With the rise of grocery prices and overall cost of living across the U.S., the interest in becoming more independent and living off the grid is noticeable across social media.
One Redditor posted in r/OffGrid about their experience with their new backyard greenhouse.
"Set up one of these 10' x 20' greenhouses and honestly pretty impressed. Had some leftover ponderosa pine and threw that in a wood chipper for the base floor. The plastic material doesn't seem to be the best insulated. So for retaining heat in the cold (without sunshine) it's not the best but contrary it will really work well during the hot summer months," wrote the original poster, who lives in Northern Arizona.
They noted that they are growing beefsteak tomato, a mixed pepper plant, green onion stalks, red sunflowers, eggplants, a zucchini squash plant, and strawberry plants, among other fresh produce.
Gardening not only benefits your mental and physical health, but growing your own food can also save you a lot on your weekly grocery bill. Growing your own vegetables also encourages you to have a diet higher in fiber, a nutrient 95% of Americans are lacking in their diets, according to a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
While the OP did not share whether or not they were living off the grid entirely, there are many benefits to that lifestyle if you are lucky enough to own land. By growing your own food, you can avoid grocery shopping for your produce and won't be affected by fluctuating grocery prices.
Many people who live off the grid purchase solar panels so they can save thousands of dollars on their energy bills as well as decrease the carbon footprint of their household. Living detached from the energy grid allows you to fare better during extreme weather events, too.
The only downside to solar panels is that there can be a large upfront cost. Luckily, there are resources like EnergySage that provide a free service that allows you to compare quotes from vetted installers local to you that can save you up to $10,000 on your installation.
As for the OP's off-the-grid greenhouse project, they received quite a few supportive responses.
"Looks like you have a good path forward. Good variety of mixable plants," one user shared.
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How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Several hours a week 🧑🌾 "That is looking awesome," another user commented.
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