People are always asking me, “Tash, is it cheaper to grow your own food?”
And my honest answer?
No — not always.

When we started growing our own food, it wasn’t because it was cheaper. It was because of a diagnosis that changed everything about how we saw food, health, and home. It started as a desperate need to feel in control of what went into our bodies — and it became the heartbeat of how we live today.

But here’s the truth: it took years of learning, failing, and trying again before we reached the point where growing food actually is cheaper for us. We paid our “school fees” through every mistake — the wrong soil, poor timing, bugs that ate everything overnight, and harvests that didn’t happen. It wasn’t instant. It wasn’t easy.

So, Why Do It Then?

If it’s not always cheaper, then why grow your own food?
Why raise chickens that tie you to home?
Why pull out your grass, fill in your pool, and choose to live a slower life — one where your weekends are filled with dirt under your nails instead of brunch plans?

Because cheaper was never the goal.

We’ve been called the weird neighbours more times than I can count — the ones with veggie beds instead of a lawn, a compost heap instead of a neat garden, and chickens that sometimes wake up the street. But we’ve also found a kind of peace that money can’t buy.

Slowing Down Changes Everything

In a world that’s obsessed with instant gratification, slowing down has become our quiet rebellion.

Living closer to home has taught us to notice the little miracles that happen every day — the bees working in the pumpkin flowers, the “girls” singing their egg song, the soft sound of wind through the fruit trees.

It’s not less work — it’s more. But it’s the kind of work that heals.

When you’re in the garden, anxiety fades. The mind that’s been racing finally slows down. There’s something deeply calming about your hands in the soil, the sun on your back, and the rhythm of nature reminding you that everything happens in its own time.

You breathe differently out there. You think differently. You feel differently.

More Than Just Food

Growing our own food has become about so much more than what’s on our plates. It’s about mental health, balance, and gratitude. Cooking from scratch, using ingredients we’ve grown ourselves, connects us back to something real — something grounding.

It’s taught our children to truly understand food — where it comes from, the effort it takes, and the gratitude it deserves. They might not always love eating their veggies or doing their daily garden chores (let’s be honest — feeding the chickens and weeding isn’t always their favourite), but they’ve learned the value of hard work and not to waste what they’ve helped nurture from seed to harvest.

And that lesson alone is priceless.

The Real Reward

Growing your own food won’t always save you money. But it will save you — from stress, from disconnection, from the chaos of always needing more.

It teaches patience, gratitude, and appreciation for the simple things God has created for us to enjoy. When you harvest your own tomato, preserve it, and enjoy it months later, it’s more than just food — it’s a reminder that slow living is still sacred, still possible, and still worth it.

Most evenings, we end our day in the garden — sometimes barefoot, sometimes just standing quietly watching the sun dip behind the trees. It’s in those moments, surrounded by the hum of life, that the world finally feels still.

In a world that’s always in a rush, finding that quiet is what it’s all about. It’s where we pause, breathe, and thank Jesus for another day — for the food growing around us, the laughter of our children, the chickens clucking at our feet, and the grace to try again tomorrow.

Because gratitude grows here too — right alongside the tomatoes, herbs, and pumpkins.
And that, more than anything else, is why we keep growing.