Free Republic

Spring in the northern hemisphere is two weeks away, and interest in planting gardens could rise as the breadbasket of Europe was choked off by the Russian invasions of Ukraine, jeopardizing global food exports resulting in skyrocketing prices. Even before the turmoil in Ukraine, American households were under pressure due to soaring food and gas prices. The invasion just made things a lot worse as commodity prices jumped the most last week since the stagflationary period of the mid-1970s. New UN global food price, released on Friday, showed global food prices in February surpassed a previous record set in 2011....

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — A program from the past is coming back to northeast Ohio. The state's Department of Agriculture (OHDOA) is growing its "Victory Gardens" program during the pandemic, and some of those gardens are going in plots at the Canterbury Community Garden. The garden, started in the 1940s, is in the corner of the parking lot at Canterbury Elementary School in Cleveland Heights. "When World War II came about, there was even more of a push for people to grow their own vegetables," said Deb Franke, the garden's co-leader. "And this was created in about 1943 as a...

Vegetable gardens growing in popularity By Debbie Arrington At her modest south Sacramento home, Yemanya Napue tore up her backyard lawn to plant an extensive vegetable garden. In the front yard, she squeezed blueberries, herbs and fruit trees into a flower garden to create an edible landscape. Napue shared that bounty last year with her neighbors – and ended up feeding 43 families. Now, she's planting much larger community gardens, including one on what used to be the lawn of the neighborhood church. "I've always worked in gardens all my life," said Napue, 52. "This is something I can do,...

U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski thinks the nation’s financial crisis could use victory gardens. After sitting through three major hearings on the crisis the last two weeks, Kanjorski sees progress in dealing with it, but less in unifying the public behind an ultimate solution. Enter the victory gardens — Kanjorski’s metaphor for convincing a skeptical public to support further drastic action proposed to solve the crisis. During World War II, Americans grew gardens of fruits and vegetables to lessen the need for store-bought food. Known as victory gardens, they made people feel connected to war effort. At this stage of...

I can remember my mother talking about the victory garden she had in the backyard of their home during World War II. My dad was in the Navy in the Pacific theater during the war and my mother felt that she was supporting the war effort with her little garden. If you look up victory gardens you will find that during World War I and World War II, the government asked the residents of the United States to plant gardens in order to support the war effort. It was one way to bring the people together in support of a...

Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies. At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in...

How an organic movement born in Berkeley exemplifies conservative values ALICE WATERS SEEMS at first like an unlikely conservative. A veteran of Berkeley's Free Speech Movement who once cooked a $25,000-a-seat fund-raising dinner for Bill Clinton, she eagerly compares her campaign for "edible schoolyards" - where children grow, prepare, and eat fresh produce - with John F. Kennedy's attempt to improve physical fitness through mandatory exercise. Her dream of organic, locally and sustainably produced food in every school cafeteria, class credit for lunch hour, and required gardening time and cooking classes is as utopian as they come. The name she...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...