During WWI as well as WWII, victory gardens were an important part of the war effort, not only in America, but in Europe and Australia as well. They were a way to support the troops and be self sufficient. People didn’t have a lot of money and there was a food crisis, a lot like what is happening all over the world today.
Victory gardens boosted morale and brought communities together. People got together to trade seeds and preserve what they harvested. The most commonly grown crops were high carb and nutrient dense. Crops that would store well in root cellars or were easy to can were very important. These were crops such as beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, turnips, squash, and Swiss chard. Many of these crops were easy to store or preserve, which helped people be able to better plan to have food in the winter.
The Just-In-Time system of the grocery store chains we have today were not a thing back then. Food was fresh and local. It was not shipped in from all over the world in shipping containers. It was not sprayed with chemicals to inhibit the growth of mold on the long journey. I know what you’re thinking… That’s just gross! And it is gross. According to an article by Business Insider, there are 500,000 shipping containers stuck out at sea.
https://www.businessinsider.com/shipping-containers-stuck-california-ports-combat-shortages-2021-9
Victory gardens weren’t just vegetables. People planted fruit trees and raised chickens, goats and rabbits for eggs, milk and meat as well.
As we have seen with the recent shortages of everything and the shipping backlogs, reliance on the current system is no longer a viable solution. Food prices are skyrocketing and there is an air of uncertainty about how bad it will get before it gets better. Perhaps it is time to take a lesson from the past and get back to the old ways. It’s time to take our lives into our own hands and start growing our own food.
Nomadic Farmer 