Has Anyone ever heard of victory gardens?

[Katoyia]

I think these things really sound cool.

As part of the war effort, the government rationed foods like sugar, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, coffee, meat and canned goods. Labor and transportation shortages made it hard to harvest and move fruits and vegetables to market. So, the government turned to its citizens and encouraged them to plant "Victory Gardens." They wanted individuals to provide their own fruits and vegetables.

Nearly 20 million Americans answered the call. They planted gardens in backyards, empty lots and even city rooftops. Neighbors pooled their resources, planted different kinds of foods and formed cooperatives, all in the name of patriotism.

Farm families, of course, had been planting gardens and preserving produce for generations. Now, their urban cousins got into the act. All in the name of patriotism.

The gardeners were able to make up 40% of all fruits and veggies eatten in the US.

When World War II ended, so did the government promotion of victory gardens. Many people did not plant a garden in the spring of 1946, but agriculture had not yet geared up to full production for grocery stores, so the country experienced some food shortages.

I've been seeing this pop up all over the net too. There are even seed companies that are offering a entire package called the victory garden. I think that we all should consider this as a possibility. I do have a positive outlook on things getting better in our country, but before they can, they will get worse. And we all have to be prepared and help one another.



http://http://sfvictorygardens.org/


http://http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/crops_02.html

[MoniDew]

Fantastic post and timely idea. Count me in.

[rdsaltpower]

I heard of them from my Dad who served in WW2. I think my grandparents planted them while Dad was overseas. I still have one of the old government ration cupon books. A great idea from the past that would work now during these hard times.:)

[goplayallie]

I like this website and it is founded on this very idea!

Hope you find it useful.

go out and play... allie
clarksplayground.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q

[Garden Green]

I was watching a special on a History Channel type channel and the mention of the Victory Garden and how it helped to sustain the country during that period was there. It was short, but it was there. And I've heard people at work talk about wanting to plan and plant a "Victory Garden" so the idea hasn't been forgotten.

We aren't the only ones that are talking about Victory Gardens:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/isabel-cowles/an-obama-victory-garden_b_143309.html

http://treesandshrubs.about.com/b/2008/11/23/memo-to-president-elect-obama-plant-a-victory-garden.htm

Those are just a couple of articles imploring Obama to plant a Victory Garden at the White House and the lasting effects it could have. I just hope it can gain some momentum before anything can reach a crisis level. Food shortages don't thrill anyone too terribly much and the idea that some gardeners could be at risk simply because they have a garden is a frightening thought, too. Will my neighbor be prepared? Or will my neighbor steal from me?

My husband and I have had these conversations after I read an article about a gentleman that moved to the country to have a more sustainable life and was frightened by the idea of being in the country in a period of crisis because of those questions. In the end, he moved back to the city and found that his neighbors were growing and trading and he slipped into the role. I'll have to hunt down that article and post it here.

[Sinfonian]

Victory gardens have been in the making for a few years now, so I've read. There's even a movement to rename it for those who are against the war and don't want to be associated with it. I believe that's one of the reasons the Dervae's called their movement Freedom Gardeners. Has a nice ring to it.

[plantoneonme]

There is a who on PBS called Victory Garden that I have watched for the past 25 years or so. The original format was more in line with what a true victory garden was about but has changed a lot over the years. One of the reasons I took up vegetable gardening the a larger extend was to help our family eat healthier, more varied and organic vegetables. I love knowing that I can make a difference in how we eat....this is my victory garden.

Kim

[gardengirl72]

I've gone all the way back to Medieval Gardens for my inspiration. Their designs, methods, and plant varieties were all about self sufficiency and having extras or a specialty to barter or take to market. Check out this link below to an excerpt from the book Medieval Gardens.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Qn-RlmYP5PsC&pg=PA85&dq=medieval+gardens+venice&ei=wRBJSdzJDYyEkQTRuYw2&client=firefox-a#PPA78,M1

There's an image of a "urban-style gardens in Venice" Which is the basis for everything I do. There's also a list of plant varieties that were commonly grown as well.

[shebear]

Well mom was born during the depression on a small farm in Texas and still talks about it and WWII. She's even shown me some ration coupons she still had. Because of those events, she's always gardened. I don't think I even ate very many grocery store veggies even though we were living in Houston during my childhood. I've followed her lead off and on during the years but since I've become a Master Composter and one of the founders of our local Community Garden, I've really started branching out.

I'm amazed at how little most people know about growing food but if you can get them past their initial fear of failure, they start to really enjoy it. Nothing like feeding them fresh peas from the pod to make them smile.

[kitsapFG]

I most certainly HAVE heard of victory gardens! Check out my website on "The Modern Victory Garden (http://www.freewebs.com/kitsapfreedomgardener/)". There really is a growing interest in taking back our own food supply and I think people are beginning to realize how vulnerable they have made themselves by placing complete reliance on an external provider for something so life essential as food. Not to mention the rise in doubt about the safety and nutrition of food provided by factory farms located in countries with little or no regulatory policies and which burn through alot of fossil fuel to get to our table from shipping, refrigeration, and applied petrochemicals (pesticides and fertilizers mostly).

Many of us have victory gardens - we just don't use that term much in today's world.

[rosemom]

We all need to spread the word. During WWII victory gardens were encourged as a war effort. The way our economy and world is going right now is akin to a war. Let's all plant our victory garden in this economic war and in an effort to "green" our world.