The Surprising Truth About Home Grown Produce (is the carbon footprint higher than for farmed?)

Discover the unexpected reality behind home grown produce in this eye-opening video. Contrary to popular belief, the carbon footprint of home grown fruits and vegetables may not always be as eco-friendly as assumed--and there's a reason for that, and it has to do with MARKETING. Join us as we delve into the factors contributing to this surprising revelation, including the hidden impacts of excessive marketing and consumerism in gardening practices. From the allure of raised beds to the convenience of bagged soils and a plethora of amendments, we uncover how these seemingly innocent choices can significantly inflate the environmental footprint of home gardening. Learn how to make informed decisions to minimize your carbon footprint while still enjoying the benefits of home grown produce. Don't miss this exploration of sustainability in the garden!

[@SweetPeasSunshine]

I agree with everything you have said in this video. We moved into a rental house a year ago with a back yard that was a wasteland of poor sandy soil, thorns, building rubble and a weed seed bank that had been building up for years. This season (currently it's summer here) I grew vegetables and flowers with a non-existent budget. No compost. No mulch. No amendments. No irrigation system. I cleared bed space. I planted seeds. I watered them. I have harvested a bunch of cut flowers every day for the past month. I am harvesting at least 500 grams of tomatoes per day, sometimes more. I am harvesting potatoes and corn. There are zucchini, loofah, spring onions, cucumbers, carrots and beets growing...and beans, lots and lots of beans. The soil is terrible. The hot weather is extreme. I am not diligent with watering regularly. Despite all this, nature still gives back a wonderful harvest. You don't need to spend a fortune. Start with what you have. Just put some seeds in the ground. As a bonus, what was once a wasteland is now a haven for bees, butterflies, ladybirds and an assortment of other very happy critters.

[@melissacoty91]

"Gardening should not be taking more from the earth than it gives back" preach!!!! and being human in general should be the same way. I love this video so much. Thank you!!!

[@marylamphere2112]

This study has cost me so much respect from channels I follow because they didn't read past the headlines, so thank you for actually reading the study. That's a follow from me!

[@Blossomandbranch]

I appreciate that!

[@Starrynite11]

I’m happy I’m poor. I always find a very inexpensive way to garden, I save as many seeds as I can, I reuse everything, and I grow everything in the ground.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Necessity is the mother of invention ❤😊

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

We are not poor. We are just people of little money. 😁

[@TheDaijo]

Financially challenged is the PC term. 😂 I too hit the proverbial wall 🧱 a while ago when I had to get on a waiting list for compost at $65 a yard!!! It's just a big pile of rotted garbage! 😮 Yep, I realized that I was watering the garden with money! 🤑 I was using way too much plastic to grow! 💳 Credit cards that is... They have been growing food forever, how the heck did those old timers pull it off? 🤷‍♂️ Compost bins went up and I took to trolling Craigslist for a multitude of free stuff. Big box Construction stores usually have cull lumber at 70% off and 50% off broken bags in the garden center. Gravel, soil, even some plants! Honestly, I was flabbergasted at first at the sheer amount of stuff, which I had so foolishing been spending ridiculously large sums of money for, was suddendly free!😊 I scavenge, adapt, and convert as required! I have a garden full of "garbage" that is the envy of many! 😂

[@brendad.3353]

Only poor by the measure of money. In my book, common sense and critical thinking skills make you quite wealthy!

[@ElderandOakFarm]

​@@brendad.3353 yes!

[@delightfulgardensbydebbie]

How is your channel not bigger!! The information that you so willingly share is so valuable! Thank you

[@Blossomandbranch]

I appreciate that! Thank you! Probably inconsistency on my part is to blame 🤪

[@NicaVeri]

Agree!

[@Dreaming_of_Water_Lilies]

I agree, so glad I found this channel recently! Every video feels so genuine

[@NicaVeri]

@@Blossomandbranch maybe you need to publish a book ;-)

[@Blossomandbranch]

Coming this winter! ❤🎉

[@miraearles3372]

I remember as a kid using plastic milk cartons as humidity domes and old bedsheets to cover the tomatoes in the garden on chilly nights. It wasn't pretty but we used stuff we had and really enjoyed our garden without spending much money on it. 🌱

[@dravonwalker2352]

I saw a farmer wearing a shirt that said “give more than you get”. Thank you taking a good look at the article with a critical eye. Much appreciated!

[@SeattleStevie]

I am definitely guilty of buying in and have since realized that I have spent so much unnecessary money! We built our first beds out of inexpensive cedar pickets. Those beds are starting to rot so I'm turning them into in-ground beds now. I have some other purchased raised beds that I do really like and I will hopefully be able to use them for many years. But I've started repurposing a lot more this past year and I love the creativity that it brings out. One of my favorite things to do is make trellises out of sunflower stalks!

