Victory Garden

Victory Garden. Victory Garden Farm Gardens. Do your vegetables come from a grocery store or do you grow them at home? During the early years of the twentieth century when many families lived in rural or semi-rural areas, they raised at least some of their food, due both to the lack of convenient grocery outlets and the difficulty of transporting and preserving perishable foods. , This need became even more important during World War I and II, when the country was asked to ration. Supplies and transportation of milk, eggs, sugar, gas and other necessities were limited so Americans were only allowed a certain amount of food, clothes and rubber for car tires. Over 20 million Americans planted Victory Gardens in their backyards, rooftops and even empty lots to help support the war effort. The United States government estimated over 10 tons of vegetables were grown in Victory Gardens during this time. Any excess vegetables would be given to the local store and used by others in the community. Do you see plants growing in this garden? It might depend on the time of year! , Who takes care of this garden? Several museum volunteers water, weed, and harvest weekly to keep the crops growing. Thanks to them, harvests can include over 400 pounds of vegetables and herbs per year, some of which is donated to the Jefferson County Action Center.