Victory Gardens

Victory Gardens (originally called War Gardens or Liberty Gardens) made their first appearance during World War I (1914-1918). President Woodrow Wilson called on Americans to plant vegetable gardens to ward off the possible threat of food shortages. Americans took up the challenge as a civic and patriotic duty., For the average American in World War II, the Victory Garden was a practical way to contribute to the war effort. Some 20 million Victory Gardens were planted (US population in 1940 was 132 million), and by 1943, these little plots produced 40 percent of all vegetables consumed in the US., Traditional victory gardens included foods high in nutrition, such as beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, turnips, squash, and Swiss chard., Victory Gardens today are still important in countless ways. They stretch the food budget, provide healthy exercise, produce chemical-free fruits and vegetables, help the environment, and allow a way for people to be self-sufficient, often with enough produce left over to share or donate.