AN INVESTMENT WITH MANY RETURNS
"Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll eat forever.."
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SAVE
Here is just a small sampling of 8 different vegetables you can grow in your garden and what a household of 2 might otherwise spend if they purchased all these at a supermarket.
Two different supermarkets were surveyed in March 2009 for the cost estimates in this table, one a conventional supermarket with an organic produce section, and one which describes itself as a "healthy supermarket". The lowest price is used here, except in the case of tomatoes, which were actually $4.99/lb, but would be cheaper when purchased "in season". At both supermarkets, most of the produce was grown in California and shipped to Athens; most of the rest of it came from Mexico or South America.
| Vegetable | Supermarket Cost | Estimated Weekly Consumption | Length of Harvest Season | Your Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salad mix | 6.99/lb | 1 lb | 20 weeks | $140 |
| Herbs (Cilantro, Dill, Parsley) | 1.29/bunch | 1 bunch | 20 weeks | $26 |
| Cooking Greens (Collards, Kale, Chard) | 2.89/bunch averaged | 1 bunch | 40 weeks | $115 |
| Cucumbers | $1.79 each | 4 cucumbers | 10 weeks | $72 |
| Sweet Bell Peppers | $2.69 each | 2 peppers | 8 weeks | $43 |
| Green Beans | $5.29 each | 1 lb | 10 weeks | $53 |
| Yellow Squash and Zucchini | $1.69/lb | 2 lb | 10 weeks | $34 |
| Tomatoes | $2.99/lb | 4 lb | 10 weeks | $120 |
| Total Savings | $603 | |||
These 8 crops can be grown in one small raised bed with little effort. Imagine what you could save if you strove to grow most of your own fresh produce! It is feasible to grow thousands of dollars of food in your own garden every year!