There is nothing like eating fruits, vegetables, or herbs that you have planted and watched grow.

Amanda Bruemmer is active in an organization that teaches the power of growing your own food.

My suggestion is that everyone grow something. Whether it is a vegetable garden or a pot of herbs, do it. There is nothing like eating fruits, vegetables, or herbs that you have planted and watched grow. It’s a very humbling experience, because you realize how much effort and care go into growing food. Success isn’t guaranteed, and for me, that is why it is so exciting when I do succeed in growing.

Eating in season and not eating food that has been trucked in from miles away is better for everyone. I’d like to see the community come together and be conscientious about our food system. We started Alameda Backyard Growers five years ago to answer these questions:

1. Do you want to get to know your neighbors?

2. Where does our food come from?

3. Do you want to give to a good cause?

These questions got people thinking about their environment, what they put into their bodies, and how they can help others. As a nonprofit grassroots organization, we “grow community, one veggie at a time.” That means we grow our own food and donate extra fruit and vegetables to the Alameda Food Bank. We are also an educational organization that holds free workshops and meetings on topics pertinent to growers. We meet monthly at Rhythmix Cultural Works.

To get on our mailing list and learn more about Alameda Backyard Growers, go to www.AlamedaBackyardGrowers.org