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Paul Hormick's avatar

Those Victory Gardens were very successful. “During the war, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that half the families in the country cultivated Victory Gardens, resulting in more than 20 million gardens that put into productive yield about four million acres, a total landmass greater than the state of Connecticut. Although drought brought failures in Oklahoma, portions of Texas, and the Washington, DC, area, the rest of country enjoyed a bounty. The combined amount of food produced from the Victory Gardens totaled eight million tons, enough to feed the entire U.S. Army, or about 125 pounds of produce for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. This immense productivity was the achieved before the use of industrial fertilizers and other “green revolution” technologies.” https://greendispatch.substack.com/p/its-time-to-start-planning-that-garden

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Ella's avatar

My grandmother told me stories of a group of friends renting a small canning factory to put their Victory Garden harvests up. They split the costs and cans and got a wide assortment of food.

I too have an indoor victory garden as my garden is truly shady. I have been growing citrus under lights and recently added an expensive modular hydroponic system , which has paid for itself by providing enough greens,herbs and peas for my small household so no purchases needed for months.

Modern tools like dehydrators and vacuum sealers make putting food by a realistic option for those with smaller families or who live in smaller places.

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climate cal(ifornia)'s avatar

What fraction of Victory Garden produce in North America was needed in order to offset the output (produce?) of the Japanese-heritage vegetable farmers that had been packed off to internment camps?

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David Myers's avatar

I will plant my garden as usual this year. I am uncertain if it will thrive this season, as I live in the land of darkness and the shadows are growing deeper.....Despair may be the only bumper crop the comiong harvest

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Robert A Mosher (he/him)'s avatar

I wonder if the absence of smiles in the WW1 posters was a reflection of the still common habit of not smiling in photographs before the war?

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Tigerlilley's avatar

Elbows up Lloyd. We support our Canadian neighbors.

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Lucy's avatar

Wonderful collection Lloyd. Gosh those early US ones were fierce weren't they? No worries about not telling people what to do then!

Interesting the use of the French 'la Semeuse' figure in the WW1 posters, complete with Phrygian cap but wrapped in the US flag. The British 'Dig for Victory' one with the foot on the shovel was notorious for the mysterious absence of the other leg.

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