We didn't complain about the cost of fresh tomatoes in early spring 40 years ago because you couldn't buy them until November. And come February, we will probably be buying them for less than a couple of bucks and it won't be a problem.
The deeper issue is that 40 years ago, most of our whānau grew their own tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and 20 other varieties of produce that could only be grown either in season, or in the shoulder season in the backyard glasshouse for those with real green fingers!
It's wisdom many of us have lost, but with the uncertainty of the world we live in, it's a wisdom we need to rediscover. I have been on the grow-my-own-kai journey for about 18 months, and I'm loving picking fresh salad ingredients to share at my table and the tables in my neighbours' homes.
It's a journey with setbacks, as my bok choy goes to flower too early and my corn never ripens, but hopefully I learn from this and plan better. There is never a better time than now to go back to our roots and start growing more of what we eat.
• Dave Mollard is a Palmerston North community worker and social commentator.