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What actually matters in life? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question? We are so busy making ends meet, rushing to and from work and errands, and generally allowing all of the pressures of life to dictate our actions and dominate our thoughts that we might not be able to easily answer a question as basic as "what really matters?" So, what is the answer? It is going to vary from person to person because some people would say that their family matters the most or that their pets matter the most. Some would say that their health matters the most and others might believe that the amount of money in their bank account matters the most. These are all reasonable answers, but look at it this way - what matters at all if you don't have your health? For example, if you are ill because of poor nutrition there is little else that is going to matter. What is so interesting about that simple idea is that there are many who believe that our good health through good nutrition is something at great risk in the modern era. Whether it is due to: Genetic modification Toxic farming practices Codex Alimentarius implementation Staggering food costs (after all, the cost of food has risen by "double digit rates" in the past few years)

There are millions who understand that it is important to safeguard your health by taking on some of the responsibilities of personal food production.

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Of course, being aware of one's health by growing food is only one reason to consider a bit of self-sufficiency. There is also the idea of "going green" in order to help the struggling environment, and the tremendous financial savings that can come from inhouse food production. Most would also agree that if good nutrition is what really matters; if it is a fundamental issue connected directly to survival, that it is also important to consider this in terms of the breakdown of society. What does that mean? You would have to live in a very isolated place to remain unaware of the fact that our world is getting closer and closer to an actual "end of days" scenario than ever before. We are not only witnessing catastrophic financial problems,

overwhelming political crises, clashes between major religious groups, and epic environmental changes, but we are going through all of these things at a pace never witnessed in the past. If you don't believe this to be the case, just consider how many mainstream groups turned their attention to the Mayan calendar predictions for 2012. Clearly, the idea of true disaster is in the air, and a lot of people are rushing to purchase weapons or build bunkers in order to feel secure. You don't have to go to such extremes, however, because you can begin learning how to manage the things that matter the most right in your own home. You can learn how to grow food that is nutritious and which can sustain you through some of the worst of the problems we will face in the future.

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What it all boils down to is one thing - control. When you ask yourself about what matters most, it would be great if you could also say that you had control over these issues. Where food is concerned, however, most people "subcontract" control to food producers. We are only now learning about the chemicals used to make animals more productive, the chemicals used to make farming easier, and things like pink slime being added as filler to our meat. It is clearly time to take back control. Just consider technology fan and artist Britta Riley had to say at a 2011 TED conference: "There are days that I palpably feel how much I rely on other people for pretty much everything in my life, and some days that can be a little scary." Why do we quote Ms. Riley? It is because she acted on this fear and created a method by which she could produce a lot of her own food in her tiny Manhattan apartment. She called it Window Farming, and it is one of the latest ways of going green, saving a ton of money, and controlling the quality of the food you eat.

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Right now, as you read this report, there are literally thousands of people already growing an enormous amount of food in their window farms. This is because it is a very simple thing to do once you understand how it all works and because it is a marvelous way to become as self-sufficient as possible. With a window farm you can grow almost any sort of food, but you do have to understand the techniques and materials required. It helps to understand that it is described as "vertical agriculture" because it uses a totally different technique than what most are used to. Instead of rows of pots along a windowsill or outside on a ledge, the standard Window Farm is going to consist of rows

of hydroponic crops that hang from the ceiling and which often reach almost all of the way to the floor. We just used the word "hydroponic" and that often confuses people, but if you want to really control the quality of your food and keep the earth as healthy as possible, it is going to pay to have some working knowledge about hydroponics. Why? In any hydroponic operation, there is no soil, no pesticides and no chemicals. The only things used are the plants, the pots and growing medium, and the nutrients that are always going to be organic and very carefully regulated. In addition to being controlled, the "nutrient tea" that is "served" to the growing plants and crops is reused and recycled as it repeatedly drips its way through the entire row of plants.

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Before we continue any further in a discussion about Window Farms, let's stop for one second and consider their "greenness". For example, they: Keep fertilizers and pesticides out of the world They control the amount of water used to grow food They provide optimal conditions for plant growth They often use recyclable goods in their construction (including the dreaded water bottles) They can be powered by solar panels if you want to get them entirely off of the grid

This means that they help the environment in a substantial and measurable way, and even reduce the amount of fossil fuels an individual or household might consume. This means that your carbon footprint is quite small if you go green with window farms, but it also means you get optimal returns on the investment.