[@lwjenson]

Thank you so much for a reasonable video and not being suseptable to all the fear mongering. I do really like raised beds, but I agree with the infastruce costs. (I read the study too, and I feel a lot of content creators feel like they have to reject science just because they reject the headline) I have purchased some high quality long lasting materials for growing seedling etc, but I will be using them for the rest of my life. Thanks again soooo much for making a video that actually adresses the actual study not the headlines.

[@susanrodman]

This makes complete sense. I have watched a lot on social media about this study, and you are the first I’ve heard that talked about what the study really meant. Thank you for the different perspective.

[@waykeeperfarmandnerdery]

Thank you for sharing such a reasonable take on the consumerism that has taken over the gardening world. ❤

[@Blossomandbranch]

Thanks for watching!

[@sadie5631]

Thank you! I read the study and was deeply disappointed when one of my favorite channels went on a screed about gardening being demonized. They lost my respect. We use raised beds because of mobility issues -- but plan to use them for many years. One problem the study pointed out was the short lifespan of urban ag gardens -- a real problem in anything consumer-driven.

[@jamesl1332]

I think this channel provides great insights into lower tech solutions for gardening. I would have never known that soil blocks existed! I've been growing for health for over a decade now, but almost as much for aesthetics since COVID. I think what's hard to quantify from this study is the joy that people get from gardening as a hobby, or the health benefits they get from working in the garden, rather than driving to the grocery store. Everything, EVERYTHING, we do contributes to our carbon footprint, but if we are only measuring food production but the utility of the means, we may be overlooking other more nebulous benefits. I would hate to discourage anyone new from even starting because they think there aren't any benefits to gardening besides calories consumed. There is nature and pollinators, beauty and community, education and learning, experimentation and study, not to mention health and wellness. If it takes someone buying a garden kit to get hooked on gardening, and learns to love it, I'm not sure that is a quantifiably "bad" thing. We simply need voices like yours to show them other solutions too. Starting my second season with my tomato plant auger has me VERY excited. Did i *need* it? No, but i love it! And it will keep me in the yard. Now to go pull more weeds.

[@user-cr6pn4mj4t]

I never comment on videos but you just bring out my social side. I love your vibe and what you have to say. I built my little mountain garden here in Italy all by scraps and things I found around the place...it's not perfect but I love it. Keep doing what you do, you're fab🎉

[@ziptiefighter]

Here's a reuse nugget for you. Six standard mushroom cartons from the grocery store fit in in a standard 10x20 tray. I was gonna get some Neversink seed starting trays. No doubt they'd work well. But the shipping cost was nearly as much as the products. I'll keep reusing my hodge podge of cartons :) And thanks for the defending rant 👊

[@linhmoberly4493]

I completely agree with you. Love ur rant…very useful and good info. Lots of channels are pushing for consumerism.. in the beginning of my gardening journey, I bought things that I didn’t need. …it was wasteful. Thanks to ur videos that I learned a lots.

[@ledychestnut400]

Oh Bri! Another amazing informational video! Keep up the great work and I cannot wait for you book!!! I wish I could post pics on this platforms because I am soooo proud of the gardening areas in my backyard…most proud of my grandmother’s memorial garden. It’s lined with old bricks we had laying around. We bought a beautiful lavender crape myrtle for her to come plant… we kept telling her “grandma you have to get better so you can come plant your tree.” And she always said she was working on it. Well needless to say, she didn’t make it to Myrtle Beach last year as she passed away. So after her funeral, I came home and made her memorial garden…all in ONE day. I had fresh mulch from a tree that had to come down and my husband added all the bricks around the perimeter. It’s filled with lavender, purple and pink flowers. And it’s so calming. She is truly the reason why I love gardening and finding new purpose for …anything! Recently, I built a wattle fence out of myrtle branches. It’s simple and it’s perfect. My vegetable garden is not fancy- just lined with scrap treated wood. This year will be the best year yet…for all gardeners alike…I just know it! Happy gardening everyone!

[@susannahdi]

Good info, yes home gardening is big business and marketing can definitely influence people. I’m following a version of the JADAM method and building my soil health. Our soil is very rocky and clay, so I need raised beds but I buy cubic yards at a time from a local vendor called Tanks who composts from local landscapers.

[@user-by2hb4hh1g]

You are so amazing! I am so glad I found your channel between all these other consumer-driven, advertisement-filled accounts on here. Your approach really resonates with me. So thank you very much for all you do, especially your focus on native plants and biodiversity!

