Can Yourself -- Grow Money, Grow Friends

This post is part of the Green Mom Carnival on Food Preservation hosted by Abbie at The Farmer's Daughter beginning July 17th. 

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If you could get $2000 for every $20 you invest, would you do it? That's what food preservation does; it takes time and energy, but not much money to get tons to eat that you KNOW is free of pesticides.

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It also provides a summer of "entertainment" depending on what kind of gardener you are and hours of bonding time with your family and friends as you plant, harvest, can, eat and share the bounty.

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The dollar estimate came from my 90-year-old neighbor's city lot garden where they harvest, tomatoes, corn, raspberries, onions, grapes, apples, beans, beets, carrots, strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, zuchinni, squash, and fan dance sized rhubarb. 

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I asked them to tabulate their pantry at the end of the season. A trip to the store then gave me the value if I had purchased the same volumn of food. (The original $20 was seed money.) 

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Some people think it's a lot of work. I think it's a lot of play and encourage everyone to start by growing an Italian garden of zukes, tomatoes, onions, parsley, oregano, rosemary and put in a strawberry rhubarb plant for me... That will be enough to get you canning and cooking.