With all the noise about the economy and the baby boomer's and Gen X'ers reflecting if 401K's were such a good idea, I'm also wondering if there is any truth to all the noise about "buying local" and more importantly are we going to take it one step further and grow our own fruit and vegetables and raise chickens in the back yard? There is of coarse nothing more "local" than your own backyard.

In my neighborhood I haven't heard any chickens clucking lately ,but I can't say I've noticed folks ripping up large tracks of their lawn to plant spinach, lettuce and tomato's either.

I have since I was a wee boy planted a garden. I once planted a whole container crop of curly parsley which I thought I would sell like kids selling lemonade on the side walk on a hot summers day. The parsley endeavor failed miserably but it did start the ball rolling for 'what to plant next.' From then on I would always help my grandfather plant in his garden help dig a hole for the food scrapes under the lemon tree to make compost and help my dad pick nectarines in our little seaside village of Glenelg in Southern Australia.

Today my modest efforts are a small garden I'm raising with my two children, in Mendota Heights this year we plan to plant spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, bush beans and cucumbers. I'm trying to teach the same love of the cherished backyard to my small two. Ok and I also love to kick around in the dirt! I don't have a mechanized tiller oh! no! I'm a man , I use a pitch fork to till the soil!

So that brings me back to the question. This spring will I see my neighbors rushing to the garden center to buy all their starter vegetables? Will I see less lawn and more home grown produce? Will I see neighborhood kids trading rhubarb and lettuce heads instead of Pokemon cards? Will I see families in the backyard together? Will I see fathers and daughters planting a fruit tree?

When I go to the grocery store and see washed organic spinach for $4 when an all you can eat packet of spinach seeds is pennies at the garden shop it not only makes good economic sense it just might also bring you and your family a little closer.

That would be just fine with me, maybe not the chickens I'm not sure I want to get up at the crack of dawn...however over easy fresh eggs does sound pretty good.

I heard a quote recently

'Don't invest in wall street invest in your street'

I'm not going to give up on my 401k but the saying does have a catchy ring to it!