[@Kriistall7]

Ive used the same things for 4 years now ive lived in my first house. My Compost pile regenerates every winter 🎉 its so easy

[@jennabantjes3077]

Yes! I could not agree with you more. Having learned on here the "right" way to garden six years ago, I have been slowly undoing almost everything I bought for the garden. Last year was spent removing all of the landscape fabric and gravel I had put down on the walkways and replacing with arborist chips for better overall soil health. This year I'll be deconstructing some of my raised beds and reusing some of the corrugated metal as building materials for a DIY scrap greenhouse. Growing in the ground gives way more flexibility in terms of garden planning and crop rotation for my small garden. Interestingly enough, the video that popped up on my feed after this was "How to start your first garden", featuring imported raised beds. You 100% nailed it.

[@dustyflats3832]

Right On! Took the words right out of my mouth! My parents and g-parents would reel at what people are spending!! Thank You!! All you need is soil, seed and maybe a tool or two to garden. The rest is all fluff.

[@1ducttapeproduction]

I'm so glad i found your channel. Im going to get into gardening in my new apartment, but I have been hesitant to start because of the upfront cost and amount of plastics involved. Knowing it's possible to not use plastic and absolutely do it on a budget makes me feel good

[@brendad.3353]

Excellent commentary! I also live in CO with clay soil - and raised beds are totally overused. I do use two beds for some root crops, but after 10 years of gardening in this spot, they are mostly decorative because the soil has improved to the point that root veggies grow nicely outside the beds. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and keeping it real!

[@eklectiktoni]

I really appreciate your take on this Bri. Gardening doesn't need a million and one fancy (expensive) items to get going. Growing in the ground is what nature does and how humans have done it for thousands of years. At 11:00 you mentioned the study talked about municipal waste as inputs. I agree that we shouldn't be using biosolids/sludge, but waste from urban food producers (like restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores) seems like a great source. I know some people who already get food waste (like spent coffee grounds) to use in their compost.

[@sofiahopefloats]

Thanks so much for using your platform to raise awareness. It’s important to be conscious of what could be the unintentional impacts of the ways we decide to garden. Please also cover (again) the impacts of overuse and misuse of chemicals especially pesticides and fertilizers- including to human health, soil health, and biodiversity so we all continue to enjoy gardening with accountability. Home gardeners unite for good! ❤

[@thisoneT]

All good points. I bought a lot of stuff already but I'll check myself on my consumerism and use what I have. Thanks for spreading the message!

[@uteberg4781]

I'm completely of your opinion!! What I can't understand is, that it's still allowed to use landscape fabric on organc farms. With all the micro plastic, phthalate plasticizers and increasing waste-mountains (also in the sea) one would think, that it's completely clear and reasonable, that governments react and forbid that stuff. Since years I'm just mulching with old straw, wood chips and manure and it works great. Since last year I'm also a commercial flower farmer, working with the same methods as before and it works as good as before, even on the bigger scale. And we don't have any machinery, just a lawn mower :) So: thank you so much for talking about that theme!! The very best for the upcoming growing season!!! 🤗🌻🌸🐝

[@Blossomandbranch]

It’s absurd that it’s considered organic standard. Absolutely absurd when you think about the microplastic load.

[@thebuddinghomemaker]

Gah, thanks for this!! Ive put a lot of thought into how i can be "closed loop system" this year. We get free wood chips from.a local guy and he brings us as much as we need. They go into the chicken yard where they spend at least 6 months being turned over from the chickens and then they go to top the vegetable garden, which is my foundation landscape bed. No raised beds, no compost being brought in, no fertilizer. Im taking this approach building all my beds by removing the crabgrass by hamd, working and planting in my native sandy North Carolina soil, and topping with free wood chips. I do have a lot of seeds that Ive bought and brought in but weve avoided buying any materials for raised beds and Im really proud! Thanks for what you bring to the gardening community.

[@LauraBoire-dw6ot]

We have watched many videos that were informative but none are as insightful as this. In most other videos there is always an undertone or "buy this" from their site or store. What they don't explain is the upfront cost of say the metal coated raised beds verses using either recycled materials or even untreated lumber and how they impact the overall carbon footprint. After all isn't it our goal to grow healthy food or flowers without negatively impacting the environment the overall objective. Your sound knowledgeable gardening advice is worth so much more than what others are offering. Thank you and please keep up the great work.

[@gardentherapySOS]

Thanks for keeping it real! You aren't afraid to voice what we all need to hear. Thanks for doing the research and sharing your thoughts. I'm still trying to find a good alternative to metal for large 3' raised beds. The older I get, the harder it is to bend over.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Mobility is one big advantage for these beds. I have seen elevated cedar ones too, which also take less to fill. ❤️

[@ArtByKarenEHaley]

Near my home is a place where we can pick up free offcuts from the local lumber mill. Many people just burn it. Its cut in lengths that are great for raised beds or trellises so i plan to bring some home.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Great idea!

