V for Victory

The world is a weird and chaotic space right now. There are so many uncertanties with tariffs that could affect our food prices, potential wars and a lot is uncertain in the US right now. This got me to think about what i could do and down the rabbit hole into Victory Gardens.

Victory Gardens started in World War 1 and World War !! to help feed the war effort. These were also called war gardens, liberty gardens or food gardens for defense. The US needed to feed troops overseas and food shortages were a real problem. I am impressed with the marketing of these vicotry gardens and they WORKED. It became commonplace to have your own garden to provide for your family. By the end of World War II nearly two million gardens produced 40% of produce consumed by the country.

I did look into plans that were from the original Victory Gardens. They had a wide variety of plants that grew in a small space. The important thing to remember about planting your garden is to plant things you would actually eat. Companion gardening is also very important when planning out your garden. Some plants do very well side by side, while others will steal nutrients from each other. So, its very important to check which plants play well with each other.

There are reasons similar to war time why it would be a good idea to grow your own garden. Its a morale boost. Getting fresh air and exercise. Especially with the stress of everything going on currently. Growing your own food is also enviromentally friendly with a smaller carbon foot print, healthier produce and less chemicals. There is also the very real concern that our food is going to get even more expensive and if you are a budget conscious person this can affect what you can feed your family.

Vicotry Gardens also focused on easy to grow crops, including seasonal produce, root crops and hardier crops that could be stored during the winter. Also, check what planting zone you are in. This affects what crops to grow and when. Also, think about how your are going to store your abundant produce. Are you going to freeze them? Can them? Store them in the pantry? All of these questions help with the winter months when your garden is dormant. Having a plan will help to make the most of your produce. Yes, its a bit more work to plan your garden out and how you will use your produce, but the reward is being able to use your storage longer and hopefully thru most of the winter.

I do urban homesteading. So my planting space is in raised beds and container gardens. It is possible to have a garden if you don’t have much land. Constainer gardens, hydroponic garden and raised beds are great alternatives to an acre of land. I mapped out my area and started to build my planting plans. I like to can our food, so there was consideration on what type of tomato is best for making sauce vs. what tomato is best for making salsa. If you have an abundant garden you can share with friends or neighbors. i know in my neighborhood fresh veggies grown are pretty popular and neighbors are very thankful. So, follow along and I will be posting about my journey and how my victory garden is going. I feel like maybe we should change the name to Rebel Gardens. What do you think?