Victory Gardens Revisited

During World War II, widespread food shortages in America were common because much of the commercial agricultural force was sent off to war. Thus, food was rationed by the government. In order to help expand the amount of food available for Americans as well as keep the prices of produce down, pamphlets and posters were printed by the Department of Agriculture telling the people to start growing their own gardens. The idea began during World War I when Charles Lathrop Pack organized the U.S. National War Garden Commission which launched the war garden campaign in 1917, but the efforts needed to be expanded. The new campaign was christened “Victory Gardens.” The name of the program alone was a great way to spark interest and motivate people to start digging.

Americans were urged to plant crops in any idle land, including back yards, empty lots, parks, school land, and company grounds. Included in the pamphlets was information on how to deal with pests and insects so that the gardens would be more productive. A twenty-minute movie promoting planting gardens and explaining the best way to do so was issued by the same department. In addition to growing the crops, it was suggested that they can their own fruits and veggies so that they wouldn’t go to waste.

In what remained in the commercial agricultural realm, the department pushed keeping logs for seed germination, insects, and any diseases they found in or on the plants. Popular crops included squash, tomatoes, turnips, peas, and lettuce. Even the First Lady of the time, Eleanor Roosevelt planted a Victory Garden on the White House grounds offering an example American women wanted to follow.

Photo: Smithsonian

The combined efforts of the American people produced more than 40 percent of the fresh fruit and vegetables consumed in the United States. This one idea increased morale, allowed the War department to save money on crops, and produced a sense of comradery among all Americans. Perhaps revisiting this idea would help Americans today have victory over the high prices of food due to droughts and other natural disasters, support local agriculture and communities, become self-sufficient and enjoy home grown food once again.