Post by joyce on Aug 31, 2007 12:19:08 GMT -6
Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown.
Canned foods were rationed regularly in the United States, but the poster campaign ("Plant more in '44!") to plant a Victory Garden was answered by nearly 20 million Americans. These gardens produced up to 40 percent of all the vegetable produce that was consumed in the nation. Ideally, if home front urbanites and suburbanites could produce their own potatoes and carrots, mass-produced potatoes and carrots could be in larger supply, purchased more cheaply by the War Department (saving pennies for bombers and tanks) and sent overseas to feed the troops: "Our food is fighting", one poster read.
Basic information about gardening appeared in public services booklets distributed by the Department of Agriculture, as well as by agribusiness corporations such as International Harvester and Beech-Nut.
WWI-era U.S. propaganda poster.
Victory gardens were planted in backyards and on apartment-building rooftops, with the occasional vacant lot "commandeered for the war effort!" and put to use as a cornfield or a squash patch. During World War II, sections of lawn were publicly plowed for plots in Hyde Park, London to publicize the movement. In New York City, the lawns around vacant "Riverside" were devoted to victory gardens, as were portions of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
In 1946, with the war over, many residents did not plant Victory Gardens in expectation of greater produce availability. However the added pressures of supplying liberated Europe meant that, in the UK, shortages remained, or in many cases got worse.
The Fenway Victory Gardens remain active in the Back Bay Fens of Boston, Massachusetts, as the last surviving public example from World War II. Most plots now feature flowers instead of vegetables.
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Another article
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.
Magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and Life printed stories about victory gardens, and women's magazines gave instructions on how to grow and preserve garden produce. Families were encouraged to can their own vegetables to save commercial canned goods for the troops. In 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers (used in the process of canning), compared to 66,000 in 1942. The government and businesses urged people to make gardening a family and community effort.
The result of victory gardening? The US Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 20 million victory gardens were planted. Fruit and vegetables harvested in these home and community plots was estimated to be 9-10 million tons, an amount equal to all commercial production of fresh vegetables. So, the program made a difference.
Kelly Holthus remembers that it was hard to find fresh produce, and it was a way for individuals to do their part on the home front. "It was a great moral thing," he says. "And for young people like me, it was, you know, I could do my part. I was a part of the effort!"
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.
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I think we will see more and more people going back and planting gardens again. Not so much "Victory Gardens" but "survival gardens."
Canned foods were rationed regularly in the United States, but the poster campaign ("Plant more in '44!") to plant a Victory Garden was answered by nearly 20 million Americans. These gardens produced up to 40 percent of all the vegetable produce that was consumed in the nation. Ideally, if home front urbanites and suburbanites could produce their own potatoes and carrots, mass-produced potatoes and carrots could be in larger supply, purchased more cheaply by the War Department (saving pennies for bombers and tanks) and sent overseas to feed the troops: "Our food is fighting", one poster read.
Basic information about gardening appeared in public services booklets distributed by the Department of Agriculture, as well as by agribusiness corporations such as International Harvester and Beech-Nut.
WWI-era U.S. propaganda poster.
Victory gardens were planted in backyards and on apartment-building rooftops, with the occasional vacant lot "commandeered for the war effort!" and put to use as a cornfield or a squash patch. During World War II, sections of lawn were publicly plowed for plots in Hyde Park, London to publicize the movement. In New York City, the lawns around vacant "Riverside" were devoted to victory gardens, as were portions of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
In 1946, with the war over, many residents did not plant Victory Gardens in expectation of greater produce availability. However the added pressures of supplying liberated Europe meant that, in the UK, shortages remained, or in many cases got worse.
The Fenway Victory Gardens remain active in the Back Bay Fens of Boston, Massachusetts, as the last surviving public example from World War II. Most plots now feature flowers instead of vegetables.
***********************************************
Another article
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.
Magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and Life printed stories about victory gardens, and women's magazines gave instructions on how to grow and preserve garden produce. Families were encouraged to can their own vegetables to save commercial canned goods for the troops. In 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers (used in the process of canning), compared to 66,000 in 1942. The government and businesses urged people to make gardening a family and community effort.
The result of victory gardening? The US Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 20 million victory gardens were planted. Fruit and vegetables harvested in these home and community plots was estimated to be 9-10 million tons, an amount equal to all commercial production of fresh vegetables. So, the program made a difference.
Kelly Holthus remembers that it was hard to find fresh produce, and it was a way for individuals to do their part on the home front. "It was a great moral thing," he says. "And for young people like me, it was, you know, I could do my part. I was a part of the effort!"
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 think we will see more and more people going back and planting gardens again. Not so much "Victory Gardens" but "survival gardens."
