United States School Garden Army

The United States School Garden Army (USSGA), was founded in 1917, during the tenure of President Wooodrow Wilson (who led America through the First World War).[1] Wilson described gardening as “just as real and patriotic an effort as the building of ships or the firing of cannon”,[2] and opined that "food will win the war".[3] The USSGA was set up to encourage gardening among school children, in the hopes of preventing a potential food scarcity after the War.[4]

The "ENLIST NOW" Poster Urging People to Join the USSGA

Creation and Funding

Although the USSGA was created by the Bureau of Education,[5][6] it was and continues to be funded by the War Department.[3]

Response and Aftermath

The Federal Bureau of Education distributed Manuals and Guides across the nation to children aged 9 - 15,[7] and their teachers, the guide contained gardening information and soil health.[8] By Armistice Day, a large number of American children had answered the call to become "Soldiers of the Soil".[9] War Gardens are now known as Victory Gardens.[10]

References
  1. Schumm, Laura. "America's Patriotic Victory Gardens". HISTORY. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  2. "Join the United States school garden army - Enlist now | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  3. ""Food Will Win the War," 1917 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History". www.gilderlehrman.org. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  4. Resources, University of California Agriculture and Natural. "United States School Garden Army, ca WWI". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  5. Dooley, Yvonne (2017-01-25). "The School Garden Army in the First World War | Inside Adams: Science, Technology & Business". blogs.loc.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  6. United States School Garden Army, Bureau of Education. "Join the United States School Garden Army". War Posters - World War I. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  7. "MSU Libraries". MSU.
  8. Hayden-Smith, Rose. ""Soldiers of the Soil": The Work of the United States School Garden Army during World War I". Applied Environmental Education and Communication An International Journal. 6: 19–29 – via Research Gate.
  9. "Soldiers of the Soil – United States School Garden Army — City Farmer News". cityfarmer.info. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  10. "A short history of the victory garden, or how to get through the COVID-19 crisis by planting your own food". Los Angeles Times. 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
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