Victory Gardens. The Patriotic Produce Of War Gardens.

During World War I there was a server food shortage crisis that spread across Europe. The crisis was a direct result of taking the young farm boys and throwing them into a horrible, bloody battle. Farmlands were completely destroyed from their transformation into battlefields, devastation was present and starvation on the horizon. The United States was working on a solution to help and created the National War Garden Commission, and launch the War Garden Campaign that was organized by Charles Lathrop Pack, weeks before the USA entered The War. Pack and others thought that through using land and people who where not engaged in the war to produce food, it would create some surplus to send to the allies over seas in need. He also thought to cultivate private and public land that was not in use. He envisioned parks, vacant lots, company property, schools and people in their backyards all growing food together to help the cause in patriotic solidarity. They created War Propaganda posters to get people to garden, and just like that a movement was started. The War Gardens.

Women's clubs jumped in to distribute leaflets that taught people how to grow their own food at home. They also planted and tended gardens in their local parks. Chamber of commerce and civic associations also jumped on board encouraging everyone who participated to campaign aggressively.

Imagine all around home gardeners passing out pamphlets that detailed the process of when and how to plant, as well as trouble shooting tips on diseases and pest problems. It was so enthusiastically received by the general public that the government switched gears and started focusing on distributing canning and drying manuals so that they were prepared to preserve the surplus crops that were going to be harvested from the new War Gardens. Another garden initiative was the Us School Garden Army, it urged children to enlist as “soldiers of the soil”

Children in victory garden New York.

As a result of these programs 3 million new garden plots were sowed in 1917 and by 1918 it had grown to 5.2 million plots. The estimation on the amount of canned fruits and vegetables canned is 1.45 million quarts. Impressive cornucopia!

World War II, Victory Gardens Continue.

And so we find ourselves in another global war, and once again the need for citizens to produce their own produce was ever nigh.

Victory Garden Propaganda video WWII

Short film on victory gardens and how to grow food, 1941.

Victory garden propaganda video WWII

Victory gardens WWII

The food rationing had come back with the war, and so did the War Gardens. There was a radio shows dedicated to teaching people to grow food, and creating a sense of communal support and renews sense of community. The solidarity of independent citizens collectively taking care of themselves through neighboring lands.

It was heavily emphasized to the American public at the time that every bit of food that could be grow in urban settings would help lower the prices of food so we could feed our soldiers over seas. One poster reads "Our Food Is Fighting".

By May of 1943 there were 18 million War Gardens in the United States, 12 million in cities and 6 million on farms. That is a truly amazing revolution!

Everywhere people had torn out their lawns and once more and planted life-giving food.

San Francisco installed 800 plots in their golden gate park, the city came together to plant and play. Their Victory Gardens was one of the biggest in the country.

Professor Harry Nelson of San Francisco Shows daughter and friends how to grow food.

I believe in urban farming with my whole heart, and this piece of history proves we could change the world and help end hunger if we re learn to grow food instead of lawns. It would be good for our minds, body and souls to reconnect with nature and to give a sense of confidence that comes with knowing that you are creating your own destiny. I believe in us, we can shift the world into a more positive path. Learn to be neighbors, and a community again.

Thank you for reading this post. This was a special one for me because it gives me hope that we may once again take back control of our lives and food supply, it has been done before. War sucks, its sad and horrible. But if you look closely you see that sometime in the dark times people stand up and do remarkable things collectively. I feel this time gently on the breeze. Will you plant a garden with me?

Big Love.
Ren