Victory gardens emerged during World War I and reached their peak in World War II, when governments encouraged citizens to grow their own food at home, in schoolyards, and on unused urban land. With commercial agriculture redirected toward feeding troops and allies overseas, food rationing became a fact of daily life. Victory gardens were a practical response: they reduced pressure on the national food supply, stabilized access to fresh produce, and gave civilians a tangible way to contribute to the war effort. By 1944, nearly 20 million victory gardens in the United States were producing an estimated 40 percent of the nation’s fresh vegetables.
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