Grocery store prices are the reason I started gardening 2 years ago. And yes, Worth, I am appalled at the price of fresh produce, including legumes, at the store. I can get dried pintos and black beans pretty inexpensively because we have a substantial Hispanic population that the local supermarkets cater to. But I like fresh produce during the warmer months and farm stand prices are crazy expensive here. I saw a small package of fresh unshelled Lima beans at the farm stand last summer tagged at a few dollars. Once shelled, it would barely have been a portion for one person. The cowpeas might be more trouble than they are worth, but I'm experimenting with all kinds of crops. I have found a couple things that are very happy here and I want to see what else I can do. At the moment, I am a stay-at-home mom, gardening to supplement my dh's income with food on the table. So I have the time. I wouldn't bother or have the time/energy if I was at work all day. I am amazed at the people on this board that do both. But then again, everyone's situation is different.
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