Rosie Click

During World War II, families in the US planted more than 4.8 million victory gardens to supplement the domestic food supply. The US government encouraged the victory garden program as a way for Americans on the homefront to support the troops by freeing up other food resources to be sent overseas. USDA victory garden promotional documents show that the government considered the various environments of their citizens, making specific gardening recommendations for rural, suburban, and city-dwelling Americans. Notably, many community gardens in cities today have their roots (ha) in WWII-era victory gardens, though the oldest community gardens appeared in the 1890s as a response to the economic downturn at that time.

In addition to the obvious benefit of freeing up food for soldiers, victory gardens encouraged Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables, spend time with community members, and enjoy the outdoors. In addition to other wartime programs aimed at conserving resources like tin, fuel, and glass, the victory garden program helped Americans think about reusing what they had rather than buying new items. As many people in the US had moved into cities and suburban areas during the early 20th century, they had stopped growing food, and started relying on grocery stores for their fresh produce. WWII necessitated the reincorporation of agriculture into the lives of those Americans, who, with help from the government, corporations, seed companies, Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H, and others, started growing their own food.

After the war, many victory gardens lay fallow, their existence no longer essential to the sustenance of the domestic population. There were those who continued growing food on their land or in community gardens, but the movement generally subsided, especially as advancements in large-scale agricultural production allowed agricultural companies to produce large quantities of food at very low prices. With most men at war, women had led the victory garden movement; after the war, their labor was no longer viewed as necessary or patriotic, and many of them ceased to maintain the gardens they had once tended. With the decline in victory gardens, many Americans had less access to fresh foods, and less of a reason to observe and participate in the process of growing their own food. 

More recently, the non-profit organization Green America has started a program called “Climate Victory Gardens,” predicated on the idea that fighting climate change requires mobilization of people, resources, and actions not unlike wartime efforts. Climate victory gardens are less about growing food and more about gardening to achieve two main goals: protection of soil and minimizing climate impacts beyond the garden (such as avoiding chemical fertilizers). Like the USDA guidelines during WWII, this initiative is also sensitive to the diverse living situations across the US; they have instructions for people who live on many acres of land as well as those in small apartments in cities. Other organizations are more focused on achieving better food security through home gardens, particularly in lower-income countries. Those programs have varying degrees of success, but have created more resilient communities in several cases.

Photo: The author’s garden, pictured here with her husband and sister. 

My recent foray into gardening prompted my interest in victory gardens, but gardening itself has a long and fascinating history that requires far more than the 500-1200 words of a Footnote article to describe. Some might say that the advent of agriculture marked the beginning of “gardening”; I’m unsure what, if anything, differentiates the two terms. There’s also the issue of land; many thousands of acres of gardens in the US are on lands taken from indigenous people, who continue to petition for their return. Additionally, I’ve noted the privilege inherent in “deciding” to start a garden, especially one to produce food. This year, I was able to grow exactly one pumpkin, one zucchini, and a handful of tomatoes: not exactly a bumper crop, or even enough for a family dinner. However, I can just go to my local Safeway and pick up what I need to supplement my poor harvest. Many do not have this option, including those in the US who live in food deserts and many people around the world who do not have access to grocery stores within a reasonable distance or with relatively affordable prices. Starting a garden now is certainly not free, either. Gone are the WWII days of seed companies subsidizing purchases; I know I’ve spent a considerable amount on materials for my small plot. And aside from money, maintaining a garden also requires a significant investment of time and labor, much easier for those with stable employment and physical capability.
None of these thoughts are a reason to abandon gardening, especially since it has immense liberatory potential through community building, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, and combating climate change. But as with anything that requires the privileges of money, time, space, land, labor, and choice (in other words, everything in this world), gratitude and generosity are key: be grateful for what you have, and try to share it with others. Though military success no longer puts the “victory” in victory gardening, we can strive for other victories in climate, food security, and community through what we plant in the earth.

Image: Adam Matthew, Save Your Bullshit for Your Victory Garden, 2012.

Rosie Click is a second-year PhD student in the History Department at Georgetown University. Click received an MA in Latin American Studies from Tulane University in May 2022, and a BA in Latin American Studies and English from Tulane University in May 2019. Her work explores US-Latin American and US-Caribbean relations, particularly through the lenses of power, imperialism, and tourism. She is also interested in public history, museum studies, Caribbean literature, and academic editing.