...for discerning weeders May, 2012
VICTORY GARDENS PART 2 WWII and Beyond
Inside this issue:
Coming Events
3
Let’s Go Birding
4
Walk on the Wild 5 Side Weed of the
6
Month Weed of the
6
Month Book Review
7
Mark Your
7
Calendar Tidbits
8
Puzzle
8
Last Word
9
DON’T FORGET! You have to log your hours onto the VMS system!
by Karen Harper
back yards, flower gardens and vacant lots to grow their own vegetables. Sections of As WW II loomed on the horizon, the U.S. lawn were plowed for plots in Hyde Park, was increasingly drawn into the war effort. London to publicize the movement. In New Rationing became a fact of life and the sloYork City, the lawns around vacant gan was: “Use It All; Wear It Out; Make It "Riverside" were devoted to victory garDo; or Go Without!” In 1941, America went dens. Even public land was put to use, from to war. Food the lawn at San Francisco City Hall to the shortages and raBoston Commons to portions of San Frantioning once again cisco's Golden Gate Park. San Francisco's became facts of victory garden program became one of the everyday life. One best in the country. There were over 800 major cause of the gardens in Golden Gate Park. Every park in food shortages the city had gardens and many vacant lots was the forced were used for growing vegetables. U.S. interment of JapaSecretary of Agriculture Claude R. Wickard nese-Americans. encouraged householders to plant vegetaAccording to the ble gardens wherever they could find space. California Farm By 1945 there were about 20 million victory Bureau, Japanese gardens. Such sites as the strip between a farmers were responsible for 40% of the sidewalk and the street, town squares, and vegetables grown in California valued at the land around Chicago's Cook County jail over $40 million annually. Japanese farmwere used. For an investment of $1.30 for ers were forced to leave about 200,000 seeds (1940s prices), $1.50 for fertilizer, a acres of farmland. The land was transferred full day's hard work to prepare the plot and to European immigrants or Americans approximately 7 to 8 hours per week tendfrom the Dust Bowl region. Being new to ing the garden, the average family could the California climate, they were unable to enjoy 4 to 5 months' worth of fresh vegetamatch the production of the experienced bles. Continued on next page Japanese farmers. As a result of the food shortages, policies encouraging victory gardens were implemented. On the home front, the war effort touched everyone and the victory gardens that had played such an important role during WWI were revived, along with the patriotic spirit engendered by citizens being able to contribute meaningfully to the war effort. Throughout the country, people plowed front yards, lawns, 1