Episode 9 - Gardening is War Work!

Your Victory Garden Counts More Than Ever
1945
wikimedia commons

 

It's very exciting to be back with a new season of the Victory Kitchen!

The next two episodes are all about the Victory Garden. In episode nine, I talk about the National Victory Garden Program and why it was so important to the war effort in America. I share two vegetarian-friendly recipes and one Indiana preacher sets the bar for a Victory Garden.

Enjoy these resources I've gathered for this episode. There are some great original photographs, propaganda posters, and articles. See my full list of resources at the bottom to find PDF copies of original wartime gardening books. And if some of your favorite wartime gardening posters aren't here, please keep in mind that I've only included the posters that are American and from WWII. If I've missed one, please let me know!

Washington D.C., A resident of the Southwest section and her Victory Garden
June 1943
Library Of Congress, public domain

Frequent watering of the Victory Garden is necessary 
during the early stages of growth, 1943
National Archives, public domain

Mrs. Martin Belgarde and Children and Their 
Victory Garden, 1943
National Archives, public domain

C & NW RR
Railroad workers cultivating a little Victory garden
at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 
April 1943
Library of Congress, public domain

Groundwork for Victory - Grow More in '44
1942-1945
National Archives, public domain

Grow Your Own, Be Sure!
1945
University of North Texas, public domain

Plant A Victory Garden, 1941-1945
National Archives, public domain

War Gardens for Victory, Grow Vitamins at Your Kitchen Door
1939-1945
Library of Congress, public domain

Food Gardens for Defense
by M. G. Kains, 1942

Better Homes & Gardens magazine,
Coca-Cola ad, August 1944

Here are the recipes from this episode's featured cookbook - The American Woman's Food Stretcher Cook Book, 1943!

Bean Sausages was an interesting recipe. I added 1 cup of breadcrumbs to the mixture and would have liked to amp up the seasonings. When making this yourself, feel free to experiment with seasonings that suit your taste! They are very beany and rather bland, but that makes them the perfect thing to dip in sauces!

Bean Sausages
The American Woman's Food Stretcher Cook Book
1943

This Apple Crisp recipe was really good and very surprising with the amount of water that's added. Even without the typical oats, this recipe earned a huge thumbs up from me!

Apple Crisp
The American Woman's Food Stretcher Cook Book
1943

Here is the story highlight from the March 1942 Farm Journal and Farmer's Wife Magazine:

RESOURCES

(These resources represent the research for both episodes 1 & 2 on Victory Gardening. Below under the "Books" section you'll find free digital copies of WWII gardening books/pamphlets!)

Articles:

Gardening for the Common Good (Smithsonian)

https://library.si.edu/exhibition/cultivating-americas-gardens/gardening-for-the-common-good

Accessed 9/19/20

Victory Gardens Make a Comeback

https://www.nybg.org/victory-gardens-make-a-comeback/

Accessed 8/31/20

Cultivating for the Cause: Victory Gardens Till New Ground

https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ww2/Pages/services-gardens.aspx

Accessed 8/27/20

America in WWII - Disney to the Front

http://www.americainwwii.com/galleries/disney-to-the-front/

Accessed 8/27/20

2719 Hyperion - Disney’s Victory Gardens

http://2719hyperion.blogspot.com/2008/08/disneys-victory-gardens.html

Accessed 8/27/20

Boom Pop - Gardening for Victory

http://boom-pop.blogspot.com/2008/08/gardening-for-victory.html

Accessed 8/28/20

Victory of the Garden (lots of awesome sources including propaganda films, pamphlets, etc.

https://victoryofthegarden.omeka.net/

Accessed 8/27/20

The Victory Garden Manual

https://libraries.mit.edu/150books/2011/03/30/1943/

Accessed 8/27/20

USDA Archives - Victory Gardens

https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/small/exhibits/show/victory-gardens/victory-garden-aids