[@gardenobsessed]

Yes! Finally someone who read the actual study! I don’t know how people can put an opinion out there on something they haven’t actually read, and go even further with fear mongering and propaganda. Critical thinking should be taught in schools and simple skills like reading source materials for yourself. Thank you for saying what NEEDED to be said!

[@georgianamcglinchey573]

I’m so glad you did this video. Excellent wake up call. I’m someone who was anxious to “do things right “ and got sucked in to a lot of purchases! Makes me upset to have drunk the kool aid!

[@Blossomandbranch]

It is hard when it’s how almost everyone gardens on the bigger channels-just make them last as long as possible :)

[@litaclayton946]

I am so glad I found this channel. Was about to go broke just to “improve” my infrastructure. Totally want food production to be done right and nutritious as possible. I was focusing to much on the aesthetics of the area and losing desire based on my inability to purchase what I thought was needed I have been encouraged to just use what I have 😊 Definitely going to use the alfalfa

[@rootedinjoy8821]

As a psychometrician I so very much appreciate your deep consideration of the data behind the claims this article made. One can make data look like whatever agenda they want, and industry could be negatively impacted by us growing our own food…..yes let’s be careful. Also, I am guilty of not managing my compost well….I’m aware and trying to do better. Just owning it

[@courtneycullen6289]

I was so hoping you would address this. I thought it was a reasonable journal article. And lots of reasons why urban gardening would have a larger carbon footprint. And "the stuff" is a huge part of it. And so many adjustments that would rapidly decrease the difference should you want to do it. Many of which are just principles of scale. Thank you!

[@Blossomandbranch]

It definitely was reasonable, I questioned some things but just think overall there was merit to it! Thank you :)

[@couragefish]

Thank You!! This is exactly how I feel about gardening today!

[@Whinkys]

I love your channel. I am new to gardening and want to do it as sustainably as possible. Thank you for helping me and others.

[@JuneSutton-kt3zz]

Great discussion. I think u & Brian on next level gardening are bring the thoughtful & reasoned perspective on this article & advocating for the home gardener who just loves to be out the creating & growing for their pleasure & the welfare of their family. Thank you.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Thank you for this, my first reaction was also outrage but then I read the study and was able to recognize what they were saying… it’s not far off from what we’ve been saying for years about buying in all this stuff to garden!

[@janicesgarden5748]

Any form of raised bed, or "mounded " bed. Is only going to dry out faster. Simply growing in flat soil is the best for water retention and conservation.

[@alwaysbekindlove]

My mother grew so much with so little. And I really appreciate the minimalist Gardner.

[@upliftlife11]

Agreed, gardening shouldn't have to be something you "buy into". Nothing fancy is needed, but much like our homes, making our gardens look nice can be enjoyable. That still doesn't mean we need expensive things. You provide good suggestions on options such as treating lumber to last longer. If there's a will, there's a way to garden. I like how one of the commentors reminisced using milk jugs as containers.

[@caitlinmorris18]

I'm so happy I watched this. I bought two steel raised garden beds and because of this video I am returning them and using my native soil. I even have beautiful, dark native soil here in Minnesota! Why did I think a raised bed would be better, just better drainage? I am so excited to start my first garden this year and see what I can do with the dirt I already have.

[@annettekovar1308]

Thank you for reading the study and having a nuanced conversation about it. I see this so often with psychology research, as I study in this area and read many papers. A research paper come out, and then you see a bunch of headlines that oversimplify what the findings of the research. Then people only read that headline, and usually most of the point is lost.

[@user-jb4zi8es8r]

My mom grew up in Sri Lanka and my dad on a small island in BC. Creating waste was always problematic in terms of how to dispose of the things you buy. It’s just too easy to buy stuff now - and it magically disappears when we don’t want it anymore. This year I fall planted a bunch of stuff and I was shook by how much STUFF that took. Even though I am in 9a. Next year I will start in Feb like in the past.

[@LetsLiveUpstream]

I was close to ordering some metal raised beds but we are going back to the drawing board and going to attempt some low beds using wood and logs from around our property. I’m looking forward to your upcoming video on garden bed building!

[@davidknoxusanet]

I read that study too and wrote to the author he sent me a copy of the full article and it includes some very good ideas of how to make your garden with less of a carbon footprint. The actual article is not anti Garden like the popular media headlines about it. But he does point out that the typical Suburban Garden infrastructure creates more of a carbon footprint than the more permanent structures on a full-time farm. The classic example would be your brand new old growth Cedar board raised beds. I thought the article is very thoughtful and it stimulated me to think a lot about what I do and to use recycled material in my garden infrastructure

[@Blossomandbranch]

Totally.agree with you!!! Folks are so quick to jump on headlines.

