Back during World War II, both the United States and Great Britain began what they called Victory Gardens. Great Britain had started the idea when the Axis powers began their quest to take over Europe during the late 1930s and early 1940s. As the Nazis rolled over their neighboring countries and swallowed up agricultural land in its wake. To feed the people on the British Isles, people there had to grow their own food not only to feed their people but also to feed their military men on the ground and in the air.
When the United States joined in the fight after declaring war on the Axis powers and joined the allies in the battle, they too joined the fight to feed their population and the populations of those who fought with them. Victory Gardens were not only a means to help feed people but also served as a means that they could feel as though they were helping the war effort.
Every State in the United States had a recommendation for what to have in vegetable gardens based on that State’s climate, nutritional, and caloric needs.
Victory Over Increase Military Tensions
Today, we have seen the escalation of “wars and rumors of wars” with the potential increased tension in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the powder keg that is igniting in the Middle East. The potential for the conflicts to spread to other lands, more otherwise fertile farmland may be bombed and rendered useless like the wheat fields of Ukraine. Therefore, it would be wise for anyone who has any space to grow a garden at all, to consider growing as much of our own food as possible.
However, even if these conflicts don’t spread, there are still victories to be won with our backyard gardens.
Victory Over Supply Chain Disruptions
As we saw beginning in 2020, supply chain issues can leave grocery shelves bare, and having a garden can help combat this issue. If we grow it at home, we don’t have to worry about not having food in stock. Instead of going to the grocery store, we can head to our backyard and find something for the next meal.
Over the past few years, we have seen breaks in our supply chain and many times there have been empty shelves in our grocery stores because trucks have not been able to get food to the areas where food is needed. If we grow our own gardens, we will help alleviate some of that burden.
Victory Over Poor Quality Vegetables
In addition, the quality of food that we get shipped into our grocery stores is not as fresh nor is it of high nutritional value. Taste is also compromised in vegetables from the grocery store. Anyone who has grown their own tomatoes can tell you that there is no comparison between store-bought hot house tomatoes and a tomato freshly picked from a home garden.
Victory Over the Cost of Groceries
The cost of food has risen 50% or more in some areas on many items during the past year or so. Gardening offers a more ready source of vegetables at a lower cost. Part of the reason has to do with the cost of transportation, which is understandable.
However, other reasons are more nefarious. Often supplies know that they can raise the prices because of the fear that many people have about there not being enough to go around, so they raise the prices because they know that people will pay whatever they have to for food which is a necessity.
Victory Over Tainted Vegetables
Getting food from our gardens isn’t only about quantity, but about quality as well. Food safety has also come under fire in recent years. Have you seen the number of vegetables that were recalled in 2023? There were more than I care to count.
Victory Over Poor Health
Not only does having a garden provide nutritious food, but tending the garden is good exercise. The stretching, walking, and lifting we do when gardening helps us maintain a firmer, toned body.
Time in the garden also offers us the ability to get fresh air as well as time in the sun helps us create our own vitamin D.
Victory Over Damaging Our Planet
Not only is gardening better for the gardener, but gardening is also beneficial to the planet. Vegetables grown in a home garden are a source of vegetables that have a lower carbon footprint than food that travels thousands of miles before it reaches our dinner plates.
Victory Over Dependence on Agribusiness
A huge percentage of our food is grown by huge conglomerate agricultural enterprises that take advantage of government handouts through government subsidies that are not available to smaller farm businesses.
Where I live, small farms that utilize the farmers’ market for direct sales are relatively few and far between because few members of the younger generation are getting into farming because of the cost of doing business. Even our local farmers’ market is struggling to find enterprises that are willing to participate in farmers’ market enterprises. State governments who seem to be trying to control the quality of food coming into farmer’s markets are making it more difficult for small farming businesses to grow.
The government doesn’t have control of what we grow for our own families, at least not yet. We can grow our gardens using compost and manures that were produced on our own land rather than depend on commercial fertilizers that mine the soil rather than feed it. We can utilize our yard wastes and household garbage to grow vegetables that have a higher nutritional value than any grown in huge commercial agricultural enterprises.
Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It
Therefore, your mission, if you choose to accept it is to create a victory garden in whatever garden space you can find. Whether it’s in your backyard, front yard, a friend’s yard, your window sill, under grow lights in a closet, or wherever you imagine. The benefits are there for the taking.
Books by Cygnet Brown
If you’re interested in putting in a vegetable garden this year, I have written several books that can help you get started. All are available on Amazon.
Simply Vegetable Gardening
The Survival Garden
The Four Seasons Vegetable Garden
Help From Kelp
Using Diatomaceous Earth Around the House and Yard
The Perpetual Homesteader 