CHESTERFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) – It’s no secret that home gardening has boomed following the onset of the pandemic.
Nurseries and garden stores across the country and here in the greater Detroit area saw supply shortages as seeds and equipment flew off the shelves.
In a report published earlier this year, researchers at the University of California Davis found that during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, people gardened for a variety of reasons, including more free time and a desire to connect with nature.
The survey, conducted in the summer of 2020, also found that 81 percent of respondents had concerns about food access, particularly exposure to the virus when shopping for food and choice and quantity in-store.
Now, more than two years into the pandemic, inflation is higher than many people have experienced in a lifetime. One of the areas where we feel this most? Meal.
According to the USDA’s Food Price Outlook, grocery store purchases increased by 10.8% in April compared to April 2021. This includes all grocery shopping at grocery stores, not just produce.
James Homiak grew up in the garden with his family. He recently planted a new small lot at his home in Chesterfield Township.
Homiak was not initially driven to gardening because of the financial savings, but because of the difference in quality and taste of the produce.
“It’s not the same. Having real produce and having that real tomato is a huge taste difference,” he said, surveying rows of heirlooms, roma and beefsteaks.
When it comes to his grocery bill, “I mean, everything in the stores these days is expensive,” Homiak told Action News.
“A tomato plant costs about two dollars. So that’s a huge saving over the long run,” he said.
Homiak estimates he spent between $60 and $80 up front to get his latest garden up and running.
Back in 2009, the National Gardening Association published a report showing that an initial investment of $70 in a home garden can yield an average return of $600.
Of course, how much money you actually save on a home garden depends on several variables; like the type of plants you are growing, the soil you are using, the equipment you already have and the size of the plot of land you are gardening.
Dave Roberts is the Community Garden Manager for Midtown Detroit, Inc. He, too, said interest in gardening increased early in the pandemic for a variety of reasons ranging from more free time to reducing anxiety and building communities were enough.
Access to fresh food, he said, is also a key driver.
“We’ve always had a lot of people and a waiting list, but in 2020 it’s really exploded,” he said, speaking of Midtown’s North Cass Community Garden.
The 98 plots are managed by around 150 people. The current waiting list there is two years.
“We’re getting a lot of new gardeners. People who are just trying it for the first time in their lives,” Roberts said.
He said a number of people use the garden to supplement their diet.
Roberts grows a variety of vegetables to eat and share.
“It feeds me and my friends, and sometimes I give away produce to people I don’t even know,” he said, inspecting freshly harvested heads of lettuce.
Channel 7’s community garden isn’t new this year, but lots behind the station are also busy, including with first-time gardeners.
Homiak is also in the process of irrigating his water in his garden with a rain barrel, which will save on his energy bills.
And canned goods, something he grew up with as a kid at his grandmother’s, will soon be making a comeback in his home. He found three gallon pots to start picking on Facebook Marketplace, but he’s still looking for more two-piece can ends, which remain in short supply due to a surge in demand that began in 2020.
“I’m hoping for something like a family activity, and other than that it’s cost savings and knowing what you’re eating again,” he said of his canning business.
Newell Brands is now the exclusive provider of home canned Ball products. Ball’s website states:
“We’ve increased production, safely implemented additional shifts at our manufacturing facilities, streamlined production to prioritize and maximize production of top-selling mason jars and lids, eliminated planned off-season production reductions, and expanded our packaging sites to replenish inventories quickly as possible. As a result of these efforts to maximize supply, mitigate consumer disruption and meet growing consumer demand, we can confirm that we are continually working to deliver to all customers in time for the canning season.”
Action News has reached out to both Newell and Ball for an update on their production and supply of can ends.
Click here to learn more about North Cass Community Garden.
Interested in trying gardening? Click here for tips to get you started.
