Victory Gardens of WWII

Most people who lived in the United States during WWII will remember the 'victory gardens' that dramatically changed the landscape of both urban and rural America. With shortages affecting just about every American in staples ranging from sugar to gasoline, victory gardens afforded everyone the chance to do their part for the war effort by growing their own vegetables. Before long, it was difficult to find a city building without small gardens blooming on rooftops and balconies. On the farms, the effort was even more dramatic: the government gave farmers the seemingly impossible task of increasing crop output even as Uncle Sam was reducing the availability of machine parts, gasoline, and manpower. To say that the farmers rose to the challenge would be a serious understatement. By 1943, the farms, along with millions of 'Sunday Farmers' produced more than 50% of all fresh vegetables consumed in the United States. This video presents five war-time films which urged Americans from all walks of life to pitch in and grow as much as they could, and while the films are as corny as any war propaganda movie, this program would still be useful in larger WWII collections. Recommended, with reservations. Aud: P. (J. Carlson)