The Associated Press launched a story yesterday about a resurgence of interest in growing food in home gardens, the result of "twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies."
For the article, the newswire conducted a telephone interview of UCCE 4-H Youth Development and Master Gardener advisor Rose Hayden-Smith.
"You always see an uptick in gardening activity in keeping with economic conditions - consumer-driven waves that emulate recession and inflation-driven economies," Hayden-Smith is quoted in the story.
She compared today's market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th Century, when the concept of "victory gardens" became popular in the U.S, Canada and Europe.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," Hayden-Smith told AP. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
