this post was submitted on 13 May 2024
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Science Memes

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It is very therapeutic to garden, though. (lemmy.today)
submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 48 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Why would home gardeners optimize for yield and cost effectiveness? They can't deploy automation or economies of scale.

You garden at home because you enjoy the flavor, freshness, and variety. Those are the perks. Miss me with those mealy, flavorless grocery store tomatoes.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

I came to the realization earlier today that there are an alarming number of people who theorize that they can just live off homegrown and composting. They think they can challenge big agriculture by "going off the grid" and that society would be better without subsidized industrial farming.

That's why they would optimize for yield and cost effectiveness. They think they can compete.

EDIT: Also I've tried making tomatoes in colder climates before and they almost always succumb to disease. Huge success with zuccini and onions, though.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 months ago (2 children)

man, you're going to be really alarmed when you hear about community gardens and greenhouses...

the idea for most people isn't to completely replace all farming, but to reduce it, grow food instead of a lawn, have some fresh delicious non-gmo shit...
have something to fall back on when the nuclear apocalypse happens...

industrial farming will never be as nutritious, delicious, or satisfying as home-grown...

p.s. working with soil has natural antidepressant properties...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Ok, I'm just curious, do you have a source for that soil antidepressants statement? Not being argumentative, legit want to read the source.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

This Pretty outdated (from 2007) and I position it in more pop sci than hard science. But from my own perspective, gardening makes me chill out for sure.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/66840#1

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

From a comment thread lower down:

permaculture.com.au/why-gardening-makes-you-happy-and-cures-depression/

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

Absolutely you can compete my dude. Just not if you're doing it commercially. If you have the space you can grow everything you need and save a ton of money.

The problem is everyone can't do that. It doesn't scale. To feed 8 billion you need the big ag machine. But you, yourself, if you want to focus your time and effort on digging in the soil instead of being a corporate cog, can absolutely support your needs for very cheap.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

How northern are we talking? Our tomatoes didn't so well last year in Northern Ohio, but the summer before i was absolutely drowning in cherry tomatoes!

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

47th Lat, so a fair bit further but the high winds of my region could contribute to hanging crops declines.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It's certainly something besides latitude. Western Canada grows hella tomatoes and that's 49 lat at the bare minimum

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago

British Columbia for sure has some very diverse hardiness zones.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

My parents are around 44 deg lat and their tomatoes do very well. It seems like something else must be limiting your success.