Editor's note
The following abstract describes a publication that is available as a downloadable PDF.
See the companion publication N1049, Dig In To Good Health handout.
This poster addresses the importance and benefits of gardening and growing foods for health and well being.
Topics
- Gardening
- Exercise
- Budgeting
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- SNAP
Pages
- One 36 x 24 inches poster
See poster content below.
Dig in to Good Health
Gardening can boost nutrition as well as physical and mental health.
Benefits of gardening
- Increased exercise
- More fruits and vegetables
- Boosts mood and reduces stress and anxiety
- Saves money on groceries
- May help improve sleep
- Kids like to eat vegetables they’ve helped grow.
Garden-fresh savings
- SNAP benefits can be used to purchase fruit and vegetable seeds and plants.
- Grow foods that have a long storage life, such as carrots, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes and winter squash.
- Preserve your harvest by canning, freezing or drying.
- Invite family, friends or neighbors to pitch in and share in the costs, work and the harvest.
No room for a garden? Try container gardening.
- Lettuce and spinach can be grown in coffee cans or milk jugs.
- Tomatoes, peppers and green beans can be grown in 5-gallon buckets.
- Herbs can be grown in small containers near a sunny window.
- Use good quality potting soil.
- Make sure containers have holes for water to drain so roots don’t rot.
- Water frequently so plants don’t dry out.
Did you know?
Spending time outdoors in green spaces has been shown to reduce heart rate and muscle tension?
Check out the website
Seasonal and Simple for recipes using locally grown fruits and vegetables!
Learn more
Contact your local MU Extension office for more information on gardens, what to grow, food storage and food preservation.
Funded in part by USDA SNAP.
For more information, call MU Extension’s Show Me Nutrition line at 1-888-515-0016.
Need help stretching your food dollars? Contact your local resource center or go online.