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If you have ever headed to a Farmer's Market or an upscale food store, you already understand that things like fresh greens, heirloom tomatoes, gourmet peppers, and many other foods can be extraordinarily expensive. The costs of certain foods fluctuate depending on the season and also on whether the farms have had "good years" or not. For example, if you try buying a local peach in the Northeastern part of the United States after any hailstorms in the spring you are in for a nasty surprise. Not only are the

best of the harvestable fruits sent to the premium buyers such as grocery stores and restaurants, but even the least attractive fruits are priced at well outside of most budgets. This is an unacceptable situation for most people, but it is also something outside of their control. When you grow a lot of your own foods, however, you never have to deal with inflated pricing on foods that you can pick fresh from your nearest window! This is one of the many benefits of self-sufficiency where food production is concerned, but you shouldn't really focus only on the bottom line. Certainly, the staggering costs of food will not change in the future, but it is the availability of good and wholesome foods that is of primary concern.

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Without "naming names, it is important for consumers to understand a few things about the fruits and vegetables they eat: 1. Most are grown for long-term storage and easy shipping. This is why you never see heirloom varieties available at affordable prices. Instead, you see tomatoes that taste like cardboard and apples that have been sitting in storage for months on end. 2. Most of the commercial produce you buy has been saturated with an array of chemicals meant to make farming more productive and processing easier. This means that you could be eating things that give you cancer, liver problems, hormonal problems and more. 3. If you eat "whole" or "raw" foods, you may be at risk for consuming toxins. If you cook some foods you may be at risk for condensing the toxins they have absorbed while growing. Clearly, it is a no win situation. 4. Some of the commercial plants that you eat are "genetically modified" and often called "Frankenfoods" because they mix such things as strawberries with the genes of deepwater fish. This is to help the strawberries survive cold frosts, but just think of what it means to the food supply? It has created an unnatural food that the body may not recognize on a cellular level. Why eat any of this stuff when you can just as easily start growing your own. You can buy heirloom or non-modified seeds that will produce some of the most beautiful plants and foods you have ever seen or tasted. You won't have to worry about "seasonal spikes" because your indoor setting has no real changing seasons in the first place. This takes us back to our look at Window Farms. You now understand that they allow you to lead one of the "greenest" lifestyles possible because it puts the control of the

food supply in your hands. You control how much water is used, the nutrient blends that are fed to the plants, the amount of energy consumed, and the amount of food available. You also get to know that you are saving a tremendous amount of money by growing things independently. Rather than the spinach that runs five to seven dollars for a half of a pound at the farmer's market, you can pay for a few packages of heirloom spinach and happily harvest nutritionally optimal salads every day of the week. You can grow herbs, berries, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, eggplant, peas, and any sort of leafy green. You can even try things like radishes, potatoes and okra as well! The diversity possible in a Window Farm also means that you can keep fresh flowers on your table on a year round basis!

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We have looked at the reasons to try Window Farming for yourself, and whether you believe that there is a greater societal crisis coming or just a worsening of the financial or environmental conditions, you can see that growing your own food is a very wise and optimal solution. What we have not covered is the technicalities behind Window Farming because they are somewhat substantial when you first get started. This is why we suggest you find a step-by-step guide to show you the materials, methods and best plants to use. The "Window Farming from A-Z" handbook is a wonderful introduction to the process of building your farm and getting started. It is heavily illustrated and provides in-depth diagrams that train you in the most reliable methods to use for your indoor agriculture. You can find the book at: www.windowfarmingebook.com and you can download it directly to your computer as a high quality PDF file. This will allow you to print out the manual when you need it to purchase and build the farms and it will help anyone to grow food all year and in almost any location. We hope you understand the significance of taking control of your food. Nutrition and good health are things that we can control, but you may find that you have to take back that control from the giant commercial agricultural entities that fill our supermarket shelves and produce sections. You won't miss the low quality foods that they provide and you certainly won't miss the high costs demanded for their substandard foods. Should there ever be a time when food is more difficult to obtain, you will be able to remain healthy and secure because you will already know how to grow many crops and feed yourself and your family in an optimal and nutritious way. Good luck and happy farming!

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