Accessed 8/27/20

WWII Victory Gardens

https://sidewalksprouts.wordpress.com/history/wwii/

Accessed 8/27/20

Pennsylvania Victory Gardens

https://mgfranklincopa.weebly.com/blog--notes/1944-pennsylvania-victory-gardens

Accessed 8/28/20

Propaganda Art for WWII Victory Gardens

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/propaganda-art-for-wwii-victory-gardens/

Accessed 8/28/20

Books:

State of Oregon - Green Thumb Contest Record Book (Mickey Mouse) (This is the original one you can download for yourself! 💗)

https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ww2/Documents/services-ag8.pdf

Accessed 8/27/20

Victory Garden Handbook - a guide for victory gardeners in New York and Neighboring States

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Victory_garden_handbook_-_a_guide_for_victory_gardeners_in_New_York_and_neighboring_states_(IA_CAT10947093).pdf&page=3

Acessed 8/27/20

1943 Victory Yearbook

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:1943_victory_yearbook_-_plant_for_victory_-_grow_fruits_%26_vegetables_for_victory,_flowers_for_morale_(IA_CAT31362352).pdf&page=3

Accessed 8/27/20

The Victory Garden Guide, April 1944

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:The_victory_garden_guide_(IA_CAT10890766).pdf&page=3

Accessed 8/27/20

The Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook - How to Grow a Victory Garden

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:How_to_grow_a_victory_garden;_a_complete_manual_of_how,_when,_where_and_what_to_plant_(IA_CAT10947094).pdf&page=3

Accessed 8/27/20

ABC of Victory Gardens

https://www.ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401coll32/id/36

Accessed 8/27/20

Victory Garden Handbook (pdf download!)

https://www.greenprophet.com/2020/03/victory-garden-plans/

Accessed 8/27/20

Victory Garden Leader’s Handbook

https://archive.org/details/VictoryGardenLeadersHandbook/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

Guide for Planning the Local Victory Garden Program, 1942

https://archive.org/details/GuideForPlanningTheLocalVictoryGardenProgram/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

Victory Gardens - Handbook of the Victory Garden Committee, 1944

https://archive.org/details/victorygardensha00mack/page/n5/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

Summer Victory Garden Specialties

https://archive.org/details/summervictorygar19pete/page/n1/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

Garden Guide 1943

https://archive.org/details/CAT31361789/page/n1/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

Garden for Victory 1943

https://archive.org/details/gardenforvictory1943jobp/page/n1/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

“Homemaker’s Chat” False Economy in the Victory Garden (USDA Radio Service - for broadcast only)

https://archive.org/details/falseeconomyinvi1945unit/page/n1/mode/2up

Accessed 8/28/20

Food Gardens for Defense. M. G. Kaines.Grosset and Dunlap, New York. 1942.

Have a Victory Garden: Eat what you can, and can what you can’t eat. L. A. Hawkins. International Harvester Company, Chicago.  

The New Garden Encyclopedia: Victory Garden Edition. Seymour, E. L. D. Wm. H. Wise & Co. New York, 1943.

Images:

Victory Garden

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victory-garden.jpg

Accessed 8/27/20

Plant a Victory Garden

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/513818

Accessed 8/27/20

Frequent Watering - FDR collection

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196478

Accessed 8/27/20

Mrs. Martin Belgarde and her Children and their Victory Garden

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/118972367

Accessed 8/27/20

Groundwork for Victory, 1944.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/513659

Accessed 8/28/20

Washington D.C. A resident of the Southwest section and her victory garden. June 1943

https://www.loc.gov/item/2017861302/

Accessed 8/28/20

C & NW RR Railroad workers cultivating a little Victory Garden at Proviso Yard, Chicago, IL

https://www.loc.gov/item/2017878069/

Accessed 9/4/20

War Gardens for Victory

https://www.loc.gov/item/96507418/

Accessed 9/8/20

Strong, Grover. Grow your own : be sure!, poster, 1945; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc545/: accessed August 28, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.