Andreatta talks about the “Victory gardens” or “War gardens” in the US during the two world wars. During the wars people were encouraged to grow food on whatever free space they had to provide food, both to feed their communities and the military. This provided morale as it enabled everyone to help with the war effort, but also made a sizeable contribution. Home canning as well freed up factories to produce other items rather than food. Andreatta discusses her own parents’ experiences growing food during WWII, emphasizing the normalcy of small urban gardens and the community discussed by her parents.
These gardens are relevant today as the industrialization of the last two centuries has brought with it many problems, economic, environmental and health related, which she summarizes…as well there are vastly fewer farmers today than in the 1940s; only 2% of the population. In linking Victory Gardens to today Andreatta discusses community gardens and their relation with schools and the growing number of college gardens, including UNCG, where she works. She is hopeful that these gardens can help address some of the problems caused by industrialized agriculture by helping people become more engaged with farming and food on small and sustainable levels. Framing farming as something more than just commodity production and yield numbers-whether community involvement or patriotism-is an important step towards shifting to a more sustainable system.
While she did not address this her article brings up another point that bears discussing. While economic ideas of self-interest and market reliance are usually touted as the most efficient methods of farming they seem to go out the window during the times when it matters most. If feeding people during wartime necessitates small scale community gardens why can’t those methods work during times of peace as well?
Andreatta, Susan L. “Through the Generations: Victory Gardens for Tomorrow’s Tables.” Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment 37.1 (2015): 38-46.