Happy Earth Day!

The great thing about backyard gardening for the health benefits is the often unintentional result of eco-activism. At our house gardening was born from a desire to be sure that the food I serve my children is free from harmful chemicals and hormones but that very inward focused reasoning quickly produced a sense of overwhelming pride and responsibility. We began to see gardening as a means to wean ourselves from depending on large agribusinesses that cared more about their profits than the health of their consumers. With every tomato and head of lettuce we grow we are reducing our carbon footprints and becoming stewards of the awesome gift that God gave to us.

As the economy dips to new lows we are seeing more people turn back to victory gardening to make ends meet financially. I find it so ironic and a bit amusing that such an "earth shattering" event would produce a movement that actually focuses on healing the soils that feed us. So this year I am choosing to spend Earth Day reflecting on the hopefulness that is sometimes hard to find in the current economic state.