100 mile diet and how hard it was to stick to it, and the realisation I came to that most of our food is grown with the assistance of fossil fuels. In the second half of the show, I give tips about how to prevent food waste.
I believe that growing your own food is one of the most radical acts that you can achieve in your own home. You break that dependence on the industrial food system and become that little bit closer to be able to look after yourself. Especially that most of our food is grown using oil.
Did you know that for every 1 calorie of food grown, it takes 10 calories of oil to grow it? That is unsustainable considering that fossil fuels are a finite resource. Something to think about when you tuck into your next meal.
It you liked the show, please click-through to iTunes using the button below the player, and leave a comment and a rating. It helps push the show up the iTunes charts where it will reach others who may be thinking of beginning their own simple/sustainable journey. Every little bit helps.
Also, if you have any questions or observations that you are burning to share, please leave a comment below. I answer as many as I can and would love to hear from you.
Next week we have our Christmas Special where Kim and I share what we achieved this year, including the highs and lows. I don’t know if we will be singing this year, but you never know. I might even belt out a verse or two of a White Christmas, that old Bing favourite that gets a hammering around here at this time of year!
Hi Gavin,
a topic dear to my heart! And yes, it’s certainly harder to waste food when you’ve put the time/effort/money into growing it. I’ve been trying to grow lots of Borlotti beans in an effort to shop less. This would give us lots of dried beans in the Winter for protein, and ultimately the idea was to be able to grow beans, almonds,walnuts, hazels and have eggs for protein.
Nature has had other plans! I’ve just planted my third lot of beans as the earwigs seem to be eating them all the minute they shoot from the ground. Last year I didn’t plant enough – ‘look kids, we’re nearly self-sufficient’ I joked as I showed them the small jar of beans I’d managed to produce! But I’m going to keep trying 🙂
On the subject of food miles, I was just looking at the archives for frugal queen and she gives a fascinating and inspiring insight into how they grew and stored food when she was a child (see her post for Monday 19th August 2013). It makes you realise just how much effort would be involved were the supermarkets to close…
Madeleine.x
Hi Madeleine. I have a solution for earwigs. Check out this post Earwig Problem Solved!
Thanks, Gavin, will do!
Gavin, podcast #94 is great dealing as it does with food-waste. A subject near to my heart. I agree that if you grow your own it is more meaningful and after carefully nurturing your veggie patch you are less likely to treat the produce casually.
I have listened to #94 on iTunes but couldn’t find how to leave a comment of appreciation on iTunes.
Any advice?
Gavin, I think I’ve cracked it. I left a comment on iTunes on podcast #94. Hope it went through ok.
Thanks so much Jean. The comments usually take a day to appear so I will keep an eye out for it.