Starting your footprint-lowering home garden can be as simple as planting one frequently used herb in a pot indoors (hello, fresh cilantro!) or as intensive as turning your backyard into the produce section of the grocery store. Your home garden is whatever you make it to be!
Growing your own food will save you money on groceries while lowering your carbon footprint by avoiding transportation emissions that result from food travel. Plus, you’ll avoid any packaging that you get from purchased produce!
Any home-grown, plant-rich diet will result in a lower carbon footprint than the alternative. But being intentional about what you grow (choosing perennial crops a.k.a. carbon-sequestering foods) will result in even more carbon savings as they offset emissions and increase soil health.
Check out this planting calendar to learn when to plant different herbs, vegetables, and fruits in your area. If you already missed the dates for some of your favorite produce, you’ll likely be able to find seedlings online or at your local garden center! Happy growing 🌱
