The Power of Gardening and Will Allen, Urban Farmer ~ June 25 2024

Did you know that People who garden are usually happier, healthier, and are often saving money at the grocery store !!!

So, how do we know that People who Garden are usually Happier, Healthier, and saving money?  Some of this is just common sense.  People who garden are usually more physically active.  They are outside more, soaking up Sunshine and breathing fresh air.  We know that Sunshine can easily be an antidepressant.

Gardeners tend to be problem solvers and are more engaged with gardening friends and neighbors who are then blessed with fresh produce.  We know that people who are active and engaged with other people are usually more cheerful and less prone to depression.

A good example is Will Allen, the original urban farmer.  Some people consider him the “modern” George Washington Carver.  After Will retired from professional basketball and a corporate job, he became the director of Growing Power, an urban gardening project in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  He developed this project by getting neighborhood young people involved with gardening.  At first, they were just curious about this “crazy guy” who was trying to grow vegetables in the city.  Then they started helping.

As their efforts at gardening began to pay off, these young people started taking their produce home.  And, here is the best part … if they grew it, they would eat it!  They were eating vegetables that they would not even touch before! 

Amazing … !!! 

And, their families were getting healthy food even living in or near an urban “food desert”!  Not only that, these young people were showing up to work in the garden every day rather than hanging out on the streets being bored and getting into trouble!

So ... gardening is good in so many ways and for so many reasons.  Give it a try even if it is only 1 or 2 pots of Tomatoes or Peppers.  You too can become a famous "famous" Urban Gardener in your neighborhood !!!

Have a Wonderful Week,

Mary Christopher