I picked my breakfast from a tree this morning ... as I've enjoyed doing all week long. There are multiple types of “meals” to choose from, as we have an orchard full of options. 
 
All of them are organic. All of them taste great. It makes for a very healthy meal, and it's fun picking them right from the tree. Plus, there's no requirement to expend fuel (and time) to go to the grocery ... or to pay for the groceries. 
 
Being organic, there's also no cost of fertilizer or pesticides.
 
So you live in an urban area? No problem. Trees grow everywhere …in yards of any size, and even if you don’t have a yard -- in pots and on patios. Fruit bearing shrubs are another great option.
 
A since-passed relative used to preach and teach to plant a tree a year for the many benefits they bring. What better time to get started than now in planting for the future.
 
Some fruit-bearing trees and shrubs are already producing when you purchase them in the pots from the nursery or wherever. Others will take longer to grow and yield, but it's amazing how fast the time goes and also how plentiful even just one tree can be. 
 
The tree that I chose from this morning, for instance, will produce at least a couple of hundred large and juicy persimmons by season’s end.

It's also a great way to teach children (and adults) about our dependence on the land.  People seem to have lost touch with the fact that we depend on the land for our food.  It naturally follows that taking care of the environment is a must to sustain our ultimate well being.

So consider a trip to the nursery and plant a tree … for thee and the planet.

Notes from CPI’s Marcia Elder.