In The Garden
Some believe that the thing that sets us apart from the beasts is that we have developed the skills to cultivate the land. Have you ever had a carrot plucked fresh from the garden? Or brushed over a thyme bush only to release it's savory fragrance?
There is no better way to connect with the Earth than to get your hands dirty and watch your own bountiful harvest come into fruition. Given, usually the fruits and vegetables from your garden aren't as huge or blemish free as they are from the grocery store, but you also wouldn't be using all the pesticides most growers use. You'll be getting the food the way nature intended, not by idealistic market standards. Your fruits and vegetables will have enough room to grow and flourish, each one tended by your own hand. In order to turn over enough crops, commercial growers often times are forced to squeeze plants together with little or no air flow to protect them from disease, then they are sprayed with harmful chemicals to prevent pests. In your garden you have control over what goes in to the soil and on to the plants. To make the soil more acidic for Tomatoes, I usually take Pine needles and scatter them at the base of the plant. Eventually, the acid from the Pine needles seeps into the ground, causing your Tomatoes to be that much happier!
There are many ways to create a garden space as well. You don't necessarily have to live on a farm or even have acres of land to do this. A potted garden on a small balcony or patio can be enough to provide someone with a good choice of produce and herbs. A window box mounted to one of your kitchen windows can hold culinary herbs, and they are right in reach to snip a little off to add to your dishes. Urban areas have gone to drilling holes in plastic children's pools, adding rocks for drainage and good soil, and having community gardens in abandon parking lots and on roof tops. Just be sure you have enough sun exposure for the types of plants you are growing, and if your on the second floor, be careful your pots don't drain on your downstairs neighbors deck or even worse your downstairs neighbor!