The Case for Grit

Along with half the people in America (at least, half of America according to my social media algorithms), I decided to try my hand at growing food this summer.

At first, this was dizzying. I live in a small townhouse and I’m fortunate to have a little yard space but figuring out the best way to maximize variety was logistically intense. Then there was light, soil, organic vs. conventional, choosing which vegetables, then choosing which varieties…many decisions to be made before I even got to the point of planting, tending, or harvesting.

I imagine there’s a whole lot of people who would have considered growing their own food only to immediately say “nah, that sounds like a lot, I’ll have my groceries delivered to my door instead.” And that’s just fine for any number of perfectly valid reasons.

My point is: I had an idea, I set a goal, and now my only problem is what to do with the mutant San Marzano plant that is rapidly eclipsing the rest of my raised bed.

One might call this behavior “grit.”

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