January 2012 Gem Lake Newsletter

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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 Victory Gardens Once Common in Gem Lake Urban gardening projects, like those encouraged by Gem Lake's Garden Overlay Ordinance, have become more common throughout Minnesota, as witnessed by the proliferation of Farmer's Markets. It's important to note, however, that this is not a new idea--it's a recycling of a great old one. During World War II, "Victory Gardens" sprang up all over Gem Lake. "The idea was to make citizens more self sufficient," says long-time resident Connie Kunin. She was born into the shortages of the war years and remembers how hard it was to find some basic items. "I vaguely remember the garden out in our pasture, where we grew all kinds of vegetables. I don't remember all the specific kinds, because I was very little. I do remember asparagus and rhubarb." Connie's family grew currants for jam and kept a flock of chickens. They also got a memorable and rather stubborn cow named Rosebud, that no one but her mother Eileen Bigelow would milk. "She (Eileen, not the cow) was very conscious of the need for self-sufficiency. She figured we would always have milk, eggs and vegetables. She was determined to have a large Victory Garden, I remember her referring to it and how important it was. To be honest, I remember the cow more than the garden." During World War II, the U.S. government had to ration essentials such as milk, cheese, butter, sugar, coffee, canned goods and meat. The shortage of labor and transportation made the harvesting of crops and the movement of fruits and vegetables to market very difficult. To help with this problem, ordinary citizens were asked to pitch in and plant their own gardens and grow whatever fruits and vegetables they could. Some produce simply wasn't available at the store anymore. These "Victory Gardens" were an important part of the war effort. An estimated 20 million Americans answered their country's call and started gardens in backyards, in empty lots and sometimes on city rooftops. According to the US Department of Agriculture, these 20 million gardens produced between 9-10 million tons of produce. Families were also encouraged to can their own vegetables, partly so the commercially canned produce could be directed to military needs. In 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers (used in canning), compared to 66,000 the year before. Gardening was always a way of live in Gem Lake, says Dick Arcand, who turned a proud 90 years old last month. "There were so many gardens here, that the area around Hoffman's Corner was called Gardenville, and canning was very common." Some gardeners grew tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, carrots, sweet corn and similar crops for their own use. Others were what was called truck farmers, meaning they grew produce for sale to local vendors. "During the war, I guess they became, more or less, what you would call "Victory Gardens." It wasn't a new idea here, even then," says Dick. "Everyone in the area had a garden and grew things. My dad was a mail carrier and even he raised his own tomatoes. Almost everyone did some canning." Starting in 1950, Dick and his wife ran Hoffman's Grocery, selling produce from all over the area, as well as from throughout the United States. By that time, produce was widely available again.