Growing your own food is one of the most rewarding activities you can do. You may have been fortunate enough to remember your grandparents having a garden and being able to pick a ripe tomato or cool cucumber off a vine. Maybe you grew up in a rural area and were able to pick apples or cherries from a tree.

But if you grew up in a city like many people, you did not have this wonderful experience. Nothing tastes as juicy or delicious as a fresh picked fruit or veggie. With the rising cost of organic produce, growing your own food will cost less, taste better and you will know exactly what you are getting.

To be honest, I am not even sure that everything labeled organic theses days actually is. Call me a cautious consumer.

How about if we stopped being only “consumers” and became “producers?” How about getting more fresh air and sunshine and connecting with Mother Nature on a regular basis? What about teaching your children or grandchildren where food comes from and the miracle of how a tiny seed becomes a huge tree?

A yard full of grass and ornamental plants might look pretty but they serve no real purpose when it comes to feeding yourself or your family. In fact, grass takes up a lot of water and chemicals in order to look good and these weed killers and artificial fertilizers go into our ground water and end up causing more pollutions, cancers and are a danger to bees, birds and wildlife.

I started my backyard food forest almost 2 years ago and it’s been one of the most challenging ( in a good way) and amazing projects I have ever accomplished. It is a work in progress and nature is teaching me on a daily basis what I must do. For many years when I was a homeowner in downtown Orlando I kept a small garden filled with culinary herbs, some medicinal plants and seasonal veggies. I had an avocado, grapefruit and orange tree too. Then when I sold my house and lived in high-rise apartments in South Florida for 10 years I rented plots in the local community gardens because I missed growing some of my own food.

The pandemic has been an eye opener and we can now see that we have no control over what is on the shelves and what the prices are. For me, the idea that I am at the mercy of other people to feed myself is not a comforting feeling.

So for me, the #1 reason to start my backyard food forest is to feel empowered. My mission is to teach others how to do the same. The mission of Pineapple Peace Garden, Inc 501 (c3) is simple and powerful; to utilize our homes and land to grow our own food using the concepts of Permaculture and share the bounty with our friends, family, neighbors and community.

True health comes from being connected to Mother Nature and each other…With love & peace…Katie