Here at Alameda Point Collaborative (APC), we have a community garden with 50 plots that Alameda residents receive for free in exchange for volunteering. There is only one unclaimed plot right now — a rare sight for this rainy, mid-winter time of year. I puzzled over this, knowing that most people don't think of it as prime gardening time, even in the Bay Area. But then I realized the reason could be none other than our burgeoning, fractured economy. Wallets are tight, food prices have skyrocketed and folks are looking for ways to save. If you are feeling the pinch, you may want to consider some home food production. And you can start immediately; no need to wait until summer.

Gardening to counteract a faltering economy is not a new concept. It is a growing movement that has many additional benefits — you can improve your health and nutrition, reduce your carbon footprint, meet new people and support an environmentally friendly type of "landscaping." Just imagine our city with lawns of lettuce, tables of homegrown turnips and a greener, self-sustained, local food system. Check out Ploughshares Nursery's "Tear Out Your Lawn Challenge" at www.ploughsharesnursery.com /events.htm to find out more.

Whether you already eat a lot of fresh produce, want to make that transition or are trying to save money, consider growing your own. Take fresh herbs — pricey at the store but growing them in pots requires little care or space. Try thyme, parsley and chives. Herbs that do need space, like perennial rosemary or sage, provide fragrant landscaping and you'll have them for years.

For vegetables, one tomato or kale plant can make a sizeable dent in your wallet. If you like lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, you can grow your own summer salad. Grow vegetables that you like but are too expensive to purchase. Some favorites of mine are broccoli, sugar snap peas and carrots. I grow all of these and more in a 4 x 8-foot area.

Don't have a lot of space, or live in an apartment? Grow lettuce in containers, join a community garden or talk to fellow tenants and your landlord about planting some fruit trees or other edible landscaping — artichokes love our climate.

How much can you save? I grow enough produce to supply at least two full servings of vegetables, two-to-three times a week for my two-person household. I still have to purchase produce, particularly fruit, but I plan my meals around what is seasonally abundant. Some weeks I have less, and in others I am leaving zucchini on my neighbors' doorsteps.

How much does it cost? As little or as much as you want — seeds are not expensive, vegetable starts are reasonable: Six seedlings are around $4. Fruit trees range from $20 to $60. You will have some costs for soil and fertilizers but mainly you will be spending a little bit of extra time tending your plants which for me, is fun, healthy and therapeutic. I've foregone my gym membership and bike to my garden instead.

Contact Kate Casale at She is Growing Youth Project coordinator at Alameda Point Collaborative. Learn more at www.apcollaborative.org.