I love hearing everyone’s stories so I'll come clean as well.
I'm Australian. My husband is English and his family Italian so a bit of a mix when it comes to food...and everything else for that matter. I've only been here for four years and I'm yet to decide if it's permanent but I do love my life here.
In Oz my Grandparents were farmers before moving to the city for a 'better' life. My Aunt remained on the farm so my family still has strong ties to the land.
I was always keen on plants and growing things but never got into it on a larger scale until coming over here.
It was the food that did it. Sorry guys but in general the food quality here is appalling. (There are places you can get decent meat and veg but you have to look for them.) So it wasn't long after arriving that I started researching food and all it's issues.
Slowly we started to search out the farm shops and local stores but it was never enough. And finally this year we decided that growing our own was the only way to go.
Living with the MIL made it more awkward but we appropriated a section of the garden anyway and planted our veg hoping she wouldn't notice!!!!
We have a few friends with allotments whose advice and encouragement has been a godsend. And of course the library has helped no end!
Due to the size (or lack of) of the garden we're no where near self sufficient but that will come in time when we have a place of our own. This year we have used as a bit of an experimental stage. Seeing what grows well...what doesn't and different ways of growing things.
I'm totally hooked now. The only way is bigger and better from here on in. One day I'll have a massive veg patch, pigs, chickens...the lot. Here or in Oz, it's back to the land for me!