The Time Is Ripe for Growing Your Own Food

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, Blue Shield of California

With food prices skyrocketing, produce has become significantly more expensive, making it challenging for many households to maintain healthy diets. However, with a small investment in seeds and soil, you can grow an abundance of food for a fraction of the price of store-bought goods — even in small backyards, patios and balconies. 

“It’s a ripe time to talk about growing our own food,” said Blue Shield of California senior director of lifestyle medicine Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi. “It doesn’t have to be a giant project. All you need is a small patch of dirt or a space for containers, and you can have nutrient-dense, organic produce all year long.” 

California is known for being the ‘salad bowl of America’ because we produce roughly a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of the country’s fruits, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Home gardeners can take advantage of California’s optimal growing conditions.  

“There’s nothing more satisfying than going outside and picking some vegetables and herbs for dinner,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. “To me they taste better —  and better yet, they don’t lose nutrients like when they’re picked at a farm miles away, packaged and trucked to a grocery store shelf near you.” 

Though most people think of gardening as a spring and summer activity, Kalousek Ebrahimi stresses that you can grow all year long: 

• Start in spring/summer: Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, green beans, strawberries and figs thrive. 

• Grow in fall/winter: Kale, spinach, carrots and garlic keep growing in cooler temps. 

• Try indoor gardening: Herbs, microgreens and even dwarf fruit trees can be grown indoors year-round.

• Ask your local nursery: Find out which foods grow best in your micro-climate and when to plant them.  

• Growing your own food has mental health benefits, too. Studies show that being outside, touching the microbes in soil and getting vitamin D from the sun can lift your mood and create a sense of well-being. “So many of us work at desks behind screens all day,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. “But just like a tomato plant needs sun, we’re all tomatoes that need sunshine to flourish.” 

Gardening in small spaces 

If you have the room, a small 10’x10’ backyard garden can yield bountiful harvests, with some prolific plants like zucchini and tomatoes producing so much you can share with neighbors. Apps like Nextdoor have gardening groups where home growers can trade excess produce, seeds and pots. You can also connect with neighbors at community gardens in urban areas if you don’t have access to outdoor space.  

If you live in an apartment or condo and have limited space, you can container garden, grow vertically up trellises and/or hang pots. A pro tip to save money is to find free large plastic containers at local nurseries, or on Craigslist or Nextdoor. Sourcing containers and decorating them can be half the fun.  

“Home gardening is something you can do with family, friends and neighbors with tremendous physical and mental health benefits,” said Kalousek Ebrahimi. “And at the end of the day, there’s nothing better than seeing the fruits of your labor (literally), and playing a direct role in your own food chain.”  

Angie’s Garden Caprese Salad

Kalousek Ebrahimi’s favorite summer garden recipe is a simple, nutritious and delicious caprese salad: 

• Cut thick slices of tomatoes from your garden. (Plant seeds in a sunny spot, in the spring when the soil temperature is consistently above 60°F and the threat of frost has passed. Fruit will ripen 60-90 days later.) 

• Layer with mozzarella from the store and basil from your garden. (You can grow basil indoors all year long in a sunny spot.) 

• Drizzle with olive oil. 

• Salt and pepper to taste. 

• Add a dash of balsamic vinegar if you like.