So very true. I’m so lucky that there is a wonderful farmers market in town and I can get everything vegetable from them, all from local growers here in Ukiah. I am growing a few things in my own backyard, but it is a lot of work so I’m grateful for the market.

Yup. Growing things....or at the very least, foraging, is a fundamental act of sustaining oneself. To me it is meditation, exercise, it connects me to the natural world, educates me continually, and grounds my mental wellbeing. Not to mention the fact any edibles one grows themself will tend to have sigficantly more nutrient content than fodder forced out of season in hot houses, grown too quickly, and bred or genetically modified for appearance, or speed or ease of shipping, at the expence of nutritional content.
Heard in podcast today, and it is so true, that the U.S. spends more per capital on medical care than any other nation, while producing its food more cheaply than ever before in our history. In neither category are the outcomes for our health that good. Our societal priorities are shit-backward.

Actually , while the corn and peas sprouted , the strawberries didn't .

The flavor, nutrition & mineral content can be much better depending on the gardener. Interacting with growing things of beauty & use is worth any effort involved. Effort being movement, focus, patience. Those are good things to learn & embrace.

I garden because it makes me feel good, and NOTHING tastes so good as a tomato fresh off the vine. And it is way cool to introduce the grands to really fresh tomatoes. The oldest granddaughter, now 4 loves them and she has been getting them since she was 2. Grandson now 3, at age 2 would bite into them and spit them out down the front of his shirt. I am eager to see if his opinion of them changes this year. Newest granddaughter has a while before she gets tomatoes, she's just 4 months now. Oldest grand was here this weekend and is excited to see my tomatoes have been planted.