[@wildberrygarden]

Such a great video. A lot of plants I have in my garden were giving to me by my MIL who gives me cuttings and seedlings from self seeder plants (forget me nots, aquilegia, sedum to name a few) Yes, I do buy plants like roses and hydrangeas, but the self seeders provide me with many new plants every year for free. I also love to get hold of free resources like manure which people often give away on Fb marketplace. Yes, social media and plant/garden retailers make us think we need all of these this stuff to grow things and we really don't. Every gardener should compost and have water butts where possible imo.

[@cutegixie]

This is the debate between me and my in laws. They are so supportive of my gardening on their property but we are working through the growing pains of a more circular garden system. They are much more custom to the removal of undesirables (compost) and throwing any type of pretty plant into the ground even if it's not native. Then in the spring we spend so much money on amendments and plastics.

[@nadineweiler7747]

Amen! So true at 77 I’ve been gardener since a little girl at my Mother’s side. No fancy anything and Mother canned what we ate all winter....including fruits! Thank you for sharing your insight!❤❤🎉❤

[@nikkiferraz7902]

Thank you for being balanced on the subject. It's so refreshing 😊 Reduce Reuse Recycle

[@Blossomandbranch]

Exactly. We all play a part.

[@jenniferrescott1149]

I always reuse and recycle. Im not worried about my garden beds being pintrest perfect looking..working on a fully closed system for my compost and mulch.

[@kellyhosler2678]

Gardening has gone bougie. (Hope I spelled that right lol) I just want good soil, healthy plants and happy pollinators.

[@eklectiktoni]

This!

[@TaraMunikar]

I’ve been wondering about this, thanks for your measured response! I think it makes a lot of sense that the consumerism around gardening is causing a good amount of the carbon footprint. I’m definitely trying to buy less stuff this year since I’ll admit that I’ve gotten sucked into the marketing of it all. I don’t have a lot of in ground space but want to try and use what I have and opt for reusing and repurposing instead where I can!

[@grisespino5342]

I need to be more conscious of my consumption. A good reminder.🌱 🌎

[@littlebearblackthroatedwind]

Holmes on homes tv show was criticized by contractors for being overly done product wise. Many contractors said what Mike Holmes did could be done with less product. This show is still on tv. The Rehab Addict showed how to reuse and refurbish what was already present. She was cancelled for not being “commercially viable”. Reduce, reuse, repurpose.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Gosh this sounds familiar … 😂

[@earthzeroapothecary]

You make excellent points!! In full disclosure, I did order some fiberglass trays because I see the value in NOT using plastic and appreciate the longevity of the trays for my soil blocks. Hahahaha!! I appreciate you. ❤❤❤

[@Blossomandbranch]

Something that is going to last forever is still better than plastic! You can continually reuse which will offset the footprint ❤️

[@earthzeroapothecary]

@@Blossomandbranch You are absolutely right, which is why I didn't mind paying more for something I'll never have to buy again.

[@danakenoyer106]

A mindful consumer is a wiser consumer. I will continue to garden in a way that provides affordable food , a beautiful landscape and healthy soil, be it in a raised bed or the ground. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@CherrieMcKenzie]

Thank you for this video!! I have raised beds but built them myself from fence pickets and filled them with leaves and twigs from my backyard. On my channel I post how I garden sustainably in a small space and still get a great harvest. I totally agree that to an extent gardening has become an arms race rather than simply a back to nature pursuit.

[@myrrhidian3166]

It can be so easy to make an in-ground bed. The easiest method for me has been to take an area of lawn, cut and flip the turf so the roots are sticking up and transplant into it (use a hori to cut a hole in the turf and stick your plant in). Just mulch heavily with dry grass to keep the perennial weeds from re-growing, and water as you would any garden bed. I've successfully grown medicinal herbs, snapdragons, winter squash, gourds, nasturtiums, nigella, rudbeckia, larkspur, delphiniums, and tomatoes with this method. It's very minimal disturbance really, and it gives the worms a lot to feed on as the turf rots down. The next year, you're left with a layer of soft loam to plant into.

[@ArtByKarenEHaley]

I tried this method, but the grass I have is aggressive crab grass that sends out runner roots into the soil. It really didn't work for me until I covered the flipped sod with cardboard and a lot of leaves. I probably didn't have to flip the sod at all at that point, because I got the same results as when I just did the cardboard and leaves.

[@myrrhidian3166]

@@ArtByKarenEHaley Crab grass can be such a pain! I also have some that comes back in my beds. Even when I've done raised beds with cardboard mulch, I've struggled with it coming back after the cardboard breaks down. I just try to remove it when I see it, or throw on more hay or leaves.

