Why Growing Our Own Food Became Important to Our Family

A simple story about how our family began growing our own food, teaching our children where food comes from and embracing a slower, more wholesome way of living

Growing our own food for our family became increasingly important over time. Before COVID, my husband and I had already been talking about selling our first property, a small unit on the Gold Coast. By this stage we had our first son, and we both felt he deserved a little more space to grow, explore, and enjoy the outdoors.

Eventually we found the perfect place for us. At first glance it was well maintained but a little rough around the edges and slightly tired. For many people that may have been a drawback, but for us it felt like an opportunity. We could see the potential and knew we could slowly shape it into something that truly felt like home.

As time passed and the world changed through the COVID years, there were periods of heavy lockdowns and restrictions. That time made me reflect more deeply on the things around me. I began paying closer attention to the way we consume food, what we consume, the steady rise in food prices, and the way large food corporations sometimes alter or modify produce before it reaches our tables.

These weren’t entirely new ideas, they had always existed in the background, but it was during this time that they really began to matter to me.

Another thought that often stayed with me was the “what if.” What if there were shortages? What if the knowledge that once passed naturally from generation to generation continued to fade? Skills like growing food, cooking from scratch, baking, preserving and understanding seasons were once everyday knowledge, yet so much of it seems to be slowly disappearing.

Those thoughts became the push I needed to start learning. I began teaching myself more about growing food, cooking from scratch, and baking simple wholesome meals for our family.

What started as a few small garden beds with herbs, chilies and cherry tomatoes slowly evolved into something much bigger. It became a genuine lifestyle change for our family.

Today, knowing where our produce comes from and how it has been grown brings a real sense of comfort. Seeing the smiles on the boys’ faces when it’s time to harvest something from the garden is a feeling that is hard to describe. The joy and pride they feel when they pull something from the soil or pick fruit from a tree is something no supermarket shelf could ever replace.

Beyond the food itself, the lessons the boys are learning are priceless. They are discovering where food truly comes from, what it takes to grow fruit and vegetables, and how seasons affect what we plant and harvest. They are learning patience as they watch plants slowly grow, understanding that not everything happens overnight. They are learning care by watering, feeding and nurturing the garden, and seeing the effort required to keep things healthy and thriving.

More than anything, they are learning to connect with the land and the food they eat.

Through all of this, my hope for The Heritage Living Co is to create a space where people feel welcome and supported. A place where we share the whole journey, the wins, the mistakes, the lessons and everything in between. Life in the garden is never perfect, and there are certainly moments where things don’t go to plan.

There have been times when crops failed, when the effort felt overwhelming, and moments where I’ve questioned whether the work was worth it. Anyone who grows food knows those feelings well.

Yet even with those challenges, there is not a single regret about choosing this path.

Growing food takes time, patience, effort and constant learning. But the rewards, the knowledge, the connection, the health of our family and the memories created along the way, make every bit of it worthwhile.

And that is the journey we hope to continue sharing here.