What are the Economic Costs and Benefits of Home Vegetable Gardens?

Home vegetable gardens are often promoted as a way to cut household costs by providing low cost access to fruits and vegetables.  How much can home vegetable gardeners expect to spend and recoup from their efforts?  An analysis of published data suggests that home vegetable gardens are profitable, if the fair market value of garden labor is not included in calculated costs.  On average, home vegetable gardens can produce $677 worth of fruits and vegetables, above and beyond the cost of $238 worth of materials and supplies.