The desire to raise and process my own food has been a change in attitude and interest for me.  As a young bride, I tried a garden and did not see the benefit (my time seemed so limited, and I thought gardening was hot and dirty work).

Ten years ago, I spent my 60^th birthday in the Peace Corps in a village in Senegal. I credit this totally different experience with changing my attitude toward gardening and physical work.  The villagers were farmers who raised most of their food and also sold crops to pay for extras. Their lives centered around the community and the seasons.

By custom, the elderly folks in Senegal (over age 55) could depend upon the younger family for daily needs, but they choose to continue contributing to the community — and make a little money — by raising or processing specialty crops (henna and mango). Since I was ready to retire, I found myself looking at how this different culture managed. I could not miss their good physiques and engaging attitudes!

When I returned to Kentucky, I wanted to incorporate the ideas I learned into my American life.  I had lost 40 pounds during those two years in the Peace Corps and wanted to keep the weight off. I believed that the diet and exercise regimen from the village was responsible (lots of millet, rice and peanuts, meat as a condiment, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and walking here and there all day).

Back in the United States, the local/organic food movement was hitting new highs, and so were the prices at farmers’ markets.  Well, I had gotten over the fear of “hot and dirty” over there. Now, I could grow some of my own food, get some exercise, as well as save a little money and eat healthier.

First came the tomato.  One can buy seedlings, and five plants will produce plenty to eat fresh, can, and share.  Of course, this takes some discipline, which I am still trying to fully accommodate. But this is all good. Plan your life around your garden, greet it in the morning, and tend to its needs!  A small garden (maybe 4’x6’) or a few containers in the yard was not overwhelming to a novice like me. The work is really “activity,” which I like more than “exercise,” and continual activity is healthy: outside, bending and walking, talking to neighbors.

I learned a neighbor has gardened her whole life.  This led to composting, which has led me to learn more from the USDA Extension Office, which has led to monthly meetings, which has led me to know actual farmers who come to a farmers’ market (just a two block walk from my house), which has led me to buying some of their produce, which has led me to a new project for 2013 (pickling).

I am hooked now.  I have just built a totally rudimentary cold frame from a storm window and boards from Habitat for Humanity ReStore … Swiss chard is growng!  Now, time to look though seed catalogs for spring.

Lettie Heer of Louisville, Ky., spoke about her Peace Corps experience at the 2012 Mid-America Institute on Aging, co-sponsored by University of Southern Indiana and SWIRCA & More. More information is at http://health.usi.edu/chaw/default.asp