Recession, health concerns get Americans gardening
By Ed Stoddard
DALLAS (Reuters) - Alison Baum of San Antonio, Texas hopes to save money and eat better by getting her hands dirty.
She is joining the swelling ranks of Americans who have started backyard fruit and vegetable gardening, a trend rooted in a desire to cut costs as the recession bites, fears about the safety of commercial food supplies and popular views that organic food is better for you.
There is also a growing sense in these tough economic times that food security starts at home.
"This recession got me thinking that if things turned out like the Great Depression then it would be better to grow your own stuff and be in control. I've even ordered baby chicks," the medical intern told Reuters in a telephone interview.
"I've always thought it's important to eat organically but it's really expensive. So I thought it would be a good idea to start growing them myself and I am pleasantly surprised. It's easier to put food on your table than I realized," she said.
In her small yard she has put in some fruit trees, herbs and some vegetables such as bell peppers and parsnips.
How bad is the current recession? Here's one measure: the United States now has fewer jobs than it did nine years ago, even though the work force — the number of people either working or looking for work — has grown by 12.5 million people since then.
It's the first time since the Great Depression that a recession has wiped out all the jobs created during the previous business cycle, according to Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank.
That's a "testament to both the enormity of the current crisis and to the extreme weakness of jobs growth from 2000 to 2007," Shierholz said.
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