4 minute read
Helping Gardens Grow
from Albemarle Magazine
by Cooke NC
root vegetables, lettuces and greens, she said.
North Carolinians usually have until Thanksgiving to grow produce before the first frost. “Sometimes, we don’t have a hard freeze during the winter, so those crops can carry you into the spring,” Shook said.
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The idea of Victory Gardens has been around since World War I, when families were encouraged to grow their own food in "war gardens" in wake of a growing food crisis. During World War II, Extension Offices were tasked with helping families and school children learn about gardening and promoting victory gardens with the goal of preventing a repeat of the nationwide food shortages during World War I.
In 1942, roughly 15 million families planted victory gardens; by 1944, an estimated 20 million victory gardens produced roughly 8 million tons of food — which was the equivalent of more than 40 percent of all the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States.
In past and present, victory gardens boost morale, ease burdens placed on local farmers, and combat food supply demands.
Similar to cleaning and baking, tending to a garden also relieves stress and anxiety, which peak during unprecedented times. "When we interact with green, outdoor environments we tend to breathe more deeply and at a more regulated pace," says Monique Allen, author of "Stop Landscaping, Start Lifescaping." This "oxygenates the blood and releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood enhancers."
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By Nicole Bowman-Layton Albemarle Magazine
Regional N.C. Cooperative Extension Offices have several ways in which they promote gardening.
Horticulture Agent Katy Shook said the Master Gardeners, a group of community volunteers from Chowan, Gates and Perquimans counties, recently gave out packets to local food pantries as part of their Grow to Eat program, which is in its sixth year. The packets contain four types of easy-to-grow vegetable seeds -- cucumber, squash, peppers and tomatoes -- grow bags and instructions.
The program, which NC State Extension Master Gardener program, serving Chowan, receives funding from various grants, is a way to help lowGates and Perquimans counties, has given out Grow to Eat packets at local food banks for about six years. This year’s packet includes seeds, grow bags and instructions. income families in the area have a source of fresh produce. Nicole Bowman-Layton/Albemarle Magazine
Some master gardeners also are involved in an effort to promote food security by growing an extra row of vegetables in their own gardens, Shook said. The resulting produce is given to a local food pantry registered in the ampleharvest.org program. Extension offices also are working with local farmers to get unpicked food out of the fields and on to families’ tables, Shook said.
The Currituck County Cooperative Extension office has its own garden and orchard that provides teaching opportunities. The center’s website, currituck.ces. ncsu.edu , features articles on various topics, including the progress of their Victory Garden.
The garden has eight raised beds that are planned by the Cooperative Extension staff each year.
“Students that are involved in the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Community Service and Restitution program provide volunteer labor to establish and maintain the gardens. Some of this service is court mandated, but several of these students return to continue working with the project. Other 4-H programs and Extension Master Gardener volunteers also assist,” Center Director Cameron Lowe said.
When the center is open, classes are held on various agricultural concepts and produce from the gardens are used in cooking classes. Extension Offices are currently closed to the public due to the pandemic, though people can call or go online for information.
Albemarle Magazine Summer 2020
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Albemarle Magazine Summer 2020
