"Tradition is the solution of your ancestors to problems you have forgotten" - Unknown

After the tumultuous year of 2020 when most of America was in “lockdown”, many people recognized a nearby opportunity to stay active and save some money. Simply put, "people were stuck at home and realized they could grow their own food," said Sharon Erickson, a UC Master Gardener, about the rise in home gardens seen in recent years.

Proper Patriot was ahead of the trend and started their gardening journey in 2019, over time building 20+ raised beds plus a chicken coop for 21 new hens and Reptar (close-up below). With the dramatic rise in inflation, uncertainty of supply chains, and health concerns of mass-produced agriculture, we see this as our own “Victory Garden” to triumph in self-reliance, food security, and healthy living.

So, we’re here to share our inspiration and give some insight on why home gardening is such a good idea. Even if we’re not fighting a war (for now) here are 5 good reasons to start a victory garden with us!

1). It’s How We’ve Gotten Through Hard Times in the Past.

In the Great Depression, WWI & WWII the government promoted and encouraged people to grow Victory Gardens as industries were converted towards the war effort. Eleanor Roosevelt even planted a Victory Garden on the White House Lawn. It's an American tradition, especially during hard times like we're now seeing today.

2). Gardening is Very Cost-Effective 

Gardening doesn't have to be expensive, there are many ways of doing it. If you have a balcony or a small patio you can successfully grow numerous things in containers. A modest investment can easily turn into a profitable return in grocery store savings! The important thing is to not jump in over your head and start with a size you can manage well. 

Seeds are CHEAP and easy to harvest yourself for an endless free supply.  Just start by putting something in the ground - Anything! Read this helpful guide for growing the perfect vegetable garden.

"A garden returns 50x the investment you put into it. Not just food, but joy, peace, and a real connection with creation. A spiritual retreat from a noisy world and hurried people. Grow a garden." ~ Unknown

3). Healthier, Better Quality, Better Tasting

Soil degradation and the use of herbicides and pesticides strip most of our food today of its nutrition and taste. A study at the University of Texas found “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamin C over the past half-century from the Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999.

Homegrown food tastes so much better as you’re eating fresh “off the vine”! Furthermore, your food stores longer because you're getting it as fresh as it can be. You can grow better varieties other than what's just grown specifically for the purpose of being shipped, transported, and stored in a grocery store until a customer buys it. Plus, you get the health benefits of being outside, active, in the fresh air, and getting vitamin D.

4). Self Reliance = Freedom 

Having more control over the food we eat and its quality gives us freedom (something we've been gradually losing here in America). You’re not subject to the supply chains and grocery store prices when you grow your own food! Home gardens give us more of a safety net to be less affected by the changing tides of these unpredictable times.

5). Preserving Almost Forgotten Knowledge

Before they were called "Victory" gardens, it was just a way of life. Chances are you or someone you know has a grandparent that had a garden. Until pretty recently most people had some kind of garden and grew at least some of their own food. 

As Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms beautifully describes: “The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.”

Let's not let ourselves forget this valuable knowledge of how to grow our own food!

Keep this American tradition going and start your Victory Garden with us this year!