[@suepowlesland8541]

Totally agree with you. Sometimes I think I would like to post a side by side photo comparison of what you can purchase vs the free or diy version. For example.. moisture meter for $15 vs poke finger in ground😅

[@Blossomandbranch]

😂I bet the finger also works better!!

[@lauradevries6864]

Thank you for clarifying this! I had only heard headlines of the study and couldn’t understand it.

[@Blossomandbranch]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chandramclaughlin]

When we built our raised beds we used the bricks from our old garage, after we took it down to build a new one. I love that it matches our house!

[@johnsheppard4428]

When i first saw that video it reminded me of how my father in law said they bought a full grown tomato plant for 30$ and only got 3 tomatoes before it was eaten by bugs. He said they were the worst tasting 10$ tomatoes. I was like yeah your deck is 3 meters above the ground, there's no bees and predatory wasps this high with a literally solid wooden fence around it, you didn't fertilize it, water it regularly, repot it in a bigger pot. Its way out of its element. But that's the general impression of gardening. I save seeds, reuse most container like objects, and i rarely spend money. A tomato plant costs need 50 cents for the initial seed starting vermiculite and coir, most other seeds are free started in compost.

[@mykindpharm]

Great rant! Much needed and well presented!!

[@lindacgrace2973]

So true! I live in the arid mountains of Arizona, zone 7, but dry as dust. We only get 15" of rain per year. So, I built reservoir raised beds (build a waterproof reservoir, fill it with coarse aggregate and water, top with a permeable membrane, put soil on top; the plants draw up the water they need from the reservoir with far less evaporative losses than even individual drip emitters under heavy mulch). I used broken down free pallets for the frames, $40 in used billboard vinyls for the waterproof lining, used free carpet for the permeable membrane, free chip drop for the bottom 6" of 'soil' and spent mushroom farm compost for the rest. I save my bones from making bone broths, dried them out in the oven on low overnight, whizzed them up in the blender, and made my own bone meal. I used my local seed library, 8 packets of Dollar Tree seeds (a whopping $2.50) saved the seeds I needed from them, and bartered and swapped for the rest of my seeds. I saved seeds from the peppers I ate and planted or swapped those. I use a home-made bucket worm composting system (free 5-gallon food grade buckets available from the deli department of my local supermarket) and collect neighbour's leaves for making leaf mold. I bought hula-hoops at the Dollar tree and used them as the hoops for bed covers (we have many voracious deer in my neck of the woods) and covered those frames with used heavy-duty nylon 1/2" netting rescued from a construction site dumpster. I make JADAM-style fertilisers and use my own lawn clippings for mulch. All of my tools and the watering hose came from estate sales, yard sales, church rummage sales and the like. My trowel looks suspiciously like a 10-cent heavy commercial steel kitchen spoon acquired at a rummage sale. I have converted two pallets to vertical wall gardens and have many containers growing herbs, food, and flowers around the place. I stacked abandoned free milk crates to create a 'green tower' for herbs. I have six elaborate raised beds with critter protection, hanging baskets, potted plants, a vertical plant wall, and abundant harvests for the whopping set-up cost for all the infrastructure of less than $100. Honestly, I see no sense in spending tons of money to increase your carbon footprint and hasten the destruction of the planet! To paraphrase the Beatles: "All you need is imagination!"

[@Blossomandbranch]

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for sharing your creativity!!

[@lindacgrace2973]

@@Blossomandbranch You're welcome! ☺️

[@butternutsquash6984]

Thank you for saying it. Consumerist gardening is not sustainable gardening.

[@takingtally]

You are right and while I agree for most, I do have metal beds & I bought them in last year when my husband and I moved. My husband and I are starting to get older and finding it uncomfortable to be crawling around on the ground. We have every intention on keeping these beds and using them for the next 20 years - if we are blessed by the Lord to be able to do so. We will be growing cucumbers and tomatoes in the dirt this year. And saving the raised beds for our lettuces and bushed produce. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have still bought them. if it means that I can’t garden at all because I can’t get down in the ground or can garden and raised beds and do something that I love I guess I’ll do that.

[@Fabdanc]

Growing things in the ground beneath your feet, what a novel concept 😂

[@ourmontanahomestead8880]

Thank you for always sharing scientist studies and great practical ideas! I love your channel! ❤ zone 4 Montana

[@windsonghillranch4306]

There is a farm channel about regenerative farming called "roots so deep" or carbon farming. Very interesting stuff. 2% of the USA are farmers. 80% of us have lawns. Lets remember to reduce the impact of our lawns or replace them with native plants or food forests. Also, Let's not forget that everything grown at home has saved the fuel to get it to the store and then to your kitchen...

