BYFG Benefits
The "Short and Sweet" from Grandpa:
- Just for the satisfaction of growing your own.
- Knowing exactly how it's grown.
- Save a few bucks.
- Treat your friends with the abundance.
- Re-connect with nature and your farm "roots".
Grandpa's "long winded" answer: So you think you want to grow some fruit in your backyard! Well, many people might say that you are crazy, but Grandpa wouldn't! Grandpa always commented that there was nothing like the satisfaction of planting a tree, nurturing it, watching it bloom, set fruit, and finally picking a piece of fruit at its peak of ripeness. The best peach is the one you grew yourself and so juicy that it runs off your chin onto your Sunday suit! The best apple is one you grew, even if there's only half a worm in it after the first bite.
Grandpa grew fruit for the commercial market, but he grew that fruit the same way as if he were growing it just for Grandma and the family. Grandpa always saved the best for Grandma, but the fruit that went to market was safely grown and handled. Most people who shop in the produce section really don't have an idea about how the produce was grown, and they assume that it is safe and healthy for their kids. For the vast majority of fruits, this is true, but sometimes we hear about something going wrong. Some people have many food safety issue worries.
If you grow your own, you know exactly how you have grown that fruit. If you really like to eat fruit on a daily basis, you just might be able to save some money by growing your own! Think of picking hundreds of pounds of your favorite fruits off your own trees, instead of buying it at $1.99 per pound at the produce department If you grow more than you can eat, give it to your friends. After all, we're not talking about zucchini here! They will appreciate it. Not too long ago, almost everyone had a connection to the farm through a close relative, but that is no longer the case. Most Americans now are more than a generation removed from the farm, agriculture and other natural resource based ways of life. Many long to re-connect with their "farm" roots. Backyard fruit growing is an excellent way to start