Where Did I Get My Energy From? Growing and Foraging My Own Food
People might one day ask me: “Where did you get all your energy from?”
My answer is simple. Throughout my life, I have tried to grow some of my own food and forage for food when appropriate. For me, it represents a more efficient way of living—using the natural resources around us rather than relying entirely on everything being produced, packaged and transported to us.
Food Is Energy
Everything we do requires energy, and food is one of the most important sources of energy for the human body.
Growing potatoes, chillies, tomatoes, strawberries, herbs and other crops gives you a direct connection with that energy. A seed, combined with soil, water and sunlight, can eventually produce something you can eat.
Foraging can complement home growing too, provided you know exactly what you’re picking, have permission to collect it and avoid contaminated areas. Never eat a wild plant or mushroom unless you can identify it safely.
Becoming More Efficient
I don’t believe efficiency is simply about working faster. It’s also about getting more value from the resources available to us.
Rain can help water a garden. Sunlight can grow plants. Food scraps can sometimes be composted. A small growing area can produce food repeatedly throughout the year.
Growing your own food won’t eliminate the need for supermarkets or conventional agriculture, but even producing a small amount can reduce what you need to buy.
Energy From the Earth
There is something powerful about planting a seed, looking after it and eventually eating the food it produces.
So if people ask where I found the energy to keep going, my answer will be:
I grew. I foraged. I ate. I kept going.
You don’t need acres of land to begin. Start with a few pots, some water and something you enjoy eating.
Grow a little food, use your resources efficiently and see what you can produce for yourself.
