During World War I and later World War II, Americans were encouraged by the government to plant small herb and vegetable plots wherever they could, so as to avoid the threat of food shortages on the home front.  At private residences and public parks across the country, Americans took to the soil, spade in hand.  At the height of World War II, around one third of all the vegetables produced in the United States came from one of our 18 million victory gardens.  Victory gardens were such a ubiquitous symbol of American strength and resolve that Eleanor Roosevelt even had one planted at the White House.

In the past 25 years, freed from their wartime context, victory gardens have been making a comeback.  In 2009 Michelle Obama planted her own at the White House, the first since Eleanor’s, as part of her Let’s Move campaign to combat childhood obesity.  More and more Americans are getting serious about growing their own food.  It’s part of a greater trend toward conscientious food consumption led by pioneering figures like Alice Waters.

We have our own victory garden right here at Empire Farm.  It was where we held our grand opening ceremony back in 2014, with a little help from Ms. Waters herself.  Today, it’s where we grow much of the produce for our community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, as well as part of the crop for our pilot initiative for hemp cultivation.

We love our victory garden.  We think everyone should have one. Choose from our variety of victory garden kits and get started growing today.