As a result of rising food costs around the world, some people have resorted to growing their own food as an affordable alternative to grocery shopping.
An experienced gardener can produce a harvest for much less than it can be bought in stores and with improved nutritional value, said Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF horticulture professor and plant physiologist.
"You're growing something yourself, and that is fun," Rathinasabapathi said.
By growing their own vegetables, people also eliminate two of the reasons for the high prices: gas and fertilizer, which increase production costs.
For students and residents who have limited space for a garden at home, the best option is a community garden, such as the UF Organic Garden Cooperative, on Southwest 23rd Terrace.
The cooperative is a large space maintained by community members where everyone pays $15 dollars, plus a refundable $5 dollar deposit for a plot of land for six months.
It also provides tools, seeds and the best gardeners in town, Rathinasabapathi said.
Gainesville resident Laura DiGruttolo has been a member of the compound for a year.
"I've grown up with a green thumb," DiGruttolo said. "It's my therapy. It's cheaper than psychotherapy."
In the summer, she grew beans, eggplants and tomatoes.
DiGruttolo's vegetables take the place of store-bought veggies and allow her to save money in the grocery store, she said.
It's important that people don't let high prices stop them from getting in their fruits and vegetables, as they're important sources of nutrition, Rathinasabapathi said.
Within the past 10 years, research done by medical and food scientists has shown that chemicals in plants have disease-preventing qualities and can potentially reduce the chance of cancer, heart problems and Alzheimer's disease, he said.
"In the past, it was thought we needed vegetables for vitamins," Rathinasabapathi said. "But now we know they have a bigger role in disease prevention."
