Farmers, despite having laborious jobs, have a longer lifespan than most people. In fact, the average 50-year old farmer is sometimes stronger and healthier than the average person. They don’t take magic pills or workout. All of them have this great advantage — they grow their own food.

If you grow your own food, for instance a vegetable garden, you will save a heap of money. It may not be perceptibly obvious at first, but later on you’ll see buying in the market is more expensive.

Did you know that studies have found that gardening is actually one of the best forms of exercise? It is not just limited to helping you stay fit, gardening also has stress relieving effects. It seemingly reduces anxiety and depression.

Health and lower costs are not the only main reasons for growing your own food. Albeit, they are the most common. If you are still not convinced, here are 4 more reasons why having food in your backyard is better than buying from markets.

Convenience

As the famous line of every farmer goes – what is ripe is for dinner! You probably felt the hassle, stress and discomfort of taking the road just to grab ingredients for your recipes — especially now with the irregular fluctuating price of oil in the world market, which relatively affects you filling up your tank at the gas station. Not only are you spending additional money on your trips, but you are also buying food which is not often in good condition. Because foods in the market are shipped and transported from far places, the goods tend to be not as fresh anymore.

Taking Full Control

By growing your own food in your garden, you have the sole decision whether to go organic or artificial. It is up to if you want your food to be GMO free or grown from heirloom varieties. Nobody will have a say about your decisions. You can eat fresh fruits, vegetables and get herbs whenever you want. It’s the kind of freedom and choice most people sadly don’t have.

Set an Example for Your Family

Let your kid/s know how you do the gardening. Teach them how to do it so that when they reach the age of maturity, they also will try to replicate what their mothers and fathers did. On the other angle, it also paves the way for quality bonding time between parent and child.

Sell It

Although you were the one that did all the dirty work in planting your garden, that doesn’t necessary constitute that it can only be for you. If you have grown a reasonable amount of fruit bearing plants and vegetables in the neighborhood, why not sell it? This is utterly great, especially when the local market is quite far. Why would people buy afar when they can purchase it from you? It is technically a win-win situation on your part and to your neighbors. Saving some extra cash while earning extra cash.