Victory Gardens to the Rescue

“Victory Gardens" were gardens planted both at private residences and on public land 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" — gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. These gardens produced up to 41 percent of all the vegetable produce that was consumed in the nation.

Fast forward to 2009. With the economic crisis that the country is currently facing and families stressed with lost jobs and environmental concerns, couldn’t we all use a “morale booster”? What better way than planting a victory garden?   If you go to revive victory gardens you will find more info on victory gardens. Victory gardens were not much different from vegetable gardens of today but the reasons to start gardening may be more critical now than ever.

American WWII poster promoting Victory Gardens

For instance, on average our food travels 1500 miles from farm to table. The process of planting, fertilizing, processing, packaging, and transporting our food uses a great deal of energy and contributes significantly to carbon emissions and fossil fuel shortages. From peanuts to spinach, we continue to hear the concerning food stories on the evening news. Having safe foods available to eat is fundamental to our health. As we look to stretch our food dollars and find healthy and nutritious foods we may need to look no further than our backyard.

More and more Americans are planning gardens this year to save money.  Food gardening in the United States is rising rapidly with 7 million or 19% more households planning to grow their own fruits, vegetables, herbs or berries in 2009, according to the National Gardening Association’s latest report. According to NGA estimates, a well-maintained food garden yields a $500 average return per garden when considering a typical gardener’s investment and the market price of produce. In addition to cost savings, the survey found that Americans are looking for better taste and safer foods Fresh food from the garden can supply up to five times as many vitamins and minerals as canned or frozen food. On a personal note, I am always on the lookout for vegetables that can be grown for their health benefits particularly. I recently attended a Master Gardener Spring workshop that featured Vince Fritz. PhD from the U of MN who is studying cole crops, i.e., cabbages and kale and their cancer preventive compounds. I was thrilled to learn about the health benefits of red cabbage especially and I will be certain to be make room for red cabbage in my garden this year.

Planting a garden- nothing could be better for your health, the planet and your pocketbook. If you don’t have the time to grow your own vegetables, at least visit the farmer’s market in your area and buy locally this summer. Growing your own vegetables or herbs in a garden is a victory on many levels and buying from local farmers’ markets means you're not only getting the freshest and healthiest food possible, you're saving energy and money.

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