Growing A Kitchen Garden Leads To Food Security As Potential Produce Shortage Looms

As the holidays creep closer, we hear about Christmas tree, turkey, and toy shortages. But nothing raises more concern than recent word of a potential lack of fresh produce. North American produce organizations are calling for government help so that we don’t pay the price at the supermarket or the dinner table. Just another reason why growing our own food is a must these days!

What’s Happening?

Across Canada and the U.S., our fresh fruits and vegetable stocks are being threatened by various issues affecting the global supply chain, such as congestion at ports, labor shortages, delays, and expensive container shipping.

For example, this CTV News story heard from the general manager of Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, who says tons of product is sitting at ports right now; the ships the food is on have no room to dock.

While the report says the average time for goods to be on the water is 15 days, some products are out for 60 days or more!

In a joint statement, 21 industry signatories also expressed concern over panic buying and stockpiling from consumers.

They say without government intervention, we’ll all be feeling the pinch very soon, especially considering we’re relying more on imports now that the growing seasons in much of Canada and the U.S. have ended.

What To do?

Your weekly coupon flyer is an excellent place to start. Dalhousie University research program director coordinator Janet Music tells CTV News consumers will need to shop around for deals.

She also recommends hitting the freezer section for frozen fruits and veggies, which are just as nutritious but much cheaper than their fresh counterparts.

Consider buying items with the “enjoy tonight” stickers, which are often less expensive and help cut down on food waste, which ultimately drives prices up.

Home Gardening Made Easy

If you’ve always wanted to try a countertop garden or growing herbs on a windowsill, now’s the time to start. If opting for an automatic kitchen growing system, the initial output may be costly, but in the long run, you’ll save some money and enjoy the satisfaction of growing food at home.

Try growing food from kitchen scraps; that’s right, you can regrow green onions, leeks, garlic, herbs, ginger, and more! Just look for a stem-growing tip.

Reap the many benefits of growing nutritious and delicious sprouts at home! It’s super easy and only takes a few days.

Finally, support a local farmer or market. You’ll be investing in your local economy by purchasing the freshest veg possible – nothing that’s been sitting on a ship for 60 days!

A potential produce shortage is a scary thought, but taking food security into our own hands is easier and more doable than you might think.