[@melindah5952]

Thank you! I’m glad I’ve found you. Common sense ♥️

[@JoyoftheGardenandHome]

We're also growing plants not native to us, so those require specialized systems to flourish. Plus we like fast and easy💚

[@DianaLopez-ih4hv]

Lady! I really like what you preach❤

[@Dawn308]

I am so glad I found your channel! I live in Utah so our climates are similar and I love your gardening way with as much as organic as possible, I learn more and more every year, I have grown all my vegatables the last two years, which is nice we plant in the dirt, just wondering what your advice is on staw bale gardening if they are organic straw bales? Thank you for sharing so much info, I am starting my first flower garden this year because of you :)

[@Blossomandbranch]

If you can find organic bales go for it!! Can be a bit tricky to keep watered in dry zones so have a good irrigation plan ready to go! 👍

[@ashleybeewx]

Love your take on it and completely agree! We are gardening for the first time in a new space this year. I am worried about potential old chemicals or "bad stuff" being in the spot where we want to grow since it seemed to be a dumping ground for a lot of things back in the 60s 70s. Any tips on how to make sure our ground soil is safe to garden in? Love your channel! Thank you!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Get a soils test that includes contaminants like heavy metals and lead! Contaminated soils are absolutely a concern you’ll want to consider.

[@mrsbsanders07]

I’m so happy I found your channel ❤

[@mx.olivia]

Well said, really glad to have found your channel!

[@Blossomandbranch]

Welcome aboard!

[@dustysqueaky]

This is I always thought. People are becoming less resourceful on what they have and what they can use. I thought about buying those metal beds but when I saw the price, it’s a no. Plus they are too deep. I like my garden to be more natural and eco friendly. Thank you for this video. I just can’t believe a lot of people forgot how to be resourceful and creative

[@LisadeKramer]

Thank you for doing a deep dive into the study. No-till gardening sounds like a good idea.

[@NicaVeri]

Nicely put into perspective.

[@mhubertcfi]

*raises fist at Instagram - thanks for ruining gardening, influencers!!! I live on a road called Rocky Top. There is an actual rock pit across the street and i have clay. Despite this, using mulch and no-till works beautifully. I love the idea of using recycled wood if you are using raised bads.Thanks for reading the study and breaking it down with common sense ❤

[@katrinadearborn3149]

From usda: “USDA estimates that across the United States, farmers who use no-till farming save 588 million gallons of diesel fuel annually-enough energy to power over 720,000 homes for a year. They also prevent at least 5.8 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions, the equivalent of taking more than 1 million cars off the road.”

[@Blossomandbranch]

No till is absolutely helpful in reducing carbon output, both through fossil fuel use and also release of stored carbon in soil! They didn’t include it within the study parameters as far as I saw, but many small farms till as well as large farms.

[@meowyimeow]

I would also think a lot of home gardeners are not as efficient as commercial farms. Raised beds require more water and installing an irrigation system is expensive. I also want to mention I have one of those metal troughs I use to grow herbs. I hate it! In our hot dry summers it would need constant watering. I’ve basically given up using it during the hotter months. If I could more it to a shady spot I would! Anyway, thanks for your take on this study.

[@Mina-12128]

Use an olla for irrigation.

[@AnnaKincaid]

I took my neighbor's old fence and used it to build my raised garden. I was hugely pregnant with our 4th baby at the time too 😆

[@lynndifer4163]

I’ve always enjoyed reusing old scrap to garden. Bamboo from a neighbor for poles, etc. still, I’m guilty of some fertilizer and product use. I’ll try to cut back. After all, I’m mostly gardening for the joy of it.

[@karenr7931]

Sunday evenings are when everyone pulls their trash bins to the curb. My husband knows what I mean when I say, "I'm going shopping"!! It's crazy what people throw out.

[@EvelynM-vlogs]

My challenge to me for my tiny urban flower farm is to grow in a closed loop format with the exception of gathering seaweed from the beach. This means zero purchased soil, fertilizers or off site compost. That said even seaweed is off limits in the summer when the boat population in our ocean skyrockets with fishing, and pleasure boats, and even Alaska bound cruise ships. Then the tideline is covered in brown foam and you know what that means for the seaweed - blech. I won't let my dogs swim in the ocean in the summer either.

[@Blossomandbranch]

This is exactly how we operate with the exception of buying in seeds (though we save as much as possible, too). It’s actually very doable!

[@EvelynM-vlogs]

@@Blossomandbranch Oh, I buy in seeds too, I wasn't counting the seeds in the closed loop. I guess that's an oversight on my part.

