The Victory Garden: A Sensible Way to Grow Your Own Survival Food

Hey, folks. I want to be candid in this post because I feel the topic of food growth and production is quite relevant at this time. 

So, let’s get into it.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, we saw a surge in panic-buying (here at Emergency Zone). But now that some time has passed, we can tell that people are settling back into their “normal” routine.

As Events unfold, the burden on people increases. 

Here is the most recent pattern to emerge that will effect us: impending food shortages. 

Why is that?

Well, you may have heard recent reports about food processing and packaging plants inexplicably catching fire. In many cases the buildings are a total loss, while others are damaged enough that it will be some time before they open again.

Whatever the case, too many fires have happened at food facilities to be mere coincidence. Strangely, many fires are breaking out on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

When patterns emerge, something is going on. To me (this is my opinion and no way endorsed by Emergency Zone) it seems like food production/processing plants are targets.

Even Tucker Carlson, on Fox News, has talked about this on his prime time show.

Do some research and find out for yourself. The evidence is there.

On top of the fires at food facilities, the FBI is now warning of possible cyber attacks on food production. 

Again…Why? Why is food production being targeted?

I’ll let you think through that and find your own answer.

Is there a war against our food happening? If so, what are the ramifications for us? What can we do about it?

Victory Garden History

Well, we can’t rely on politicians or government to provide us food. In fact since we gave up our ability to grow our own food (I mean on an individual, agrarian level), our very system of food production is our vulnerability. We may end up paying a high price for relying on others to keep us stocked with food.

What is the answer then to imminent food shortage?

Well, for once the government did something right and created a program that worked. Let’s take a little look from our history.

You may have heard this solution before, but it got its start in World War 1 in answer to the food crises that emerged in Europe, and again was brought back World War 2, in a big way 

That solution was…

The VICTORY GARDEN. 

During both World Wars the government encouraged people, with the help of the propaganda machine, to grow, harvest and store their own food. 

The idea of the victory garden was to use Any available patch of ground: an empty lot, yards, public land, private gardens, parks, churchyards, and school yards.

People worked together to grow community gardens; people in neighborhoods swapped and shared harvests; and people grew gardens wherever they could.

Booklets were printed for the beginner gardener and posters encouraged kids to become “Soldiers of the Soil.” All the stops were pulled out in order to motivate people to invest in themselves, while stretching the food supplies to soldiers and the needy in the war zone.

Victory gardens were vital, not just in food production, but also helped families stretch their food budget, gave them a form of healthy movement exercise, their harvested vegetables and fruits were chemical free, and any leftover harvest could be shared around. Based on all they gained, the gardens truly were a form of victory for American families.

Considering current reports regarding food production, we would be wise to hearken back and learn from our recent history. 

Maybe it’s time for us to return to victory gardens.

New Opportunity; New Victories

We have a choice.

We can look at what is happening to local, national, and world food production, wail and bemoan… and hope someone else will solve the problem…

Or…

We can look at this as an opportunity to take action, take back responsibility, and take back our own food production. 

We need to feed ourselves and do it in a wholesome, regenerative way.

There really is no excuse for us. 

Some might say, “I don’t have the space or the time.”

Well, how much do you want to live?

Because there are ways to grow food, whether you think you have space or not. The victory gardens of the past prove it; new methods of growing in limited space prove it; individuals posting and sharing videos prove there are still ways to grow food.

If people living in apartments with no other space than a balcony can grow food, then you can too. 

And if you work in tandem with others, you can plan what to grow and share a rich bounty.

Growing your own food is incredibly empowering. The fear of famine melts away when you plan, prepare, grow and harvest your own food.

It’s our reliance upon industrial food production and shipping that puts us in a precarious situation. As a whole, we may be in for lean times.

It’s not as if governments of the past have ever used food shortages as a means of control, right?

How to Start

Right!

It’s time to dispel the fear and uncertainty.

If you’re new to growing food, don’t worry. Search online, find videos, borrow books and begin your education.

There’s still time to plan your garden, gather supplies, and plant your seeds and vegetable starts. If you’re not sure where, or how to begin, there are tons of videos and resources online to help guide you.

Basically planning and research is where you begin. 

During the planning stage your space will determine what type of garden to plant: balcony, containers, square foot boxes and raised beds, vertical gardening, or your more traditional garden plot. For example, if you have a good sized yard, then think about square foot garden boxes.

Again, for a newbie, you’ll need to know your temperate zone (a quick search will inform you), and it’s a good idea to start with vegetables that are easy to grow. 

Here’s a quick run down of how my wife and I started our garden.

(The gentleman gardener. Hmmm. Not bad. I prefer a suit too when I garden.)

I know some about gardening, but I’m not a master gardener.

However, my wife and I decided to put more effort into growing our own food this year.

We recognized our space is limited and decided upon a garden plan consisting of a long garden box placed in an unused area of the yard, and we’ll also plant in containers and place them according to sun and shade needs.

Then we checked out books from the library and watched videos, all so we could learn and fill in the gaps of what we didn’t know. 

Even though we’re not doing the traditional garden we’re excited to try out some other options. The feeling of taking action, of planting our own vegetables is empowering and uplifting. And all you have to do is make the choice and start. 

It’s also okay to start small. You’ll be surprised how abundantly a small garden can yield. Whatever you can do, your family will be grateful.

Another way is a communal effort with family or friends. For example, if you had five families and you all decided on five crops (potatoes, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes) to grow, and then each family focused on growing only one vegetable out of the five, with the intent to harvest and share the cumulative effort amongst each family. I hope that makes sense. Each family only grows one crop, yet everyone shares in the total harvest, and that way you still get a variety.

Anyways, don’t think you are limited to what you can do or grow. There’s no more excuses. If someone can grow gardens on a balcony, then there’s a way for you to grow your own food.

Take Charge and Grab your Own Victory

Whether or not food shortages happen here in the U.S. I would still say that victory gardens are worthwhile.  I’m all in favor of people taking charge of their own food production.

And if you choose to grow food for yourself and family, you’ll have absolute confidence that your food is clean and free of chemicals.

Like I said, I can’t predict what will happen in the near future. But fires breaking out at food production plants…and not just one or two…but several, leads me to believe the fires are not coincidental.

Don’t take my word for it. Do the research and decide for yourself. Ultimately having enough food is your responsibility.

So, my final word is to encourage you to take action and plant, grow, harvest, and store food from your own garden. At some point you’ll be grateful you did.

However, visit our site and peruse our food storage bundles to get a start on stocking up your food.


LISTEN TO A 1943 RADIO SHOW ON THE VICTORY GARDEN! CLICK HERE