Modern society is an extremely complex thing.It relies completely upon a massive network of interrelationships between the individuals and groups which it composed of.Each part of society supports each other part.To live in such a world usually involves finding a niche for yourself, giving your contribution to the whole machine, and in return the machine supports you.

Modern society has its disadvantages though:

 

a) It is impersonal ‑ It only guarantees the material needs of a person.

The impersonal way in which goods and services are provided can increase

the likelihood of emotional problems.

 

b) It does not tolerate anything which does not fit the system.

People who deviate from what is considered the 'norm' are 'labelled'

and rejected by society in the main.

 

c) Everyone is so dependent on everyone else that they are frequently

affected by things they have no control over eg. industrial disputes.

 

d) If the system collapses, everything collapses.

 

People do not have a broad enough range of skills to survive if thrown into a different situation eg. war, economic collapse, natural catastrophe.

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Growing vegetables for consumption can be a valuable tool in increasing your self sufficiency, whether it is at a personal scale or at the scale of a family or a small community. A kitchen garden is one way that the individual or small community can provide themselves with a steady supply of fresh vegetables throughout the year. Not only does this food source reduce dependency on society at large, but it can also increase personal health, because fresher vegetables frequently have a greater nutritional value.

But in order to be successful, a kitchen garden must be well planned. This planning must take into account what can be grown in the area (this is influenced by the soil, climate, and other local factors), as well as what vegetable products are required. It can be difficult to produce consistent volumes and variety of produce, and management of the vegetable garden needs to aim to provide this consistency and variety.

Even in today’s complex and technology driven society the hunter-gatherer instinct is strongly present within most of us. Growing edible plants and creating beautiful garden spaces is a way that we can keep in touch with nature and the simpler joys of life.

Why grow herbs and vegetables?

Watching plants grow from seed to harvest and knowing that the armful of vegies and herbs you have just gathered for the evening meal will be on the table within an hour or two of harvest, can be an exciting and satisfying experience.

Other reasons to grow vegies: