Canadians are now heavily considering growing food at home amid rising grocery prices.
While the feds recently announced that 12 million Canadians are set to receive a 25 per cent top-up to their Goods and Services Tax (GST) rebate, specifically to help manage grocery prices, many across the country are still struggling to make ends meet.
As a result, Homestars.com, a community platform for goods and services, launched a survey that found nearly half of respondents are tinkering with growing food at home as food costs increase nationwide.
According to data relayed by Blueprint Financial — a national financing service — the average monthly cost of groceries for a single adult living in Canada is roughly $333 monthly, for couples, nearly $700, and for families of four, over $1,400.
With this number only going up, the idea of a home garden is emerging more as a necessity than a pastime.
Data from Homestars stated that while the average annual household cost of groceries (for two people) is $8,000, hile a makeshift walk-in greenhouse runs the average Canadian only about $600, which would drastically reduce produce costs if implemented correctly.
“Producing some of your own food at home is possible, and can be achieved in just a few simple steps. A walk-in greenhouse, a raised bed, or a vertical garden are all great money-saving ways to grow food, and they’re easy to set up, too,” Homestars representative Colleen McGrory said in an official statement.
Suggestions outside the purview of a small-scale greenhouse project include a raised soil bed for root veggies, costing only $20 to make, as well as a vertical garden, for those with a smaller outdoor space.
For those in key areas across the GTA that don’t offer much in the way of a backyard, suggestions include using a balcony, which is perfect for growing veggies that thrive in the sun, like tomatoes. Those without a balcony can take advantage of their windows and opt to grow indoors as well, specifically by growing plants that grow well together, such as peas and cucumbers, or other plants that grow vertically.
While this may seem daunting for those who have only known the local grocery store, figures like McGrory indicated that taking it one step at a time is the best way to make a difference, stating, “Even if you don’t have a yard, it’s still possible to grow simple things like herbs or salad leaves indoors or on a balcony. It’s just about working with what you’ve got and starting small, rather than trying to do everything at once.”
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