Many of the millions of people who turned to gardening to save money during the recession appear to be sticking with it during the recovery as food prices remain high and interest in safe, fresh and local food grows nationwide.
經濟衰退時轉而自己種菜的千百萬人口中，隨著經濟復甦、食品價格仍居高不下，全國各地對安全新鮮的在地食物興趣日增之際，很多人仍然不改初衷，堅持自種菜蔬。
Forty-three million American households planned to grow at least some of their own food in 2009, a 19 percent increase from the estimated 36 million who did the year before, said the National Gardening Association, citing the most recent figures available. Spending on food gardening — including growing vegetables, fruit trees, berries and herbs — jumped 20 percent in one year to $3 billion in 2009 and stayed at that level last year, said Bruce Butterfield, research director for the nonprofit association. “It's a perfect storm for food gardening,” Butterfield said, noting the downturn coincided with growing interest nationwide in eating locally produced food.
全美園藝協會援引最新的統計數字指稱，2009年有4300萬戶美國家庭計畫至少自己種部分食物，估計比前一年的3600萬戶增加了19％。這個非營利協會研究主任巴特菲德說，糧食自種的花費，包括種植蔬菜、果樹、漿果和藥草，2009年1年的開銷也躍升20％達30億美元，去年仍維持同一水平，「這是糧食自種的完美風暴。」他並說：經濟衰退與全美對吃在地食物興趣日增，兩者相輔相成。
While the recession started in December 2007, he said the economy really “tanked” at the end of 2008, fueling the gardening boom the following year. And, Butterfield said he expects the trend to continue with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's switch from a food pyramid representing its nutritional guidelines to a plate encouraging people to eat more fruits and vegetables, and people spending more time at home, either because they're unemployed or avoiding expensive vacations.
他表示，經濟衰退始於2007年12月，到2008年底才真正「重挫」，這也助長下一年的園藝熱。此外，巴特菲德預期這種趨勢將隨美國農業部為鼓勵民眾多吃蔬果，把代表營養指南的食物金字塔改為圓形餐盤而持續下去，何況人們可能因失業或避免昂貴的假期開銷而花更多時間在家。
“A lot of folks, I think they kind of look at the evening news or read the paper or read something online, saying ‘Jesus, this world is out of control and I can't have any influence on what happens out there but, by God, I can control what happens in my backyard,’” he said.
他說：「對很多人來講，我想他們在看了晚間新聞或看報或上網瀏覽後，可能會說：『天哪，這個世界已經失控，而我不能左右外面世界發生的事，老天，但我總可以控制我家後院發生的事。』」
Seed supplier W. Atlee Burpee & Co. said its sales of vegetables seeds and starter plants have jumped substantially in the past several years, with 30 percent growth in 2009, 15 percent to 20 percent growth last year and another bump in March. The company based in Warminster, Penn., speculated recent rises in gas and produce prices have prompted more people to try to save money by growing their own food.
種子供應商波皮公司指出，過去幾年來，他們銷售的蔬菜種子和植物幼苗大幅躍升，2009年成長了30％，去年又成長了15％-20％，3月仍持續躍升。這家位於賓州沃明斯特的公司推測，近期天然氣和生產價格上漲，促使更多人為了省錢試著自己栽種食物。
Ann Janda, 43, of Hinesburg, Vt., estimated gardening saves her and her husband $75 a month on groceries about eight months out of the year. They rarely buy any vegetables from June to August, relying on their 16-by-50-foot garden to feed them. And they freeze and can vegetables to use in the winter — everything from pickles to tomato sauce, frozen peas, pesto and kale.
佛蒙特州海恩斯堡43歲的安．簡達估計，1年中大概有8個月自己種菜，每個月幫她們夫婦省下75美元雜貨開支。6至8月他們很少買菜，全靠他們16呎寬、50呎長的菜園供應。他們也自行將蔬菜冷凍和入罐，以便冬天食用，從醃黃瓜到番茄醬、冷凍豌豆、青醬和甘藍菜無所不包。（見圖／美聯社）
Janda, who planted her first garden when she moved out of the city four years ago, said it's easy to “overspend” on supplies and equipment, but she and her husband try to do it as cheaply as possible. They use dead elm saplings from nearby woods as stakes, start most of their plants from seeds in reusable pots and trade seedlings with other gardeners. Their tools are a spade, shovel and hoe, and their landlord tills the garden for them in exchange for vegetables later on.
簡達是4年前遷離都市時開始試種第一個菜園，她說，用品和器材上很容易「超支」，但她們夫婦盡量能省則省。他們撿附近樹林枯死的榆樹苗做圍籬，一開始，他們把種子種在可重複使用的盆裡，並和其他菜園交換菜苗。他們的工具包括鐵鍬、鏟子和鋤頭，連房東也幫他們種菜，以換取後來收成的青菜。
“We are very economical gardeners and you can do that. You don't have to buy all kinds of expensive equipment to have a nice garden,” said Janda, who learned a lot about gardening on the Internet and just completed a 13-week intensive master gardening course through the University of Vermont extension service. This year, the couple's main expense was $180 in compost. But, Janda said savings isn't the only reason she and her husband garden. “It's just so fun harvesting your own food,” she said, adding that one reason they haven't bought a home yet is that they want one with suitable garden space with full sun. “It's a real issue because it's a big part of my life now. I couldn't live without it.”
簡達說：「我們是非常經濟實惠的園丁，這點你也可以做到。你不必買各種昂貴的器材設備就可以有個漂亮的菜圃。」她很多種菜方法都是上網學來的，同時透過佛蒙特大學推廣教學服務上完13周密集課程。今年，夫妻倆主要支出是180美元的堆肥。不過，簡達說省錢並非她們夫婦種菜的唯一原因。她說：「能收成自己種的糧食實在太好玩了。」她並補充說，他們至今尚未買房子，原因之一是他們想找個有合適種菜、陽光又充足的地方。她說：「這是真正關鍵所在，因為它現在在我生命中占很大的一部分，我生活中少不了它。」
And for some people, gardening has provided a new career path. Chef Courtney Contos, 37, of Essex Junction, Vt., said it was natural for her to start growing her own vegetables and herbs three years ago because she was always searching for the best-tasting ingredients. But having seen the savings and with the economy still struggling, she now hopes to teach others how to grow, preserve and cook their own vegetables. “It's just so simple,” she said, “and I can't believe more people don't do it now, because they complain about the prices and it's like, ‘Come on, I've had like 70 salads out of my garden already that would have cost me quite a bit of money.’”
而對一些人來說，農藝提供了新的就業之路。佛蒙特州埃塞克斯強克遜37歲的廚師考特妮．康托斯說，3年前她自然而然開始自己種起蔬菜和藥草來，因為她一直在找味道最好的食材。但眼看自己存款不多，經濟又無起色，她現在希望能教別人如何種植、醃製和烹調蔬菜。她說：「其實真的很簡單，我不敢相信現在還有這麼多人不願自己動手種菜，因為他們不斷抱怨花費很高之類的問題，我只能說：『拜託哦！我已經從菜園裡種了70道沙拉了，如果我是從外面買的話，那可得花更多錢。』」