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Recently, while on a run, I noticed the many different gardens near where I live. Some had vegetables in raised beds, and some had fruit trees or bushes around the yard. I have herbs & various vegetables growing in pots out the front of our house. Then my thoughts wandered to the different people I know who grow food. They all have unique ways of doing so. There are lots of reasons for these variations -- space, time available, or experience. It reminded me of Nike’s mission statement, which defines an athlete as anyone with a body. This definition upends the conventional notion of an athlete as a nearly unobtainable ability beyond the grasp of most of us mere mortals. I believe many people have a similar idea about growing food at home. They think if they don’t have a “green thumb”, a large amount of space, or hours to put into tending or caring for it, a successful food garden is just not possible.
My first garden began with my vision of what it meant to grow food for a family - raised beds overflowing with every vegetable imaginable. I could see giant sunflowers creating a cheerful barrier from the neighbor’s property and the rows of lush tomatoes intermixed with basil and marigolds filling the raised beds in front of them. I could practically taste the sweet corn marking the peak of summer and see myself selecting the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween with my daughter.
With a new house and our first child, we set out to make this vision a reality. It was an ambitious attempt that soon transformed into mayhem. The tomatoes grew, but so did weeds. The zucchini became monstrous, while the corn produced a few tiny ears with even fewer kernels. The many types of vegetables I planted became beautiful but ultimately unsustainable chaos. If the garden were my classroom, the first lesson would be to start small.
Over the years my gardens have held various shapes and sizes. They always teach lessons. To make things more manageable in my first garden, the next summer, I planted only 3 raised beds dedicated to vegetables instead of 5. When our twins came along, we simplified even more. Since then I’ve had modest kitchen herb gardens with a few vegetables, a single pot with a tomato plant, and there were some years I was lucky if I had the time to plant a single seedling.
Nearly 6 years ago, we left Portland, Oregon and moved to Australia. Volunteering at a garden that provided food for local charities eased the loneliness of being in a new country. The unexpected benefit was the connection I felt to the community. I was meeting new people, learning about growing food in a different culture and climate while also giving back - a welcome surprise.
Through this community I was exposed to different and more sustainable food growing practices, inspiring me to learn more. I was able to take a deep dive into my education during Covid and I earned a Certificate in Horticulture while also volunteering in various gardens and learning about many regenerative philosophies. Education changed the way I think about growing food and inspired me to experiment with what and how I’ve grown things at home.
When I think back to that first garden and compare it to the garden I have now, the biggest difference is in the purpose. My notion of the idyllic garden has changed dramatically with the many iterations of food growing I have tried. It’s now a vision of a simple sunny spot to plant a sustainable garden that cuts down my grocery bill at times. I plant only what I have time to manage and that I know we will eat. I see now that it isn’t the amount or variety of what I grow that makes me a gardener; it is the act of cultivating food and savouring the journey.
With just one seed, anyone can start a garden without the pressure of self-sufficiency. Soon after, you will celebrate your victories and share the magic and connection of growing your own food while sharing your harvest with family and friends.
By defining everyone with a body as an athlete, Nike’s mission statement removes a barrier, making athletics obtainable and accessible for everyone. Similarly, growing food is not about some ideal. You don’t need any special lifestyle, abilities or a specific type of space to grow food. If you are willing to cultivate life by planting even just one seed or plant, you are a gardener.
• Start small: Having less to manage is better than too much. Enjoy the process, try different things and add more as you learn.
• Embrace imperfection: Not everything will thrive, and some plants will die. You will laugh at the strangely formed carrots. Luckily, looks don’t predict taste! Even the “ugly” harvest usually tastes just as incredible as the “perfect” harvest when you’ve grown it yourself.
• Nobody starts as an expert: You won’t ever be an expert if you don’t plant that first seed. Learn from your failures and ask everyone questions. Soon, you will have others asking you for your wisdom.
• You are a gardener: Growing a single head of lettuce, a couple of tomato plants on your terrace or a variety of vegetables makes you part of the community of gardeners. It’s not about the size of the harvest but the willingness to cultivate life.
