The 16 Best Healthy, Edible Plants to Grow Indoors

From farmers’ markets and Community Supported Agriculture, to urban farms and rooftop gardens, to produce delivery services, more and more people across the U.S. are embracing farm-fresh food.

And for good reason: Locally grown produce tends to be better for the environment and for local communities than its store-bought counterparts. Growing food at home also ensures that growers know exactly where their food comes from and how it was grown (no need to worry about deceptive food labeling). If you’re not whipping out the pruning shears yet, consider this: Learning new skills is good for our brains.

Luckily, you don’t need to be a farmer (or even live near a farm) in order to reap the benefits of home-grown produce. If you have a sunny window (or two, or five) and a bit of extra time on your hands, then you’re capable of growing your own food right at home. Read on for our roundup of 16 easy, healthy plants to cultivate indoors — and how to get them growing! 

General Growing Tips

Before you get started, here are a few tips that will be handy to keep in mind no matter which of the plants from this list you choose to grow.

1. All of these plants require well-draining soil, which means you will either need to use a pot with holes in the bottom or pile up some stones in the bottom of your pot before adding soil (so that the water can drain through the stones). If you choose to use a pot with holes in the bottom, be sure to put a shallow drainage container under the pot so the water doesn’t drain onto your floor, shelf, or windowsill.
2. For each of these plants, feel free to purchase potting mix at a garden center or make your own (You can also choose whether or not you want to stick with organic soils). Each plant grows best in a slightly different soil environment, but this general potting mix recipe will help get you started.  
3. Many of these plants grow best in areas that receive lots of sunlight and remain fairly warm throughout the day. Sunny windows are extremely helpful for growing plants indoors. However, if you don’t have sunny windows (or if the area is a low temperature), grow lights will be your new best friend — they help maintain optimal light and temperature conditions for plants regardless of outside weather or indoor conditions.

Read more: http://greatist.com/health/best-plants-to-grow-indoors

Police raid Kansas family's home because they had an indoor garden

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

LEAWOOD, KS : Men with assault rifles raided a family who had been growing tomatoes and melons under grow-lights. The government agents thought that was enough probable cause to believe they were growing forbidden plants inside their home.

"It was just like on the cops TV shows," Robert Harte told the media. "It was like 'Zero Dark Thirty' ready to storm the compound."

Apparently all it takes to get raided is buying hydroponics equipment and materials for indoor gardening.

Dogs entered the home. The armed agents belittled the family and implied that their 13-year-old boy was growing marijuana in the home.

"If this can happen to us and we are educated and have reasonable resources, how does somebody who maybe hasn't led a perfect life supposed to be free in this country?" said Adlynn Harte.

The real interesting thing is also that the Hartes both are former CIA employees and know their way around the law and the Constitution and have filed a law suit against the authorities.

One can but hope that their law suit will be successful and that the agencies responsible get a nice rap over the knuckles and the government has to pay a nice amount of compensation to the family that they so illegally raided.

Many of the American Alphabet Agencies are riding roughshod over people and the people's rights supposedly protected under the Constitution in an apparent belief that they, the agencies, can do as they please and that the rules of law do not apply to them.

In the same way that the Bureau does not seem to understand, and the other Federal Agencies, that they have absolutely no jurisdiction in any state, county or town, unless grated to them by the local law enforcer, and in town or county, this more likely, will be the sheriff.

If they do not first come to him (or her) then they are, according to the Constitution, are the law breakers and any sheriff worth his salt should run them out of the town or the county, and some, who understand their roles and rights, have done so before.

It is time for the people to reclaim their country and their rights...

© 2013