Backyard Farmers: Victory Gardens

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7min 20sec

This summer, we’ve been bringing you stories about backyard farmers. For many of the people we’ve talked to, the impulse to grow their own food is similar to what drove gardeners in World War One and World War II -- people want to be more self-reliant and they want to play a greater role in what they put out on the table. But back then, people gardened for the war effort to free up resources for the troops.It’s estimated that Americans planted more than twenty million victory gardens. We visit now with Ceci Droll who got started in gardening during World War II. She's still going strong today. She shares her story with CPR's Sarah Hughes.

To view this short film produced by the U.S. government in the 1940s to promote “victory gardens” click here.