PREFACE – A NOTE TO THE READER
What we are experiencing right now in this country is a "food fight." So therefore, we need to fight for those who deserve saving, especially those that fought for us our entire lives.
There is no one or nothing standing in our way to building sustainable, holistic and natural communities again throughout the land. I know this for a fact!
You see I was raised on a farm in rural Georgia and everything my 8 siblings, my mother and father and I ate came from the land. We had several apple, pear and peach trees, cows, mules, pigs, chickens, etc. -- the usual things you find on a farm.
We knew no other way of living, so despite many people today making all kinds of excuses for not growing foods, I know 'first-hand' we can get back to nature – back to our roots and start growing and eating delicious, home-grown foods again.
At 60 years old -- many people would probably be too embarrassed to admit that they are finally growing their first garden – but not me.
It's especially Seniors today that need to start growing their own foods because homegrown foods taste better; to make sure foods are safe to eat and are Non-GMOs; to fight diseases and keep down doctor's visits; to save money and cut down on grocery bills, and in order to have a healthier environment -- as they age.
As an Empowerment and Motivational Speaker along with being a National Non-GMO Health and Wellness Expert, I see growing my own foods as a necessity. And it's certainly nothing that people need to be embarrassed about – no matter your age.
Despite the fact that over 40% of people stop growing foods after one year, my family is still going strong. I wanted to grow foods successfully for one year before I wrote a book about growing foods. So this book is the completion of my own one year gardening journey.
I can't tell you what it has been like to be able to look out of our kitchen window of our own home and look at something we started from scratch - our own backyard, raised bed garden.
We can't bring this gardening project to an end without telling you first how successful it was. Remember, never let anyone define success for you, whether you are looking at your personal or business life.
Success is in the eye of the beholder. Success is a journey not a destination. Success is simply moving forward and accomplishing whatever it was you set out to accomplish and -- that we did.
First of all I am not going to tell you our journey was easy. There were a lot of hard work and many challenges, which taught us what to look out for in the future.
Sure we made mistakes, but we have owned up to them and will be using them as guidelines for our future gardening journeys. If we are truly working to save our families and communities, then it's vital that we all be on the same page.
Remember, your ultimate goal should be to educate yourself, your family and others in your own community. The goal is to teach everyone how to fed, clothes and shelter their own families. And one of the best ways to get everyone, especially teenagers, who can't find work, especially in the summertime, and former prisoners involved in job's programs and business ownership is around growing foods.
However, not everyone will be able to start a business so they will need to seek employment opportunities in urban farming, agriculture, and gardening. The sooner we get back to basics and start growing our own foods again by becoming gardeners, farmers, or join food co-ops or food coalitions – the sooner we can save generations upon generations of families. Good luck with your gardening journey!
