lazy locavores: outsourcing the backyard garden

A relevant article from today's New York Times:

"Eating locally raised food is a growing trend. But who has time to get to the farmer’s market, let alone plant a garden?

That is where Trevor Paque comes in. For a fee, Mr. Paque, who lives in San Francisco, will build an organic garden in your backyard, weed it weekly and even harvest the bounty, gently placing a box of vegetables on the back porch when he leaves.

Call them the lazy locavores — city dwellers who insist on eating food grown close to home but have no inclination to get their hands dirty. Mr. Paque is typical of a new breed of business owner serving their needs."

-NYTimes.com (link to full article)

For me, the joy of backyard gardening is experiencing the plants as they grow and change each day. I like learning about the soil, light and water conditions that make growing food possible. As I've found out, growing food is challenging and from that challenge comes a deep appreciation of the miraculous process of photosynthesis. When we take food for granted, sitting on the shelves of the supermarket, we don't see all of work that goes into producing food.

I would encourage any "lazy locavore" who is considering outsourcing their backyard garden to think again. While it may take time to tend to a garden and it will definitely result in some dirty clothes, I argue that this is exactly the type of connection to the earth that we so desperately need to rediscover. Not only for the sake of our own appreciation but also for the sake of the planet.