Beautify Your Lawn, End Hunger, and Save the Planet

There are several ways that you can improve your home just as there are several ways that you can help to save the planet. Why not do both at the same time. Having a couple trees planted in your yard can not only increase the value of your home, but they can also provide food and relaxation for you and your family. There are several different varieties of trees and shrubs that you can use in for your home. The benefits of a fruit bearing plant can not only be delightful and aromatic, but it can impact the entire planet. This is also a very good idea for anyone that enjoys some of the more rare and exotic fruits, nuts, and berries. It may be a little costly to purchase some of these trees, but think of the savings that you will get in the long run. If you are planning on putting a tree in your yard anyways, they are no more expensive than most other plants.

So, how can this help to save the world and feed the planet? The answer to this really lies in mass amounts of people submitting to this idea and what they do with the fruit. For the average family, you will not eat all the fruit from a healthy fruit tree. If you have several of these trees, you will have a lot of food left. One idea is to give this extra fruit to your friends and family. Another idea is to let people "glean" from your trees. Allowing people to glean does not mean that you have to invite strangers into your yard or home. One way that you can do this is to plant the trees near the property line. You can then put out a sign for free fruit. You can also stipulate that it is free to pick from the fence outward. A lot of the people that will be picking your fruit are your neighbors. They would not want you to climb in their yard, so they will often extend you the same courtesy. This helps to spread the food even further beyond your family.

Now we can begin to see the effects of this idea. Now that you and your neighbors have these fruits, they do not have to buy as many from the local store. The local stores will still stock the same amount though. When it comes time to discount or ditch the older foods, many stores will donate these to local food banks. They get the tax right off to ease their losses and the poor and homeless get to eat. Now that everyone is eating from your trees, the amount of food that is approaching its expiration date increases. This puts more food to the food bank or other help organizations. Now the stores will not order as much as the previous season, but the farms will still produce the same or more. The excess from the farms goes to larger groups that feed many people here and in other countries. Even if just one or two people replace all of their trees and shrubs with food bearing ones, the impact is enormous. With just five or more people in an area, the results begin to get global.

Food bearing plants also increase your property value. How many times have you seen people brag about mature fruit trees on the property? This can increase the amounts that people are willing to pay or sway them to your home if you are trying to sell. You can also reap the health benefits. Fruits and vegetables are a very important part of a healthy lifestyle, but many of the ones found in the store are already losing their nutrients. By getting your food straight from the tree, you can optimize the nutritional benefits of these foods. Most of us are also aware of the better taste and quality of fresh and natural foods. Imagine a fresh persimmons dish gracing your table for the price off a few pennies. There are several other exotic and tasty dishes that can be gained from growing these normally high priced foods in your own yard.

These are not all of the benefits of planting fruit trees. There are several others. Adding oxygen to the planet, breaking down the CO2 in the atmosphere, bringing neighbors closer by exchanging foods, increasing income through the sale of the foods, ending world hunger, and reducing your food bill are just a few of the advantages of planting fruits, nuts, and berries in your yard. Many of these trees can grow rather large and strong as well, adding possible tree forts to your children's future. The benefits are endless, so get out there and get planting.