ALT Left: WW2 era propaganda poster: "Sow the seeds of Victory! plant & raise your own vegetables. Every Garden a Munition Plant." Right: a black and white photograph of three women preparing a backyard garden with a wheelbarrow and hand tools

ALT During America’s involvement in World War II (1941–1945), the Victory Garden Program strove to reduce demand for commercially grown vegetables, packaging materials, and transportation needs by encouraging Americans to grow their own produce and preserve and can their surplus harvest. This made more food and materials available for the armed forces and programs that supported America’s Allies. By empowering people to grow their own food, victory gardens made Americans feel part of a greater cause. Victory Gardens by the Numbers Roughly one half of all American families had a victory garden during World War II. There were at least 20 million victory gardens covering more than 20 million acres of American soil by 1943. 40% of the nation’s produce was supplied by victory gardens by 1944. American families had grown approximately 8 million tons of food by the time the war ended in 1945.