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During both World Wars, citizens were encouraged to plant kitchen gardens at home and in their communities. Not only did they go a long way towards relieving food shortages, they also acted as morale boosters that allowed civilians to feel empowered by their contributions to the war effort. In the process, people discovered that they had more success when they made these gardens a group effort. By working together to achieve a common goal, close-knit communities were formed.

In recent years, grass roots campaigns promoting the revival of such gardens have sprung up around the country. We are beginning to realize that the packaging and processing of food, which then travels an average of 1500 miles before it reaches our tables, uses a great deal of energy and is a major contributor to pollution and global warming. If more people were to begin growing some of their own food, they would not only decrease their carbon footprint, they would also gain more control over their food's safety, nutrition, freshness, flavor and cost.

It is not necessary to live on acreage to grow a bit of food. Much can be done in just one or two raised beds in an average-sized backyard. Edibles can also be mixed in with the flowers in your front yard, or grown in containers on your patio, balcony or roof. If you have none of these spaces, you could look for a plot in a community garden, or offer to do the work and share the spoils, if allowed to borrow a corner of someone else's property.

The important thing is to start off slowly, gathering as much information as you can before diving in: contact your county's agricultural extension agent and ask about your garden zone, average first and last freeze dates, and recommended fruit and vegetable varieties and their planting times; if planting in existing beds, have a soil test done, and study the recommendations for improving it that you will receive; find a good, basic, organic gardening book, written by someone in your general area and climate zone; join an organic gardening club; make friends with someone who can act as your mentor, such as a Master Gardener, an older neighbor or relative, or a local garden center employee who has experience growing food; go on-line, and visit some of the many gardening blogs and websites that are concerned with Victory gardening.

The next step is to think about where and what you are going to plant. Most vegetables require at least five hours of steady sunlight per day, good soil with excellent drainage,

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