Victory Gardens
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Jennifer Adams
June 6, 2020
After World War I, the National War Garden Commission began producing a number of pamphlets and booklets on gardening, canning and dehydrating. This was in response to the call to arms to those not in the war, but rather those at home whose morale had been at a staggering low since they could do nothing to help those actively involved in the war. This was a time of rationing stamps and a decreasing availability to not only obtain but transport fresh vegetables and fruits. Victory gardens or war gardens were encouraged by not only the United States but also a number of other countries including Germany, Australia, Canada and The United Kingdom in response to the shortage of food supply and low morale.
“Victory gardens famously produced 44 percent of America’s wartime fruit and vegetables.” After the war had passed and there was no longer a need for rationing, as life returned to pre-war conditions, the victory gardens were all but forgotten—laid to rest one winter after another, until the memory was lost.
Since the middle of March, a number of articles in newspapers and online have continued this old war time effort in providing the catalyst for all involved in the current world pandemic to once again pick up that shovel and hoe and plant a victory garden–be victorious again. The Boston Globe published an article on May 31st, and said it best, “There are real victory gardens in Boston already–405 of them.” These are the same spaces that were used in 1942 and are the nation’s oldest surviving war gardens.
Gardening isn’t really such a novel concept or even a new “fad.” The practice has existed since before war time. Homesteaders, farmers wives, the poor and those who want to know where their food comes from have been gardening all along. They have picked up the shovel and the hoe long before the current pandemic. For example, the garden on my farm is 75’ by 25’ and this is just the vegetable garden. What is not eaten during the season is put up by canning or freezing to be eaten throughout winter and into the next growing season. It is work, but it guarantees there is always food to eat.
With the continued dependence on other states and countries for the United States’ food supply, it is time for the government to step up, support and even urge people to garden again, to help promote the importance of non-dependence on others and to help one another. It is time to allow the use of vacant lots that cannot be used for any other purpose to be used for community gardens, in a way to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to those that do not have access and also to release some of the tensions between countries and the nation’s supply chain. It is time to boost the morale of all involved—not only at the local block, but community, state and on up. Be the change!
A quick case study: I presented to my local community the use of vacant property as a community garden. This is a way for the local community (a one or two block area) to come together, get to know one another, learn how to grow, learn how to put up and maybe even learn a new trade or two along the way, in order to become resilient and less reliant on resources that were not always available. The reaction received was not what I was expecting, but one of greed and selfishness. My ideas were pushed completely to the side and the following were the discussed property uses: a pocket park, a garden to sell to restaurants, renting the space by individual plots on the lots to persons (it was not clear what the money would be used for) and a host of other ideas.
It is time to stand up and be the communities, towns, villages and neighborhoods that once were. But this will take the village to make it happen.
Author:
Jennifer A Adams, MPA
Emergency Management Planner
Adams Consulting
[email protected]
Twitter: @tr33s4ever
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Victory Gardens
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Jennifer Adams
June 6, 2020
After World War I, the National War Garden Commission began producing a number of pamphlets and booklets on gardening, canning and dehydrating. This was in response to the call to arms to those not in the war, but rather those at home whose morale had been at a staggering low since they could do nothing to help those actively involved in the war. This was a time of rationing stamps and a decreasing availability to not only obtain but transport fresh vegetables and fruits. Victory gardens or war gardens were encouraged by not only the United States but also a number of other countries including Germany, Australia, Canada and The United Kingdom in response to the shortage of food supply and low morale.
“Victory gardens famously produced 44 percent of America’s wartime fruit and vegetables.” After the war had passed and there was no longer a need for rationing, as life returned to pre-war conditions, the victory gardens were all but forgotten—laid to rest one winter after another, until the memory was lost.
Since the middle of March, a number of articles in newspapers and online have continued this old war time effort in providing the catalyst for all involved in the current world pandemic to once again pick up that shovel and hoe and plant a victory garden–be victorious again. The Boston Globe published an article on May 31st, and said it best, “There are real victory gardens in Boston already–405 of them.” These are the same spaces that were used in 1942 and are the nation’s oldest surviving war gardens.
Gardening isn’t really such a novel concept or even a new “fad.” The practice has existed since before war time. Homesteaders, farmers wives, the poor and those who want to know where their food comes from have been gardening all along. They have picked up the shovel and the hoe long before the current pandemic. For example, the garden on my farm is 75’ by 25’ and this is just the vegetable garden. What is not eaten during the season is put up by canning or freezing to be eaten throughout winter and into the next growing season. It is work, but it guarantees there is always food to eat.
With the continued dependence on other states and countries for the United States’ food supply, it is time for the government to step up, support and even urge people to garden again, to help promote the importance of non-dependence on others and to help one another. It is time to allow the use of vacant lots that cannot be used for any other purpose to be used for community gardens, in a way to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to those that do not have access and also to release some of the tensions between countries and the nation’s supply chain. It is time to boost the morale of all involved—not only at the local block, but community, state and on up. Be the change!
A quick case study: I presented to my local community the use of vacant property as a community garden. This is a way for the local community (a one or two block area) to come together, get to know one another, learn how to grow, learn how to put up and maybe even learn a new trade or two along the way, in order to become resilient and less reliant on resources that were not always available. The reaction received was not what I was expecting, but one of greed and selfishness. My ideas were pushed completely to the side and the following were the discussed property uses: a pocket park, a garden to sell to restaurants, renting the space by individual plots on the lots to persons (it was not clear what the money would be used for) and a host of other ideas.
It is time to stand up and be the communities, towns, villages and neighborhoods that once were. But this will take the village to make it happen.
Author:
Jennifer A Adams, MPA
Emergency Management Planner
Adams Consulting
[email protected]
Twitter: @tr33s4ever
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