Ron Finley’s saying, “Growing your own food is like printing your own money,” is related to what you can achieve if you will plant your own food through food gardening, Provincial Health Physician Dr. Noel Lumen disclosed.
During the Nutrition Month Culmination activity in July, Lumen said that planting your own foodstuff will give you an additional income through savings from not buying food, selling your extra produce, value-adding produce and a return of investment.
“Food gardening should start at home,” Lumen said. It can provide many benefits – it can promote bio-diversity and provide cleaner air; reduce depression, anxiety and stress; increase the satisfaction and quality of life; and most importantly, reduce hunger and malnutrition.
He said that food gardening is promoted for this year’s Nutrition Month celebration which carries the theme, “Ugaliing Magtanim, Sapat na Nutrisyon Aanihin,” to improve nutrition by increasing access to food through food gardening, to encourage the development of food gardens among families and to mobilize various stakeholders to provide a fostering environment for sustainable food gardens.
“Use magic in your gardening,” Lumen urged the participants composed of Provincial Nutrition Committee members, DepEd and Department of Health Nurses, saying that a magic square meter garden can be done where “die hard” type of plants can be planted or use a small but intensively plants and have “Faith,” which means Food Always in the Home gardening.
Other topics presented by Lumen and the Provincial Nutrition Officer were Go for BIG, meaning Bio-intensive Gardening technology; SNAP, the Simple Nutrient Addition Program, vertical gardening,container gardening, among the few.
Before he ended his discussion, Lumen gave the participants a take home message, saying “I will start my home garden, I will have enough food and not be hungry, I will maintain proper nutrition. And so, I will live healthier and longer, make some money too and save the environment. But most of all, I will be satisfied and happy.”
Source: Local Physician in Maasin City Philippines Encourages Growing Own Food
