Spring is in the air

I am an obsessive YouTube DIYer. I agonize over every detail of every project I undertake as far as home improvement goes. I spend more time researching a project than actually executing it, when I finally build the confidence to break ground.

As such, I have spent literal years engineering the most effective garden structures for our climate and my application, further complicated by the fact that I set out to buy only second-hand containers.

The project is nearly complete. I cannot express my excitement about being able to plant summer veggies in my hard-earned containers, built from the ground up. I recall a familiar meme that goes something like adding up all the costs of building a garden bed, only to save $4 on a few tomatoes that you might get to ripen and eat.

I am hoping all of my research and design will bring me a bit more success, or at least a little higher return on my investment.

Historically, Americans have planted victory gardens or otherwise grown their own food out of necessity. The super grocery store, and certainly its abundance and proximity, is a relatively new construct of the late 20th century. Efficiency and availability have made us forget how past generations had to be self-sufficient, not for cost savings or limiting preservatives in their food, but for outright survival.

Today, kids don’t know where their food actually comes from. After my son’s successful elk hunt this past October, his first day back at school, he came home rather melancholy. I asked him what his friends thought of his elk hunting tale.

He shrugged and sadly recounted that he didn’t really think any of his friends knew what an elk was, let alone the sustenance my son had provided to his family in harvesting one of the large animals that roam plentifully in a region less than two hours from our homes. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for children in our community that apparently never visit our beautiful neighboring mountains.

I remember in high school, we sparked a conversation in one of my classes. The teacher had just gotten chickens. One student was perplexed that these were the same creatures whose delicious drum sticks they served at lunch that day.

He played off his ignorance fairly well. But that was trumped by the kid who didn’t know these were also the same creatures that produced the ever-popular, common food item: eggs. The gasp of her realization was audible throughout the classroom, while I sat there, dumbstruck, at the lack of life being lived by my peers.

My son is obsessed with exotic, Scoville-heavy peppers and can’t wait to plant some. Last year, in our smaller garden, I couldn’t trust my daughter to go pick cherry tomatoes for dinner alone, because she would eat more than she collected, straight off the vine. They collect eggs together in the afternoons.

These things used to be considered basic necessities. Ironically, in our fast-paced lives, they are now luxuries. But everyone can enjoy them if they choose. Living inside Las Cruces city limits still allows you to have up to six chickens (although no roosters), with a special permit. YouTube has a plethora of how-to videos on growing veggies in 5-gallon buckets. No matter how small your area, if you have a balcony, you can grow at least some of your own food.

And while you may not save more than $4 at the grocery store, the lessons you can give your children may just prepare them for a more sustainable, natural lifestyle. And in the hustle and bustle of today’s society, anything we can do to find simple joys, engage in the natural world, and learn generational lessons, is time well spent.

Shawna Pfeiffer is a life-long Dona Ana County Resident, graduate of NMSU, small business owner, hobby farmer, dog-lover, outdoor enthusiast and mother to two young children. She can be reached at srpfeiffer1@gmail.com.