Many people have sought the sense of accomplishment that comes from successfully managing a home garden. You may have even contemplated the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment you might experience by raising your own food from seed or seedlings. But there are many other advantages that you may not have considered.

Having fresh, quality vegetables available in your home at any time is an obvious advantage to maintaining a home vegetable garden. You cannot find a fresher source of produce than your own back yard. After the initial work of planting and developing a garden has been completed, a home garden provides convenient access to fresh veggies that even the closest store cannot beat.

Growing your own produce also offers you a sense of control about the how your food is produced that cannot be guaranteed by even the most conscientious market. Not only will you get to select the exact varieties you want to grow and eat, you will be able determine whether or not to use fertilizers or pesticides, and if so which ones and how much of each. You will also have peace of mind that none of your vegetables were produced as a result of unfair trade or labor practices.

One advantage that you may not have considered is the comparative impact on the environment. Even with locally grown produce, there is a significant carbon footprint generated by the transportation of goods to the market. This footprint can be quite large in some cases. By eliminating the transportation to a few short steps, you will eliminate that carbon footprint.

If you only get pesticide-free and organic vegetables at the store, growing your own can ultimately be very cost-effective. Even if you usually buy more conventionally grown vegetables, careful planning and thoughtful selection can give home production a cost advantage.

Of course there is also the sense of accomplishment reported by many home growers. Providing food for your household by raising it from seed or seedling is a novel and rewarding experience for many urban and suburban dwellers. It fosters a connection to the land and the chain of food production that is not accessible by purchasing food in the market.

When considering whether or not to grow vegetables at home, many people are daunted by the initial planning and work necessary to developing a garden. But there are advantages to growing your own vegetables that can outweigh even the apparent ease and convenience of shopping in the local grocery store. http://www.squidoo.com/Growing-Your-Own-Vegetables-Food