V is not for Virus it's for Victory Garden!

V is for Victory!

Garden That is!

The Novel Corona Virus is spreading and causing illness, death and mandatory shelter in place ordinances. This has caused the biggest loss of jobs since the great depression. Widespread public panic resulting in hoarding, and labor shortages on farms, has caused store shelves to be shockingly empty. My generation has never experienced this. I grew up in the 70’s where the only shortage I remember experiencing was the OPEC oil embargo!

I was asked to write this article on Victory Gardens and am thrilled to do so. Having invested 15 years of gardening at Cornerstone Sonoma I realized this is the critical moment to share my knowledge and experience with the community. Out of all the gardens I have built and maintained, vegetable gardens have always been the most satisfying. There is nothing like a meal that you have grown yourself. Like my grandmother before me who left her housewife duties to work at Hamilton Airforce base as a riveter in World War II, I too feel a sense of duty to serve the people of my community. Sounds dramatic I know, but we are presently at war with an unseen enemy.

Besides the well known Rosie the Riveter many women were called to duty during WWI and WWII to either plant a Victory Garden at home or join the Women's Land Army of America to help reduce food shortages and augment what little rations (milk, eggs, coffee, meat) they were allotted. The men of the country had to leave their jobs on the farm and go fight the war and women were rallied to take their place. Approximately 20,000 women worked as farm hands doing jobs such as tilling, planting, driving tractors, composting, and etc. By 1945, six million male farm workers had gone off to war.

The Women’s Bureau proposed the creation of the Women’s Land Army in 1941. This was eventually adopted by the Department of Agriculture in 1943. America pushed through and persevered as a result of the 20 million Victory Gardens which produced 40% of the food consumed in the wartime era. We are again facing another astronomical crisis affecting the world, just like in 1939, and like then, we have an opportunity to create food sovereignty while increasing emotional well being, and strengthening our communities by planting our own modern Victory Gardens!

“The Women’s Bureau proposed the creation of the Women’s Land Army in 1941. This was eventually adopted by the Department of Agriculture in 1943. America pushed through and persevered as a result of the 20 million Victory Gardens which produced 40% of the food consumed in the wartime era.”

The Victory Gardens of the past were usually traditional row plantings on fairly large plots but people were encouraged to plant their front yard if that was all they had available. The government provided garden plans and crop suggestions in the form of brochures to get people started. The crops were similar to what we grow today but we now have more varieties to choose from, while also enjoying growing the old dependable heirloom varieties.

Are you ready to dig in? April is here and this is the perfect time to start your warm season garden. Warm season includes late spring, summer and early fall. Crops you should be planting now are tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, late season potato varieties, cucumbers, melons, summer squash, winter squash, carrots and radishes ( spring only if in hot climate), sunflowers for seed, Jerusalem Artichoke, rhubarb, turnips, rutabaga, and more. Try finding tomato and pepper starts as it’s a little late for seeds. Plants are flying off the shelves and some nurseries are closed so buy what you can when it’s available. You may have to search a little further than usual or get resourceful. For instance, some things can be started from old produce in your fridge!

There are crops you can start today! Cut potatoes in pieces ensuring they have an eye (a dent where roots will sprout) in each section. Let the cut pieces dry for a day and plant in well drained soil or a potato tower. Sprout beans by soaking them, cut the root section off of celery stocks, and more! Don’t have much or any land? No problem. There are many crops that do well in containers: tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, bush beans and pole beans, even lettuce and kale in the cool months of fall/winter. The key is to get started! Talk with friends and family, network with your neighbors, and don’t be afraid of failure. Gardening is a process that will teach you as you go. Gardening is essential! Create your own version of a Victory Garden today, and let’s share the bounty of our harvests tomorrow.