Victory Gardens Are Making A Come Back

Victory Gardens were first grown in Canada and the United States during World War I to offset food shortages brought about by lack of manpower and transportation.  During World War II they took on even more significance and were also grown in Britain and Australia.

Whether community gardens or home gardens they provided access to much needed food, as well as offering a morale booster and sense of empowerment.  A shortage of agricultural workers and packaging led to food rationing and increased prices.  By growing fruits and vegetables families were able to meet their nutritional needs.

Garden and farm supply businesses, like
Brevard Hardware, advertised specials on
tools, seed and fertilizer.
Transylvania Times, April 4, 1946.

On the local level a search of the springtime issues of the Transylvania Times between the years of 1942-1946 revealed a push for all families to carry out their patriotic duty by growing a vegetable garden.  They printed educational articles, along with charts and tables with information on when to plant, how much to plant per person and suggestions for small, medium and large gardens.

Extension Service Agent, Julian A. Glazener led the activities to promote home gardens by sharing step-by-step instructions from planning the size and location of the plot to harvesting and preserving the crop.  Schools, civic clubs, 4-H clubs and home demonstration clubs all took an active role.

While gardening was not unusual for farm families, many of those who lived in town no longer depended on gardens for their produce.  Families were also encouraged to raise rabbits, chickens and goats for meat, eggs and milk.

In 1943 it was reported that there were over 3000 gardens planned county wide.  This included 912 of the 925 farms in the county.  One thousand Ecusta families had home gardens and another 95 had plots at the mills 50-acre community garden.  Employees of Silversteen’s industries, Wheeler’s Hosiery and Pisgah Mills all had gardens at home or on rented plots.  Transylvania Tanning offered “settlings” from their clearing pools to enrich poor soil.  Many downtown businesses closed on Thursday afternoons to allow employees time to work in gardens.

During 1944, home demonstration clubs of Transylvania County reported that 361 members canned 35,501 quarts and brined 462 gallons of produce.  They also dried 465 pounds of fruits and vegetables.  In addition, $420.12 was raised from the sale of garden products.

A community cannery was operated at Brevard High's NYA hut when school was not in session.  Individuals did their own canning with assistance from the supervisor.  The only cost was for the cans at a rate of 6 and 7 cents per can.  The operation had a capacity of 1300 cans per day.

This advertisement from the April 4, 1946 issue of the Transylvania Times
emphasized the continued value of gardening to fight hunger.

Following the war many local families continued to have home gardens but the number and size decreased over time.  Ecusta continued to offer plots for employees in their community garden for more than 50 years. 

Most community Victory Gardens ceased to exist over time.  The two remaining continuously-operating WWII Victory Gardens are the Fenway Victory Gardens in Boston and Dowling Community Garden in Minneapolis.  During the last 20 years there has been renewed interest in both community and family gardens across the United States.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs. For more information, comments, or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.