[@tracyguillemette6255]

I reuse food containers as seedling starting trays, when I can't avoid buying plastic. We save seeds even from salads that may be eaten at a restaurant! I cut up cups or yogurt containers for tags or save tin can lids to use as labels. I recycle soil adding compost I make (not anaerobic) in my compost pile that has aeration from a reused pipe with holes punched in. We have gotten rid of a lot of lawn to grow food or create pollinator native plant gardens/meadows to sequester carbon. We barely have to go to the store for food other than a few staples.

[@jocelyncallahan8937]

Preach it! garden sister!! ❤

[@NOTNlCE]

We have exclusively raised beds on our property, but every single one is built out of dumpster dove wood. It's gotten to the point where neighbors just bring me scrap wood and leave it in my pile so I can build more.

[@bertharios7413]

😂😂😂 is my Chanel and I can say whatever I want ! You’re funny😅. I love your ideas. 100% agree with you !

[@cheriromain9097]

Good info!

[@ashleylohr8817]

Hiyya! brand new to channel, can you post the link to the medium soli block that you use. Just found channel and have already watched many videos! Thank you for all the work you and your family does behind the scenes.

[@jennifersmith1442]

I am interested in learning about regenerative practices and appreciate all the information you share! I have lived at my current location for just a little over 5 years. I have maintained what was already in the landscape but I am interested in vegetable gardening for may reasons but I do not know anyone else in my life who gardens to glean information from and there is so much conflicting information out there! It is very overwhelming. Unfortunately, I have a very nasty weed called snake grass (aka scouring rush or horsetail). It is very prolific and all the research I have done says I need to use very harsh chemicals which will more than likely kill off everything. If I use a lesser chemical, I would not want to ever grow anything I would consume. I do not want to use any chemicals! I called my local extension office and they told me to move!! I am so frustrated. I have decided to use cardboard and weed barrier to keep it from growing in my designated vegetable garden but after watching this video I am second guessing this choice. I do not have any other viable options. Have you heard of this weed, and if so, any advice?

[@alwaysbekindlove]

I don’t grow anything in fancy containers with the exception of one that I bought at Costco. And not much seems to be growing there. But in the ground wow things are growing. All I have to do is dig out my grass. I agree we don’t need to get all fancy and aesthetic gardening to grow food.

[@dimmykumont]

Ah...things are starting to add up about why I can't find the fiberglass trays for soil blocking from last year on a certain popular gardening website 💡

[@Blossomandbranch]

Feel free to email me! 😄

[@karinakruth3245]

I hadn’t noticed they pulled their soil blocking stuff off the site. What an absolute (over-commercialized) bummer. 😭

[@laurenpalmer5966]

Yes! That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. I even wrote to them asking where they were in the hopes that understood how ridiculous this was!

[@Blossomandbranch]

@@laurenpalmer5966you can find them much cheaper on Amazon or webstaurant.com!

[@melodylamour6123]

A little over a month ago I'd agreed to having landscape fabric in my new small 10ft x 8ft garden space. It's Florida sand. So I threw amendments like my homemade compost, my home grown worm castings, leaves, blood and bone meal at it. I threw some 10 gallon pots full of container soil into the area, made sure huge tree/bush roots were chopped out. Anyway, point is, after hearing your knowledge, I removed all that landscape fabric and allllll the metal pins to hold it down. The thought of more micro plastics made removing it all an easy decision. I reuse a lot of plastic though and have so many normal plants in plastic pots, fabric pots, reuse yogurt, milk, detergent containers and yes plastic seed trays, blah, blah. I will work on reducing plastic. Besides bigger bags of blood and bone meal, can you suggest an alternative?

[@TateBugs]

Just started the video but.. YOUR OUTFIT IS ADORABLE!!!!! Do you have any links???

[@tamararobinson2069]

Such - drama - You’re correct 100% Bre - but really in the big huge scheme of all the factory made things out there & the balance of homegrown food for health etc. - as always common sense and responsibility - but they obviously wanted to cause issues because of the title of the article🙄 - it would of been better if everyone would of just ignored them. They got the attention and rise out of everyone they wanted…

[@amandad9346]

I really love your channel and have been many times had ah-ha moments about what should have been intuitive but I didn’t think of it until I heard it here. Something I have also been thinking about a lot is seed miles and the carbon footprint of those. I recently learned one of my favorite seed companies and one used often on this channel produces 0% of its seeds and is unable to share any information about where the seeds they sell are coming from. Have you considered using more local seed producers? Do you have any thoughts or insights you could share?

[@Blossomandbranch]

Unfortunately this is very common these days. Most of the major seed sellers source from many of the same producers. In the fall we showed some of the seeds we save, I’m saving more every year to try to increase my self sufficiency!