12 Steps to Whole Foods

Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards
Our compost piles also create some bizarre benefits and drama unrelated to “green” recycling and good
nutrition. Our dogs immediately eat some of the produce peels, melon guts, and other waste that we throw into
the boxes, which tells me that they want better nutrition than the animal-produce dog food provides. Also,
during the winter of 2007-08, a family of ferrets took up residence in one of our boxes, and a family of quail in
another box!
Your Journal Entry
You may not yet have received the benefits of your planting a garden yet, after just 30 days. So come back to
this list at the end of the growing season, but answer just the first few questions now:
1. Do you have a sense of accomplishment from growing some of your own food?
2. How will you save money by gardening? Estimate the savings, through the months of the growing
season.
3. Name the various crops that you can “put up,” fermenting raw vegetables, freezing greens and fruit for
smoothies, chopping or shredding and then freezing vegetables such as beets, zucchini, etc.
4. What would you like to grow next year that you didn’t this year?
5. What are your best crops?
6. What crops do you need to find more ways to use?
7. Did any of your crops not grow, and why?
8. What taste difference do you notice in your organic, absolutely fresh, homegrown produce? Can
anything compare to a homegrown tomato?
9. Do you want to extend your garden into the winter?
10. If you have young children, what are the benefits to them of seeing you garden and/or participating in
growing food?
11. Are the efforts worth the rewards?
12. What are the effects on your health in the height of the growing season (Aug., Sept.) when you’re using
many things from your garden every day?
13. Do you enjoy getting outside in the sun to work in your garden and seeing the fruits of your labor?
14. What are your favorite recipes in this chapter?
15. Any other observations during this month?
© Copyright Robyn Openshaw 12 Steps to Whole Foods 135