The Role of War Gardens
This movement began in March, 1917, a short time before the U.S. entered the war. The response was phenomenal. In 1917, Americans raised $520 million worth of garden produce in vacant lots, backyards, and unused land. All of this was needed to feed about four million American troops and millions of hungry people in Europe.
Following the armistice of November 11, 1918, food from these gardens was still needed by war-ravaged countries of Europe as they re-built. France and Belgium were in particular need of food aid. The inspiration for war gardens came from Charles Lathrop Pack. He helped establish the National War Garden Commission. The world famous plant breeder and horticulturist Luther Burbank was a member of the commission.
In a proclamation, President Woodrow Wilson said to Americans, "Everyone who creates or cultivates a garden helps...This is the time for America to correct her unpardonable fault of wastefulness and extravagance."
Throughout the country, people were urged to plant their backyards and all available public and private space into war gardens. Front lawns were converted to gardens. So were golf courses, and public parks. The Boston Common became a demonstration vegetable garden. Cities used vacant lots. New York City was truly blessed, for it had 186,000 vacant lots that were available for community war gardens. When they lacked garden plots, city gardeners used window boxes and other containers.
Military bases also had war gardens. At Camp Dix, there was a 400-acre plot. This produced five thousand bushels of potatoes in one year. In some cases, prisoners of war captured by American troops worked in America's war gardens.
In 1917 during the first year of the commission, there were over three million war gardens. To recruit gardeners to its cause, the commission promoted these projects through various means. Posters were posted in public places. The slogans included, "Sow the seeds of victory," "War gardens for victory," "War gardens victorious," and "Can the Kaiser."
The commission also printed and distributed free booklets and books on gardening, and food preservation. USDA helped with this effort. The press pitched in to help educate new gardeners and food preservers.
To ensure the fresh produce didn't go to waste, the commission promoted the creation of community canneries where the extra could be preserved. Girls' clubs and women's clubs helped with the canning. In addition, there were community markets where people could sell their surplus to those that needed it. Troops of Boy Scouts harvested crops. Transportation of various sorts, including automobiles, moved the produce from the gardens to the canneries. Members of the Federation of Women's Clubs supervised the marketing and canning of the produce.
To promote interests in canning, local communities held canning contests. In Elmhurst, N.Y. the judges gave a National Capitol Prize Certificate to Charles A. Rundquist. During the evenings after work, he worked in his garden and did canning.
In addition to canning, the commission promoted dehydration. Large quantities of apples, peaches, and other foods were dried. The group published lots of publication with instructions for building inexpensive dehydrators along with directions on drying and storing the produce.
To see just how many people were involved, let's take a look at some communities around the country. In Dallas, Texas there were around 20,000 war gardens in 1918. These citizens produced 17,500 cans of vegetables in just a few weeks from their garden plots. Temples, Texas had 5000 war gardens. In one growing season alone, the town produced an astounding quantity of black eye peas-one ton. The town of Marion, Indiana only had a population of about 29,000 people. Yet, it had 14,081 vegetable plots.
Factories also had their war gardens, such as the one at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY.
In 1918, the commission estimated there were over five million war gardens in the country. These produced an estimated 528 million pounds of garden produce.
Victory Gardens of World War II
During World War II, a similar gardening movement swept the country. Most commonly these were known as Victory gardens. The White House lawn became a garden in which carrots, cabbages, and tomatoes were grown at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
As part of the war effort, the American government called on citizens to plant 18 million victory gardens. The response was overwhelming. Some 21 million were established, and actually produced around 40% of the country's vegetables.
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