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During WWII, victory gardens were encouraged to reduce demand for fresh produce and supplement rations. They also boosted morale and reduced costs for supplying troops. Over 20 million Americans planted victory gardens, which were an important source of food. The movement was abandoned after the war but resurged in the later part of the 20th century.
During World War II, millions of Americans and Britons were encouraged to plant victory gardens, private gardens in their backyards, and vacant lots designed to reduce the demand for fresh produce. By growing their own food, people could also supplement their rations, which were sometimes limited to ensure troops had enough food. The British and American governments also used the victory garden concept as a morale booster, demonstrating that every citizen could contribute in some way to the war effort.
The idea behind the victory garden, from the government’s point of view, was that by encouraging people to grow their own food, the government could get lower prices for produce. This, in turn, would result in reduced costs when it came to supplying troops. By growing their own food, citizens also compensated for shortages caused by a lack of manpower to work the fields and a high demand for agricultural products by the military. Victory Gardens also provided a point around which citizens could rally, promoting community participation in the war effort.
Victory gardens sprang up in all sorts of places. Courtyard gardens were common, and some communities took over vacant lots and converted them into victory gardens for the duration of the war. Several cities have also dedicated spaces in public parks, such as London’s famous Hyde Park, to the creation of victory gardens, spreading the idea and providing space for people who lacked space for the garden.
Over 20 million people in the United States alone planted victory gardens during World War II, and these wartime gardens were an important source of food for many families. Victory garden foods that were not eaten immediately could be stored for future use or given to underprivileged community members, and some victory gardens achieved great success, thanks to community effort.
At the end of the war, the victory garden movement was largely abandoned, because people expected the food supply to return to pre-war levels. Indeed, Britain in particular struggled with food shortages for several years after the war, as it took time for the fallow lands to return to full production. In the later part of the 20th century, the victory gardens movement experienced a resurgence, with advocates of locally grown organic foods encouraging people to plant victory gardens to source food and promote local means of production.
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