Are you a victory canner?

Victory Canner Poster

I came across this post in my feed reader this morning, and Jayce and I thought it was worth sharing. These are posters from WWII to encourage victory gardens and canning.

What were victory gardens? Back in World Wars 1 and 2, citizens of various countries were encouraged to do a variety of things to help out military efforts. This ranged from buying war bonds to saving scrap metal to growing gardens at home in order to ease the strain on the public food supply. Because certain foods were rationed, these gardens provided families with extra fresh food during warm months, and home-canned foods when it got colder.

Nowadays, home gardening is seen by many as more of a hobby. But a little bit of time and effort can pay off in big ways. Not only will you be able to enjoy fresh, ripe veggies that weren’t picked green and then ripened during delivery, you can avoid a variety of issues inherent with the globalization of the food supply. Price fluctuations, E. Coli and salmonella scares, Genetically Modified seeds, and just plain shifty practices by manufacturers will be of little concern to you.

Of course, if another world war breaks out, the experienced home gardener will be ready long before anyone else.

World War II Canning and Gardening Posters via Kabaju

3 Replies to “Are you a victory canner?”

  1. During the depression my grandfather, my father, two uncles and three aunts with their spouses and children all worked a very large garden on my grandfathers property (about 1/2 acre). They supplemented the requirements of over 20 people. Meat was rare but eggs and some dairy was available for a price. The government handed out food bags at the city hall but it was never enough nor dependable in it's quality (for example it might be a bag of cabbages one day and a bag or bread the next). They canned food (waterbath only) on a wood fired stove. My father (28 years old) walked along the railroad tracks with two buckets picking up pieces of coal that had dropped from the bunkers of steam locomotives. Some adults had jobs but no one had a full time job. They limited themselves to one kerosene lantern for two hours a night. I could go on for hours with the family stories of the great depression but my main point is that they actually did OK. They didn't feel lucky at the time but they all lived their lives and created strong family bonds that lasted for generations. But in my opinion their experience would not be the experience we would have if TSHTF today. There was petty theft back then but today we expect widespread rioting and home invasion in a economic collapse. The great depression lasted from 1929 until about Dec 7th 1941 when the buildup to the war put everyone to work. Could we survive 11+ years of depression in today's society? Do your grandparents own 1/2 acre or so and would welcome you in with open arms? What is your plan “A”?

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