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Quote of the Day: Joan Dye Gussow

June 2nd, 2013

Vegetable gardens are much more important that houses in the overall scheme of things. Agriculture is the foundation of civilization. Houses come and go, but soil must be cherished if food is to be grown for us to eat.

Joan Dye Gussow from This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader
growing food 3
This is certainly the case here, we are putting off any work on the house and investing our time heavily in the garden, particularly the edible spaces. We know that time invested now will pay of tenfold in the future, especially when it comes to investing in our soil.
growing food 1
growing food 2
I’m already harvesting bountiful salads, both for me and the neighbors. On Friday I traded a big bowl of lettuce for some of my neighbor’s rhubarb. A wonderful trade indeed. I do have rhubarb plants to put in the ground here, but it will be a few years before I’ll be making any pies from them.

How important is your vegetable garden to you?

11 Comments to “Quote of the Day: Joan Dye Gussow”
  1. Jennifer Fisk on June 2, 2013 at 7:05 am

    My garden is very important to me. I like eating my own produce either as it grows or in the winter. I also get a huge uplift and feeling of peace when I look down on it from my bathroom window.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  2. kristin @ going country on June 2, 2013 at 7:50 am

    My current post answers that question.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  3. Songbirdtiff on June 2, 2013 at 9:33 am

    I’m willing to work on the house from November to February. Anything that doesn’t get done during those months has to wait until the next year. It’s all about the garden here. As long as the house is livable, clean and functioning properly, there’s no reason to spend valuable outside time on it.

    Reply to Songbirdtiff's comment

  4. Mich on June 2, 2013 at 10:10 am

    I have a small but pretty flower border & i have big veg plots, raised beds, soft fruit & a newish orchard. Growing my own produce is very important to me…. The house tends to get rather neglected in the ‘busy’ growing season.

    Reply to Mich's comment

  5. Maybelline on June 2, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    My veggie garden not only provides food, it provides physical exercise and mental stimulation. Recommend it for all.

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

  6. amy on June 2, 2013 at 5:54 pm

    Extremely!

    Reply to amy's comment

  7. laura on June 2, 2013 at 8:49 pm

    i couldn’t function without my garden (both veggie and floral). tending, weeding and loving is my meditation and i would go insane without the place to grow and work
    blessings
    ~*~

    Reply to laura's comment

    • amy on June 3, 2013 at 11:40 am

      Amen~Laura.

      Reply to amy's comment

  8. Erin M on June 3, 2013 at 11:53 pm

    My garden makes me feel whole. It has put me in touch with food. Real food. I now know the difference. I respect and love food. I get in the garden and feel everything leave my mind. Except…pull weed, pull weed, pull another weed. It is therapy and very zen. I LOVE every minute I spend in it. I stare at it when I’m in the house.

    Reply to Erin M's comment

  9. PlantMeGreen.com on June 4, 2013 at 12:03 am

    One of the most important things to me is my garden. I save thousands of dollars every year feeding my family and friends out of my garden! My pantry is full of jelly and and all kinds of canned goodness!

    Reply to PlantMeGreen.com's comment

  10. Beth K on June 4, 2013 at 8:12 am

    My garden is very important to me. My home is very neglected this time of year since by the time I get inside I cook dinner, bathe the kiddo, and often just collapse to rest (being 30 weeks pregnant may be part of that collapse!). I’m doing good to keep the dishes and laundry up and sweep occasionally at this time of the year. There is nothing much better than meals from our garden and livestock.

    Reply to Beth K's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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