the importance of growing our own food

I recently came across someone’s opinion in my readings that we shouldn’t grow mushrooms in a desert climate because they require water. Always concerned with the ethics of what I’m doing, I’ve spent some time thinking about this.

The problem is, by this logic, we wouldn’t grow any food in Utah. All of it requires water. This got me thinking about some key questions.

·         Question 1: Why is it important for us to grow our own food?

Previously I wrote about Water, The Environment, & Mushroom Cultivation, which gets into some specifics on water-wise mushroom farming in Utah. But this post didn’t really address the core value that makes me pursue this- the belief that knowing how to grow food is a critical component of a resilient community.

The pandemic opened our eyes to this in a big way. Remember when shelves were empty and going to the grocery store was a health risk? A community that knows how to grow its own food is less reliant on big agriculture, corporate grocery stores, and faulty supply chains.

We are reducing our environmental impact by shipping less food around the country to feed our population. Small, local farms also tend to use less harmful farming practices than industrial agricultural models.

Farming can uncover important information about our local environment. Recently, soil in my neighborhood was tested for contaminants before it was to become a community garden. The test results came back with high levels of heavy metal and hydrocarbons. If attempts were not made to farm this land, we would not have been presented with the information that gives us the opportunity to fix this problem.

On an individual level, I personally find few things more rewarding than growing my own food. I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment.

·         Question 2: How do we set realistic expectations for our climate?

There’s no two ways about it- growing food in Utah can be a bummer. The heat and dryness make this a particularly challenging climate. It doesn’t feel good to work away in 100° weather only to experience crop failure.

This is an aspect of my mental health that I am constantly working on. Especially when customers struggle with their grow kits, I feel a sense of responsibility and I am always looking for ways to help increase success.

Here’s a few things I try to keep in mind.

·         Not everything in nature is meant to survive. And the same goes for growing food. For example, if I went to the garden center and bought 30 tomato seedlings, I would not expect all of them to survive and thrive. What is a realistic success rate when we factor in weather, water, and dedication? Don’t get me wrong, customer success is the top priority, but expecting a 100% success rate will only lead to disappointment.

·         We are part of the lifecycle. The lifecycle includes death and incomplete growth, along with our more desirable outcomes like beautiful flushes. While mushrooms are the goal, we are a part of the fungal lifecycle whether they fruit or not.

·         Failure is an opportunity to learn. Where are the common sticking points? What can be done to overcome them? Why did the exact same grow kit work at one person’s house and not another’s? We can do everything we know about to set ourselves up for success, but there is always, always, always more to learn.

·         Fungi ultimately call the shots. A grow kit may not fruit within its expected time frame, but that doesn’t mean it won’t ever fruit. It may be waiting for cooler weather, more water, or just until it feels like it. It’s humbling really, how powerful fungi are. They have been on this Earth much longer than humans; they have shaped it and designed landscapes and ecosystems. Sometimes I think they just laugh at our efforts and do as they please. I try not to take this personally. : )

Thank you for being willing to grow food in a difficult place, for supporting a local farm, and for building community resiliency with me.