This weekend S and I went to Trevaskis Farm in Connor Downs – if you haven’t heard of it before I highly recommend you check it out! The farm is set amidst 28 acres of beautiful countryside, there is a quaint butchers and farm shop, as well as a sweet restaurant.
Adjacent to the outside seating area where we had lunch, there are fields of polytunnels ripe with fruit and veg available for picking! Best of all, farm entrance is free and you only pay for what you pick! Amazing!
We were initially on the hunt for Strawberries, but we weren’t doing too well. However, we ended up filling out tubs with fat, juicy raspberries! S actually ended up eating all of his and had to start all over again half way through…
We stuffed our faces (..and got attacked by wasps) before picking up some mint from the store for my little bun, Petal, then headed home. It gave me some ‘food for thought’ about the benefits of growing at home organically..
Why You Should Grow Your Own Fruit And Vegetables
Twenty years ago, almost every household in the UK would have grown their own fruit and vegetables. But as supermarkets began to offer a wider variety of produce, the majority of families swapped to buying from them.
More recently, over the past few years, many families have once again started growing their own produce. You might be wondering why you should grow your own produce when you can buy it from the supermarket. However, what you need to look at are the benefits of growing food yourself.
On the fence about growing your own fruit and vegetables? Yes – then have a read of our guide to why you should seriously consider it.
Fresher food
Did you know that foods that are eaten straight after being picked have more health benefits? Fresh foods have more nutrients than foods that are picked and stored, so eating produce straight from the bush or tree is best.
Most produce found at the supermarket will have been picked a few days before it was ripe so that it would have a longer shelf life. This isn’t good, as this means that the produce won’t contain all the vitamins and minerals that it should do.
Growing your own food allows you to eat produce when it’s at it’s very best. So not only do you get all the vitamins and nutrients, but also all the best flavours.
Better quality
The fruit and vegetables that you find in the supermarket won’t have been selected for their quality. You see, farmers who grow crops for supermarkets focus on getting the highest possible yield. For these farmers, it isn’t about the quality of the produce, but the quantity.
Foods sold in the supermarket are chosen for their appearance and long shelf life; quality isn’t important. But by choosing to grow your own produce, you will know that your food is of a high quality and contains all the nutrients that you need.
Will save you money
Most of the fresh produce on sale in the supermarket is expensive, and so can be unaffordable for many people. Whereas by growing your produce yourself, you can save a lot of money.
While there is the initial investment to consider for equipment, seeds, and fruit trees, it’s worth the it. For a low-cost, reliable source for fruit trees and vegetable seeds, have a look online.
More variety
Believe it or not, there are thousands of varieties of fruits and vegetables. Carrots alone have over 40 varieties, but supermarkets tend only to offer the basics as these sell well. This means that when you shop at the supermarket your choice of produce is limited.
However, if you choose to grow your own produce, your choice wouldn’t be limited. Choosing to grow your own produce will allow you to try out as many different varieties as you like and choose your favourite ones.
While there are downsides to growing food yourself, such as the time and effort, the benefits outweigh them. There are so many amazing benefits to growing your own produce, but we have only been able to mention a few.
Read here about growing your own fruit here
It’s great fun and there’s something special about digging up your own potatoes and onions and taking them straight into the kitchen !
Absolutely! I’ve always loved that about fishing 🙂 Nothing better! xx
I would love to be able to grow my own fruit and veg but I live in tiny flat with no outdoor space – I am very envious of those with big gardens!
Ow no! Perhaps you can grow some herbs on your windowsill? They grow really quickly and don’t need a great deal of light. I had some in my kitchen during the summer 🙂 xx
I used to grow my own vegetables, illness has meant I stopped doing it, but hoping that 2016 will see me growing again x
we grew our own potatoes a few years ago, loved them so much but the time and effort and the fact our field was 2 miles away has hindered us doing it again but i would love myown chickens for free range eggs yum
Ohh that would be great! I hope to do that one day when I’m older and have more land 🙂 xx
My son has a patch on his nan’s allotment, his produce is a bit hit and miss but it’s so nice to get when it all works out!! We always go the pick your own farms in the Summer, lots of fun!
years ago where we use to livewe grew all our veg and even some fruit ,nothing in the world beat growing from scratch to the eventual food itself that you eat, loved it but the soil at our new home is far from say great for growing in flowers yes but tried to grow veg no go try to buy local home grown produce
It can be rewarding when you get results but be prepared for setbacks, I tried at first to avoid any chemical pest control, but once your entire crop has been decimated by slugs or their ilk you may find yourself changing your tune!