Victory Garden Revival, A Wartime Trend Makes a Pandemic-Era Comeback

With climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to food insecurity worldwide, people are taking nutritional matters into their own hands—and backyards.

Since the spring, people have been rapidly building “victory gardens” (also known as war gardens), which rose to popularity during World War I and World War II.

To supplement their rations of meat and sugar, people living in those eras (encouraged by the government) grew vegetables, herbs, and fruits in public parks and at private residences. The practice helped reduce pressure on the food supply and also empowered citizens to be their own farmers. Victory gardens supplied nearly half of the vegetables grown during World War II. In 1943, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt even planted a victory garden on the White House lawn.

Today, as climate change causes extreme damage to farms and COVID-19 outbreaks rip through meat-packing plants, it has become more important than ever for people to create a sustainable model for food growth. Engaging in at-home horticulture is one way to ensure that fresh food will be available even when mainstream food companies experience shortages.

So how does one grow a victory garden? Here are some tips:

Start by planning a plot. Draw out a rough blueprint to determine where each plant will go. Then prep the space. Be sure to choose an open, sunlit area. Now it’s time to dig and level. Remove the existing turf and fortify the soil (with a compost-enriched variety, if possible). Victory gardens can also be planted in raised beds, which makes it easier to control the soil quality.

Confused about what to plant? Some of the most popular items include arugula, beans, broccoli, cucumbers, kale, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes. Of course, this all depends on the growing season. It helps to pick starter plants, rather than just seeds, to get a head start. Place the starter plants in the garden bed and add about an inch of water every week to encourage root growth. Keep the weeds away by covering exposed soil with grass clippings or mulch to block the sunlight.

Once that garden starts growing, it’s likely that the yield will be more than one family can consume. That is where canning comes in, and it’s crucial to learn how to safely preserve fresh produce for the lean winter months. Stock up on canning jars, seals, funnels and ladles, and start researching the specifics.

For those who have come of age in metropolises rather than out in the country, it might seem unfamiliar to adopt this new way of preparing food. Being a quick drive from the grocery store or a drive-through restaurant has made it all too easy to drop in each day for a bite. But during a time of economic and safety uncertainty, it makes financial and nutritional sense to create a victory garden. Fresh food may be growing outside every window someday soon.