Hmm...i didn't intend to get off on this tangent, but might as well go with it! After yesterday's post, I got to thinking about those Victory Gardens that people planted during World War II. Ever heard of them? Well, I did a little poking around to learn more about them and wanted to share my findings with you!As I understand it, since resources were being diverted to support the war efforts, the government rationed food and encouraged people to grow their own vegetables as an act of patriotism (and so more supplies could be sent to the troops overseas). Imagine that...a patriotic potato! So people did it! They planted gardens in their front and back yards, on rooftops, in vacant lots, and even on public land like Boston Commons. In portions of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, there were over 800 plots cultivated! I also read that by 1943, there were about 20 million gardens nationwide that produced 8 million tons of food! That's 41 percent of all the vegetable produce that was consumed in the U.S. that year. How amazing is that?! Here are some more old posters that celebrate the movement:
