The $64 Tomato

i have just finished reading a book called The $64 Tomato by William Alexander ( It's on my bookshelf). It is about a man setting up a new vegetable garden and his year long adventure to grow his own organic food. When he calculates that it cost $64 to grow one tomato he questions the rewards of growing homegrown produce.

Of course his cost is so high because he employed a designer, a landscape contractor, bought all compost and soil in, bought his seedlings from a nursery and had to build deer proof fencing.

The Permaculture way, which is how I garden, recycles, reuses and creates a self supporting system which does not need outside inputs. This all makes for very cost effective garden. I bet my tomatoes only cost around 10 cents each, and that is 10 New Zealand cents!!!