Crazy times, eh? The COVID-19 pandemic is similar to past national crises in that people, fearing the shortage of life's essentials, are denuding grocery shelves of staples. Limits on various items for purchase or the outright unavailability of products place a burden on our well-being (physical, mental, and emotional).
So what have we as a nation done in past times of seeming chaos? We can look at the victory gardens popularized during World Wars I and II. According to History.com, "The Victory Garden campaign served as a successful means of boosting morale, expressing patriotism, safeguarding against food shortages on the home front, and easing the burden on the commercial farmers working arduously to feed troops and civilians overseas."
In other words, get outside, soak up some sunshine, and exercise. Establishing your own Victory Garden is a great way to accomplish these goals. It's not just about food, yet; it's about peace of mind and physical well-being. And, in case the food supply network is disrupted, your garden can now help alleviate the problem of food scarcity should it occur.
- The UCCE Solano Master Gardeners website https://solanomg.ucanr.edu/ ? The UC Agriculture and Natural Resources website https://ucanr.edu. Enter relevant topics in the Search box such as “vegetable growing” or particular vegetable names.
- The Master Gardeners Helpline. Call (707-784-1322) or email (mgsolano@ucdavis.edu). Master Gardeners are working remotely to assist our community.
- The Master Gardeners Facebook page (UCCE Master Gardeners of Solano County). https://www.facebook.com/solanogardeners
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UC Master Gardeners of Solano County are located at 501 Texas Street, First Floor, Fairfield, CA 94533-4498. For more gardening and event information, visit our website https://solanomg.ucanr.edu/. UC Master Gardeners staff a Helpline serving Solano County and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 707-784-1322 or email: mgsolano@ucdavis.edu. Our message center will take your questions and information. Please leave your name, phone number, a description of your problem, and your address. A Master Gardener will research your problem and return your call/email. With email, you can attach pictures of the problem, which may aid in the diagnosis of your plant question.