History of Victory Gardens

Victory Gardens were prevalent during WW2 as a means for individuals to contribute to the war effort by growing their own food and in doing so allow a major portion of commercially grown produce to feed our troops. It was a grand idea. And citizens in the US embraced it. They called these gardens "Victory Gardens" because they potentially helped win the war. Eleanor Roosevelt thought it was a good idea to plant a victory garden on the lawn of the White House. The Department of the Interior refused to allow her to do this, but she defied them and did it anyway. It was an era of rationing which encompassed everything from butter to gasoline. So the American people grew their own vegetables. It was win-win. People ate better, for less and helped the war effort at the same time. Similar efforts were made in England where even the smallest spot of land was used for a home vegetable garden.

When the war ended, the US government discouraged people from continuing to grow their "victory gardens" because they felt that such gardens would compromise the growth of industrial agriculture. And so the "Victory Garden" movement metaphorically withered on the vine and agra-business flourished.

And Now to the Present

So here we are in the 21st century facing drought, global warming, and food shortages. Industrial agriculture has until now been successful in feeding the growing population but not without unintended consequences. Firstly, agra-business depends on liberal use of fertilizers to attain commercially viable crop yields. Many components of these fertilizers kill soil microbes which are necessary to break down organic compounds in the soil into forms that the plants can utilize. Ultimately, the very earth that the crops are grown on thus becomes infertile. This requires the continual use of further fertilization for the crops to effectively grow. Additionally, crops grown in the ground require prodigious amounts of water to be applied to the plants. Since the roots of these plants (paradoxically) need oxygen to enable photosynthesis to occur, the soil needs to be porous. Thus, a vast majority of the water used to irrigate the fields, percolates along with the fertilizers (and pesticides) into the ground water - thus contaminating our aquifers. We no longer see the effect of seasonal crops since worldwide production insures that we can get virtually any vegetable or fruit at any time of the year. Since this produce must be moved from the places of production to the ultimate destinations where it is sold, worldwide agra-business is greatly contributing to our carbon footprint and concomitantly - global warming. It doesn't take a genius to see that we are headed towards a perfect storm. It is a matter of scientific conjecture to predict when this will occur.

Should We Be Planting 21st Century "Victory Gardens"?

Decidedly, yes. Unlike WW2, today we are at war with ourselves, our food supply, and our environment. Each and every one of us can contribute to reducing global warming and at the same time potentially lower our food costs by efficiently growing a portion of our own food. All you need to start is a sunny window, a patio, or a small yard. Aside from being extremely satisfying, growing your own vegetables and herbs is a win for the planet and for us.

This approach could even have an impact on the 'saleability' of new housing construction. At home we have a detached garage that has a two-foot deep organic roof garden. During the fall and winter we grow swiss chard, broccoli, brussel sprouts and other winter crops on the roof. In spring and summer, we grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, melons, artichokes and even lemon grass (for Thai cooking) on the top of our garage - while the soil insulation keeps the garage cool. We not only enjoy the produce we grow, but also feel that we are helping in a very small way to make this world a better place. On a personal level, we practice what we preach.

Conventional Watering Options

We are in an era of what we call "gardening awareness". Most experts suggest that you replace random watering of your plants with drip irrigation. This is a good first step. However the reality is that whether you irrigate by sprinkling, flooding, or drip methods, most of the water you apply to your plants ends up percolating below the root level and ultimately carrying any contaminants - such as pesticides and fertilizer residue into the ground water.

Organic Gardening

At home, where the issue isn't maximizing productivity, organic gardening techniques are highly recommended. In our "organic" soil-based garden we mulch, use organic fertilizers (composted manure) and compost to amend our soil. We plant garlic, chives, and marigolds around our vegetables which helps with pest control. Ladybugs and lacewings also help to control pests. We do not use pesticides. We don't have to.

Is There Another Way To Garden?

Yes there is. It's called 'soil-less gardening' or alternatively, 'hydroponics'. In this method of growing vegetables (and herbs and flowers, etc.) no soil is used. The roots of the plants are bathed -either continuously or intermittently - in a nutrient solution which provides the essential components necessary for photosynthesis and vigorous growth. The plants are physically supported by inorganic media such as rock wool and porous ceramic beads. Hydroponics is in use throughout the world including South America, Central America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North America to grow a variety of crops in commercial quantities. These crops include tomatoes, lettuces, herbs and plant varieties favored by buyers in various countries where they are grown.

By combining farm fish operations with vegetable production, fish wastes can be used to nourish vegetables rather than being simply dumped into our waterways or leaching into our soil. In temperate climates, this is even viable for the home grower. As an example, in Costa Rica a family can grow tilapia in a 500 gallon tank while growing a viable crop of lettuces as a marketable side-line at the same time.

Hydroponics is the future of agra-business, but it is also becoming increasingly more viable in the present. Growing plants in soil on a commercial basis will ultimately not be a viable option in many parts of the world. To contribute to global warming and consumer cost by shipping and flying produce from where it is produced to where it is consumed is the ultimate folly. It only works now because the perfect storm has not yet occurred.

Gardening in the Schools

Many elementary and middle schools have essentially unfunded gardening awareness programs. Such schools have students under teacher supervision plant a garden, tend it, and harvest the crops. This is a rewarding, educational and enlightening enterprise. But I ask the simple question - why isn't the hydroponic method even alluded to in these programs? We need to teach the teachers to think outside of the box.

Where We Come In

Our company, ArtSciDesign, LLC manufactures several soil-less gardening kits for the schools and for the home gardener. These kits are a perfect way to get started incorporating hydroponics into our home "victory gardens". You can read about these kits by visiting Plantechnics.com - our soil-less gardening site or clicking on the links to three of our kits pictured below.

	Floating Gardentm Kitchen Garden Kit	Floating Garden tm Vegetable Hydroponic Garden Kit	The Grass Gardentm Wheatgrass Hydroponic Garden Kit