This year's method involves listing the crops in an excel spreadsheet, then estimating how many plants of each I would like to have and calculating the square feet needed for each crop based on the planting density. I also went out on a limb and tried to estimate the dollar value of the total harvest assuming I follow through with the plan and everything grows really well (ha).
To estimate the dollar values, I used my memory from the grocery store and the farmers market and checked it with the Atlantic Canadian Organic Retail Network Local Organic Price Tracker posted in November of 2012.
And the grand total, as of right now, is 141 square feet yielding $1300 of produce. Hmmm... It's impressive if you look at the total value, but pretty unimpressive if you think about it in terms of $/hour.
But there's a whole different way of estimating the value isn't there... time in the sun, the fresh air, the dirt. The opportunity for a three-year old mind to see a whole diversity of food growing day after day after day, and appearing on the plate at night. And the nutrition of harvesting and eating within hours. What's that worth?
I'm reminded of the bumper sticker I saw today: "The best things in life aren't things."
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