021 GGW-Victory Gardens w/ Rose Hayden-Smith

[audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/joelampl/GGW021.mp3]

Show Notes

Introduction

Hi everybody, it’s Joe Lamp’l and welcome to Growing a Greener World. Well if you love to garden and spend time outdoors, and really care about environmental stewardship, you’ve come to the right place.

Well, not since the early forties has there been so much talk about Victory Gardens. But with a downturn in the economy, the responsibility to feed our families healthier, chemical free food, and our desire to live more sustainable lives, growing our own groceries is back in the spotlight. In fact, 7 million more people will have a food garden this year for the first time, raising the new total to 43 million people. That’s a 19% increase over the previous year, according to the National Gardening Association.

Today we’ll talk to one of the foremost authorities on Victory Gardens, Rose Hayden-Smith to learn about their history and more on why they are so popular today, and are they here to stay?

If you have a comment, send  an email to heyjoe@joegardener.com… or call our comment hotline at 206.337.0375

Intro: Rose Hayden-Smith

With all the talk lately around Victory Gardens, unless you grew up through the forty’s you may not really be aware of where the term came from, and what it really means. Although widely in use today, the term’s use now is not entirely related to it’s original intended meaning from the era of World War II. So why are food gardens today even referred to with a term of so long ago? Well today, we speak with Rose Hayden-Smith, a nationally recognized authority on the subject to shed some light on the history of Victory Gardens, what made them so popular back in the forties, and why have they suddenly become a household term again and to gain her perspective on all of this…

Rose Hayden-Smith Interview (not transcribed)

Outro: Rose Hayden-Smith is a nationally recognized expert on Victory Gardens. To learn more, you can go to our website, and watch the television episode on Victory Gardens featuring Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith. And remember, if you have a comment about today’s interview or anything at all for that matter, you can send  an email to heyjoe@joegardener.com or call our comment hotline at 206.337.0375.

And while you’re on the website, check out all the great content in the articles section and be sure to visit my blog, Compost Confidential. That’s where I share my insiders view on the lessons and news of gardening and living green. And right now, I’m blogging all about my Twenty-five Dollar, Organic Victory Garden Challenge including video, so come see for yourself.

About Rose Hayden-Smith:
Rose Hayden-Smith is an academic with the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, where she serves as Director of Cooperative Extension in Ventura County. Her work focuses on providing gardening and food systems education to youth, educators and community audiences. She has worked with 4-H and Master Gardener programs. A practicing U.S. historian, she is a nationally recognized expert on Victory Gardens, wartime food policies, and school garden programs. She is a 2008-2009 Kellogg Foundation/IATP Food and Society Policy Fellow (FASP). The creator of UC’s Victory Grower website and blog, her work can be found at http://groups.ucanr.org/victorygrower/

Related links:
http://groups.ucanr.org/victorygrower/
Food and Society Fellows

Learn more about Victory Gardens, sustainable food systems and gardening by reading her blog: http://ucanr.org/blogs/VictoryGrower_Blog/

Follow Rose on Twitter at http://twitter.com/victorygrower

Close
Well, that’s it for today. This show was produced by The joe gardener® Media Network.

You can access the show notes from this episode as well as any previous shows on our website at joegardener.com. You can also order a copy of my latest book, The Green Gardener’s Guide. I will personally autograph it for you! And don’t forget to check out the blog; Compost Confidential.

Until next time, consider this as seen on a magnet at a store in Florida. It said

“Eat Organic Vegetables! Or, as your Grandma called them: Vegetables.”

Think about it! And Thanks for listening! This is Joe Lamp’l and I’ll see you back here next time for more Growing a Greener World.