Yoga Ecology in Action: Grow your food, nourish your soul

- By James Christie-Fougere & Sharon Coombs

Thinking of growing some, or all, of your own food? The idea can seem intimidating, but we can start the process by asking ourselves a few simple questions and then setting the intention to start the process now so we are fully prepared when the snow thaws and the soil is ready to plant:​

1. What do I love to eat?
2. Can what I eat be grown where I live?
3. How much of my daily diet do I want to grow for myself?

A great first step to designing a garden is deciding what to grow. By focusing on foods we enjoy eating, we'll have more motivation and excitement in growing these foods in the garden. To answer the second question, we need to do a bit of research. We all live in different climates, and not everything we're used to eating on a daily basis can be grown in every region. Once we have a list of foods we most like to eat, we can narrow that down to foods we can actually grow at home. Check out this link and enter your postal code to get a good idea of how long your growing season lasts, and when your first and last frost dates occur.

Once you know your growing zone, you can make educated decisions on crops that will likely be able to survive and reach maturity in your climate. Many seed companies list the compatible growing zones for food crops, taking the guesswork out of which crops can be grown.

The last question should be answered from the heart: how much of your food do you really want to grow? If it's just a few staples, great! Want to grow your entire diet? Don't be too quick to dismiss such a goal, it's definitely possible! When answering this question, don't worry about the logistics, we'll get to that in the next issue!