Introduction

“Having a successful vegetable garden takes time, effort and commitment. The feeling of accomplishment you get when you watch the seeds sprout and then turn into fabulous-tasting food is one of the great pleasures in life. Start out small, grow what you love to eat, have fun, relax, and enjoy healthy food on your table.” – Catherine Abbot, author of Grow Your Own Vegetables

“If there is no gardener there is no garden.” – Stephen Covey

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Books and new experts about food gardening abound. And that is how it should be. There is organic gardening, chemical gardening, intensive gardening, square foot gardening, no-dig gardening, biodynamics and permaculture to mention just a few. Each of them has its pros and cons; good features and bad features; and we might add their disciples and opponents. The latter sometimes fiercely so.

It all goes to show that everybody gardens in a different and unique way.

Yet underlying this diversity is a consistency of natural laws and key success principles that apply to every food garden and every food gardener.

As the word “GO” in the Go Food Gardening System indicates, it is first and foremost a pragmatic hands-on approach. So remember to get out a pen and dot down your AHA’s (Eureka! Moments) as you work through the lessons in this course.

Food Gardens Defined

“In a healthy town every family can grow vegetables for itself. The time is past to think of this as a hobby for enthusiasts; it is a fundamental part of human life.” – Christopher Alexander

Our definition of a food garden is simply any space devoted to growing edible crops with the intention of consuming them. It can be a single jar of sprouts on a kitchen sink, a few potted herbs on a windowsill, a tray of baby greens, a single lemon tree in a decorative pot, a small herb garden or veggie patch, or an extensive herb/vegetable/fruit garden.

Upon completion of Module 1 you will be able to:

• Apply the ‘secret underground’ treatment protocol to any ailing plant
• Apply the 186-year-old Law of the Limiting Factor with a modern twist
• List the key features and benefits of the Go Food Gardening System
• Assess your own food gardening skills
• Define your primary role as a food gardener
• Explain the problems with conventional agriculture and why we need to grow-our-own
• Appreciate the benefits of an eclectic approach to food gardening
• Discover that building your own system on a proven template is not rocket science

Please note: There are no advanced lessons in this module.