Eating locally-produced food cuts carbon emissions caused by the transportation and up keep of food. There is the actual gas being used as well as keeping the food transported at a sustained temperature and eliminates packaging too. Local production helps your community and those surrounding you creating a better economy. It also cuts out large farming corporations whose workers are not paid fairly or treated well and use harsh chemicals on their farms.
  I have a food garden at home which was started this summer and substantially changed the way my family has eaten. We did not buy vegetables until this fall and our own were immensely better than the store bought version. There was also satisfaction in the way that we put work into growing and tending the garden and seeing the actual 'fruits' of our labor. We also saw the way in which we grew them with no fertilizer or pesticides, controlling our chemical intake and minimizing it. I think it was really impactful  because it showed me how relatively easy of an investment and upkeep a personal garden is and all the positive benefits of one!

i totally agree. knowing that you grew something and how it grew embues it with so much more meaning than a disembodied item shrinkwrapped in a store from who knows where

I agree, home grown is always better. Our pear tree just this year had its first crop. The squirrels nailed two of them and one did not make it. But the ones we did get to eat were worth it. Our little key lime is bursting again and the Z-lemon has right now 5 big ones still green and growing. That is they type of lemon that gets the size of a large orange. It will be another couple of weeks before they are ready. Just one will make a gallon of lemon-aid.

It is great growing and caring for your own food garden. Even more so when you can share it. Great going!

Our rosemary is ready to be cut down for the winter. Looks like I will be drying it soon.

Jazelle! That's so cool. Its a bummer about your pear tree loss, we totally get that with snails and our lettuce. I'm always so proud though when people compliment our food and we can say we grew it ourselves. I hope your lemons are doing well! It's a little to cold here for us in California to grow fruit, but maybe one day!

My family also grows food in our back yard. We also had issues with pests, as squirrels ate all of our kiwis right before they ripened and we were unable to eat any of them.
For me, I can tell the difference between eggs that my pet chickens lay and those that are standard in the grocery store. My homegrown eggs have a much more rich, orange color, and they have a rich flavor. I have become somewhat of an egg snob and will rarely eat store bought eggs anymore because they lack flavor.

Growing your own food can really make a difference, not only on your carbon footprint, but also in the flavor of your meals.

Kendall: We would like to have a few hens here but can't due to where we live. Hopefully that will change at some point. As it is we have to set things up for them anyway. There is a big wildlife preserve just down the road from us and the owls love to hang ten in our trees hunting squirrels along with the buzzards and a few hawks. So right now chickens are not in the picture even if we could have them, protecting them would be a issue.  Still we could visit his cousins who have small farms and get some eggs.

Lindsay: We figured the first pear crop would be for the wildlife mostly. It is still really young. We were mainly worried the fruit might break some of the branches. It is still very small. It was really a surprise that it had fruit this year at all. The lemons are still growing right now they are still green and the size of big oranges. The key limes are ready to be picked so it is mint julet time. Yea!

In my home, we grow fruit, vegetables and herbs in our backyard. We have put netting around the area to reduce the amount of pests getting at the food. Occasionally we will by food from a supermarket. When we do buy food from a chain supermarket that we have grown before, I can tell the difference in size, taste and the look. I can definitely say, that eating homegrown satisfies me more as a person and as an eater. I really enjoy eating homegrown, and knowing you put effort into growing what you are eating feels awesome.