Raised Beds

The American Victory Garden, Past & Present

Tracing the history of patriotic gardening efforts

The Victory Garden concept may be old, but it's an idea rooted in self-sufficiency that merits new consideration.

There's renewed interest in Victory Gardening, thanks to food safety and security issues...not to mention the reporting of a cadre of bloggers, writers and journalists. Now, with the city of San Francisco's work on promoting the concept to their community, one suspects it might be just a matter of time before the concept is fully revived. This Knol provides a quick historic overview of past and present efforts in the United States. Note that similar initiatives were found in Canada and the United Kingdom, part of the government's "Dig for Victory" program recently lauded by Prince Charles.

A Brief History of Victory Gardening in America

Similarities & Differences Between Earlier Movements & The Current Revival

• To date, the driving force behind the current revival has been gardeners, bloggers and journalists--the federal government has yet to formally engage with the effort.A few county extension agents, however, have written columns or op-ed pieces in support of gardening as a means of reducing food costs in tough economic times. And, as mentioned elsewhere on this lens, the city of San Francisco, in collaboration with Slow Food Nation, recently created a Victory Garden on the grounds of their Civic Center. This comes on the heels of a two-year, city-wide project to promote sustainable urban gardening across that community. Other cities are reportedly planning to follow suit.
• UPDATE (Spring 2009): The USDA's People's Garden Project holds some promise for a formal, national effort while the new White House garden has proved inspirational to home gardeners.
• In WWI & WWII, emphasis was placed on growing new gardens in suburban and urban areas. The modern movement encourages growing food in all areas, though there is an understandable emphasis on communities with limited access to land. Thus, community and container garden options are often heavily encouraged today for urbanites and suburbanites interested in taking part in the revival.
• For many people, the long-standing connotations of war in relation to the phrase "Victory Gardens" are problematic. This has lead to many people to use other monikers (freedom gardens, peace gardens, liberty gardens, edible landscapes/estates, etc.) for what is essentially the same thing--gardening for self-sufficiency.
• Modern proponents heavily promote organic gardening methods and using seeds (as opposed to seedlings) to protect planetary bio-diversity. In contrast, some WWII-era propaganda encouraged the use of new-fangled pesticides and inorganic fertilizers to maximize production. This is interesting in light of the fact that the pesticides were often derivatives of chemical weaponry developed for the war effort.
• Fuel scarcity and food safety are promoted alongside environmental stewardship (hence the preference for organics).
• The nascent revival has inspired artists ranging from graphic designers to playwrights...just as earlier efforts sparked creative responses from visual artists and even cartoonists.
• The trend toward locavorism and the writings of individuals like novelistBarbara Kingsolver, journalist Michael Pollan & chef Alice Waters has led to an emphasis on food quality inherent to growing one's own food.

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