Huw Richards - The Vegetable Growers Handbook

knowing why you garden

This book is about improving productivity and efficiency, and to get there, we need to start by asking a very basic question: why do you garden? Knowing your why is essential for a gardening journey that will motivate and excite you.

When there is too much to do in the garden, its easy to get derailed and lose sight of why you wanted to garden in the first place. I had a tough time a couple of years ago with so much going on that I almost forgot why Id even started my growing journey and why I love gardening. Then one day, while taking a break, I realized that to reignite my passion, I needed to create something that would focus my energy, keep me on track, and help me achieve my gardening objectives. I felt it was time to create a personal gardening mission statement.

Feeling a sense of pride every time you read your mission statement is the sign of a great one.

WHAT IS A MISSION STATEMENT?

A tool that is mostly associated with the business world, a mission statement is a summary of an organizations goals and values. To give you a better idea of what these entail, here are the mission statements of some well-known global brands:

• Google To organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful.
• Tesla To accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy.
• LinkedIn To connect the worlds professionals to make them more productive and successful.

KEY ELEMENTS

I dont see why you cant create and apply a mission statement to any aspect of life. Put simply, it encapsulates your purpose. When trying to come up with your own statement, its a good idea to keep it to one sentence and make it short and snappy. I think it should start with the word to because that immediately suggests something to work toward. Next comes your choice of verb because a mission statement is action-oriented, and a meaningful verb helps you visualize your goal. To give you an example, Id like to share my current gardening mission statement:

To escape from a busy world and relish every harvest.

My verb escape is simple to visualize and very personal to me. A couple of years ago, I rarely had time to switch off, so this year I wanted gardening to be my escapean opportunity to slow down and concentrate on being present in the garden. I added the second part and relish every harvest to remind myself to take the time to appreciate and celebrate every small success. Having a connecting phrase in your mission statement allows you to add another aspect that either backs up your verb or introduces an additional objective, like Googles aim to make information universally accessible and useful. I can almost taste the phrase and relish every harvest every time I recall my statement!

CREATE YOUR STATEMENT

Trying to summarize your own gardening goals and values in a single sentence might sound challenging, but why not make a start? Set aside 30 minutes or so, sit down with a pen and paper, and think about your own gardening mission statement. Use the examples on the previous page for guidance and remember to keep it short, snappy, and forward-looking.

Begin by thinking of a verb that speaks to you and then see where this takes you. There is no right or wrong when it comes to a mission statement as long as it captures your passion and values. You also need to make the mission statement as personal to your situation as possible to really own it.

If you have a hard time finishing your mission statement in one session, sleep on it, and revisit it the following day. For me, that almost always does the trick! Its also a good idea to try out a few different versions until you find the one that resonates with you the most. Once youve decided on your unique mission statement, write it out big and bold and put it in a prominent place where youll see it every day, such as on the bathroom mirror or above the potting bench.

THE FALL REVIEW

Your mission statement shouldnt be set in stone for the foreseeable future, and I recommend that you review it every fall. Your experience over the previous growing season may mean making adjustments or even deciding on a new statement for the following year. A fall review gives you plenty of time to plan next year in alignment with any new aspirations, so you are always reminded of why gardening and growing food is your passion. Adapting my mission statement every year to reflect what excites and motivates me the most is key to keeping me on track.