There are several saying that come to mind when I think about the trend of growing our own food. One is “deja vu”. Have we been there before? Another is “What goes around, comes around.” Years ago, growing and producing your own food was a necessity. Modern times and chemicals have taken us away from much of that. Perhaps its time again to “come around?”.

Recent concerns about the tainting of produce along with the tough economic times have prompted us to re consider this option. Many are avid gardeners already. Some have been growing their own food for years. Whether its for healthier or less expensive food you just can't go wrong with your own garden. And it really can be fun too!

Here are some tips to getting started.

1. Find the right location- make sure you have at least the morning and part of the afternoon sun available to your plants. Most all vegetables require full sun.

2. Start with the right soil- Some are blessed with rich fertile soil to begin their plantings. For those of us less fortunate, it is important to make sure you have the right soil. This means a soil that is loose and workable. It needs to be rich in compost or humus. There are a number of good (and organic) products available. The trend to lean towards natural chemical free soil is definitely a good one. Choose a soil with an even balance of compost and good dirt. Its best to purchase the soil in bulk than bags. Several garden centers and rock businesses have soil with manures or compost mixed in. They will fill you truck or small trailer with a load as needed for the size of your garden.

3. Use raised beds- if your soil is too rocky or hard to work with. You can construct a nice sized bed of treated timbers, rocks or blocks. Once done, you will have a much more workable and productive garden. If your soil is tillable, you can work the bulk soil or compost into it with a tiller.

4. Keep a compost bin- There are several bins available at the nursery or online. These are easy to use and will compost a lot faster than a do it yourself bin. Of course, doing it yourself is still a good option. Read up on the methods to get your compost going. Once you have a good size bin going you will greatly reduce the costs of regular mulching and fertilizing. This is a key to good gardening. I raise worms and use the worm casting that result from the worms converting kitchen scraps and paper to this organic, non burning natural compost/ fertilizer. There are special worm bins that simplify the process. Some can also be kept indoors without smell.

5. Water right- Your best option is to install a drip system. Sprinklers waste too much water in run off and wind. You can easily purchase a hose drip or a drip setup for gardens and shrubs. They are not hard to install and are well worth the trouble. Remember to set a timer on the facet that will stay on long enough to allow you to soak the garden. Timing depends on conditions and weather. Some need to an hour or more. You are slow soaking here. Dig your fingers into the soil and see if it is at least two inches of wet soil. Water when the soil starts to dry within that depth. Never keep the soil too wet or too dry. Keep it in the middle range.

6. Plant right- allow your plants enough space to grow. Adhere to the directions on the package. Seek advise from a established local gardener on what to grow and how to grow it. Many online resources are available with forums and articles. One of them is www.gardenwb.com.

Once you get the hang of it, you will find out that you and your family will have fun growing your own healthy, inexpensive produce.