Victory Gardens – Why Are They Making A Comback?

Victory Gardens – Why Are They Making A Comback?

Article by Edward Emanuel

Victory gardens are making a comeback. Victory gardens are a return to the past in an uncertain present.

Community gardens were first established during World War II and known as victory gardens. Victory gardens were part of a nationwide effort promoted by the federal government to ease food shortages and boost national morale. At their peak, they produced up to 40 percent of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States during the war.

Victory gardens are becoming popular once more, and many people want to learn the ins and outs of gardening. More people are also concerned about the monopolies of seed companies and so when planting their victory gardens do so with open-pollinated seeds rather than the hybrids.

Regaining Control

These gardens were seen during World War II, but now they represent our fight to regain control of our lives and our health. World War II united people and, during a troubled time in America’s history, allowed them to reach into the depths of themselves and pull up a resourcefulness they didn’t know they had. Looking at our current economic conditions, it may be time to look at the usefulness of Victory Gardens again. The victory garden has come to symbolize this unity and vision.

During World War II, urban and suburban dwellers discovered that by growing their own produce, it helped to keep the price of food lower so the war department would have more money to spend on other military needs.Overall, produce grown commercially is produced in soil depleted of the minerals and nutrients so necessary to support good health. Plants grown in depleted soils are less healthy and less able to resist pest attacks, so the use of pesticides is more prevalent now than ever.

Produce sold by big agribusiness is grown in foreign countries not subject to highly controlled use of pesticide, and it spends time in shipment during which valuable nutrients are lost.Victory gardens will give control over what is eaten to the people who are eating it. It gives us access to fresh produce that is vine ripened and nutrient rich, and it allows us to use organic farming methods.

Victory gardens are ecologically friendly since their products do not require shipping or packaging. When people harvest their own produce and share with their neighbors, the cost becomes quite minimal, making access to high quality produce readily available.

About the Author

And you can learn more about the war years and how they affected and influenced families from author Edward Emanuel and his new book Truthful Lies of My Childhood. Mr. Emanuel grew up during the ’40s and ’50s and tells wonderful stories of this time period through a child’s point of view. You can enjoy the writings of Edward Emanuel at http://www.EdwardEmanuel.com.