HISTORY OF COMMUNITY GARDENS IN THE U.S. Science Page From the late 1800’s LATE 1800’s EARLY 1900’s .usbg.gov POTATO PATCH MOVEMENT LIBERTY GARDENS w through the Cities were growing rapidly. Many The U.S. government recruited
ww 1940’s, the main people were out of work. peop le to grow purpose of Acr oss the country, Liber ty Gardens community cities began offering during World War I. gardens in gar den plots to poor Growing your own the U.S. was peo ple so they could food was a way to grow grow their own food. that e very food. Ame rican could contr ibute UNITEDSTATES BOTANIC GARDEN to
the war
effort.
1930’s RELIEF 1940’s GARD The GreatENS VICTORY Depre began. ssion GARDENS Relief Gar were dens When the U.S. promoted t o entered World War improve people’s II, the government spirits, and to pr ovide launched a Victory food and work. Garden campaign. By 1944, 20 million Victory Gardens produced 44% of the fresh vegetables in the U.S.! Many vegetables were stored for winter.
From the late 1960’s to the present EXPRESSING GROWING FOOD day, community gardens have Many people grow served many different purposes. CULTURAL TRADITIONS their own food because they like the taste of IMPROVING NEIGHBORHOODS Many immigrants and Americans from all ethnic fresh vegetables. People in cities turn vacant lots into backgrounds bring plants Others are concerned beautiful gardens. Gardens provide a and cultural traditions to about rising food quiet place to sit in the shade, or to the gardens, creating multi- prices or about meet and talk with friends. Children cultural garden mosaics. chemicals in foods. play in Some simply want to garde ns teach their children and o lder where their food
people comes from. get
exerc ise while garde ning.
a casita in a Puerto Rican community garden
long. Measure and mark off the time segments, for example, every 5 years, on COMMUNITY GARDEN TIMELINE your timeline, left to right. .usbg.gov 4. Mark exact dates of historical events above w Write the letter of each of the following in the the timeline. Then glue any information and ww correct place on the timeline. pictures that you have collected about these A. Liberty Gardens historical events above the timeline. Mark B. Potato Patch Movement dates of community gardening events below C. Beginning of modern day community garden the timeline. Glue information and pictures movement you have collected about gardening below D. Relief Gardens the timeline. E. Victory Gardens 5. Display the timeline on a wall. Study the pictures and information carefully. Does the UNITEDSTATES BOTANIC GARDEN timeline give you a better understanding of how events in history have affected community gardening?
I wonder if the I found a development of the Internet picture of a Victory Garden has influenced TRY THIS on the community MAKING A COMMUNITY GARDEN TIMELINE Internet. gardens? You can make a timeline of major events in
U.S. history during the last century. You can add information about community gardening to your timeline to show how historical events have influenced community gardening. What you need
* sheet of butcher paper Good. We’ll put it under * scissors the magazine picture I * ruler or meter stick found on World War II. * pencils * glue SPOTLIGHT What to do ON RESEARCH 1. Do research in the library or on the Internet Why people garden to find out about specific dates and events in A researcher at the University of California at U.S. history during the last century. List the Berkeley conducted a survey of community events in order from earliest to latest. gardeners in San Jose to find out why people 2. Collect interesting pictures to add to your garden. A total of 485 surveys were mailed to timeline. Copy pictures from books, or do an gardeners in 8 community gardens, and 146 image search on the Google search engine surveys were returned. Of those people who to find interesting drawings or photos of responded, most thought of gardening as a important historical events. Also look for hobby. Recent immigrants said they also garden photos or drawings related to community because they want to beautify the neighborhood gardening throughout the century. For and because they want to grow vegetables that example, do a Google image search for are hard to get. Among other reasons given, “World War II” and another image search for Mexicans said they garden to connect with their “Victory Garden.” Write captions for the homeland, Europeans to relieve stress, and pictures you find. Laotians to save money. w3. Dra the timeline down the center of a Source: Lee, S.H. (2002). Community gardening benefits as sheet of butcher paper. You need to decide perceived among American-born and immigrant gardeners in San how long to make the timeline, and how to Jose, California. Environmental Sciences 196. Berkeley University of California.